Saudi Arabia, Japan strengthen cultural collaboration with new MoU    Slovak president meets Saudi delegation to bolster trade and investment ties    Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms across Saudi Arabia until Tuesday    Saudi defense minister meets with Swedish state secretary    Navigating healthcare's future: Solutions for a sustainable system    Sixth foreign tourist dies of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos    Hungary's Orbán vows to ignore war crimes arrest warrant for Netanyahu    Russia gives North Korea million barrels of oil, breaking sanctions: report    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



English race goes to the wire
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 03 - 05 - 2010

Chelsea stayed top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory at Liverpool Sunday, while Manchester United made sure the title race went to the last day with a 1-0 win at Sunderland.
Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard scored Chelsea's goals at Anfield, and Nani's first-half strike at the Stadium of Light kept Man United a point behind going into the final round of games.
Chelsea hosts Wigan and United welcomes Stoke on May 9. United will need Chelsea to drop points if it is to become the first team to win four English league titles in a row.
But Chelsea has won 16 of its 18 home games so far in scoring 60 goals at Stamford Bridge.
"All we can do it win our game next week," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "You never know what might happen in football. It's a crazy game. We are clutching at straws a little bit, but the important thing is to win our game."
Chelsea now has six wins from six games against its traditional big three rivals – Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool – with a combined 12-1 goal record.
"It was a very important step for our fight for the title," manager Carlo Ancelotti said of the victory at Anfield. "We played very well, we deserved to win. We are happy because it was a difficult step against Liverpool."
Didier Drogba's 33rd-minute goal had a big contribution from Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. He tried to find goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a back pass but it was intercepted by Drogba, who pushed the ball past the keeper and rolled it into an empty net.
Chelsea appealed for a penalty just before halftime when Salomon Kalou went down under a challenge by Lucas Leiva but referee Alan Wiley waived away the appeal, prompting an angry reaction from coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Lampard turned home a low cross from Nicolas Anelka for his 21st league goal of the season in the 54th minute.
West Ham lost 3-2 at Fulham, meaning it is still not safe and could be overtaken by Hull. Burnley and Portsmouth are already down. Clint Dempsey collected a pass from Simon Davies to fire Fulham ahead in the 44th minute, and a shot by Chris Baird went in off the shoulder of West Ham striker Carlton Cole for an own-goal in the 58th.
Cole put the ball in the right net to halve the lead before Stefano Okaka made it 3-1. Guillermo Franco hit the final goal of the game for West Ham in the 90th.
West Ham has 34 points with one match to go and remains six points ahead of Hull, which visits Wigan on Monday.
Monday's other game is Arsenal at Blackburn.
In the race to join Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion as the clubs promoted to the Premier League, Blackpool captured a place in the promotion playoffs after drawing 1-1 with Bristol City to finish sixth in the League Championship.
The first round of the playoffs will be Nottingham Forest against Blackpool and Cardiff against Leicester.
Cardiff has not been in the top flight of English football since 1962 and Blackpool's last appearance there was in 1971.
Forest was in the third tier three seasons ago, so is chasing its second promotion in three years. It was last in the Premier League in 1999, while Leicester was relegated from the top flight in 2004.


Clic here to read the story from its source.