Carragher: Europa exit a boost

The Sky Sports pundit previews a mouthwatering Anfield clash he describes as "pivotal" to the seasons of both Manuel Pellegrini's title chasers and Brendan Rodgers' top-four hopefuls.

City head to Merseyside after a 2-1 Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat that belied Barcelona's dominance, while the Reds suffered a penalty-shootout defeat to Besiktas to bow out of the Europa League.

But the former England defender reckons there's a silver lining to Liverpool's spot-kick agony in Istanbul.... 

Of course it's disappointing that Liverpool have gone out of the Europa League - there's Champions League football at stake as well as a trophy.

But I don't think it's the worst thing for Brendan Rodgers' side, who, in my view, played pretty well in the first half before tiring as the match went on. 

Rodgers has always said that winning a trophy and making the top four would constitute a great season and I totally agree. Liverpool have still got the FA Cup - and going out of the Europa League will make it a lot easier for them to get into those Champions League places.

I'm looking at the bigger picture. I've got a hunch Liverpool will look back at the Besiktas result and think it was the best thing in the long run.

City should be in a better state physically, having had an extra couple of days to prepare, but mentally it could be a very different matter. 

The message from Rodgers and his staff will be: 'We've got to get into the top four another way now and going out of Europe gives us a better chance.'

The Europa League isn't as prestigious as the Champions League so Liverpool should be able to shake off the disappointment more quickly.

City might not have gone out of the top club competition just yet but in the back of their minds, they'll know how close they are. 

You build yourself up all season for the Champions League and when you're seen as one of the top clubs it's a massive blow to be on the brink.

Having said that, what an incentive for Pellegrini and his side on Sunday.

With Chelsea playing in the Capital One Cup final, City have a chance to cut the gap at the top to just two points. That would give them a massive psychological lift. It might just put a doubt in Chelsea's mind - even if they have got a game in hand.

Liverpool got that big win at Southampton when sides around them slipped up and after a stuttering start to the season, the top four is definitely there for the taking.

The belief they would gain from beating the champions would be massive - not least because they'll have a few free weekday nights now.

Make no mistake - this is a pivotal game in the context of both sides' seasons.

City have got some of the best players in the world in the likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure. The impact Toure, back from suspension, can have on these types of games is huge.

But I look at the way Liverpool played in their 3-2 win over City last April - the match that was billed as a title decider but turned out not to be.

Rodgers played Raheem Sterling off the front in a diamond formation and he caused all sorts of problems. 

Liverpool play slightly differently now with a back three but - especially if City play 4-4-2 again - Sterling could be the key.

It's set up to be a really good game. Liverpool won't be as fresh but they should go into it full of confidence after victory at St Mary's - and with a renewed sense of focus.

Watch Liverpool v Man City live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday from midday.

Pellegrini: End Anfield run

With Chelsea involved in the Capital One Cup final this weekend, the champions can cut the gap at the top of the Premier League to two points with victory at Liverpool on Sunday.

But history is not on their side, with City having not won at the home of the Reds in any of their last 11 league visits - seven of which they have lost.

Pellegrini feels it is about time his team put that statistic right.

He said: "Always Liverpool are a strong team with a difficult stadium, but I also think all those statistics - you must change it.

"This year we won at Stoke, and in the last six years we never did that."

City were beaten 3-2 at Liverpool in a pulsating clash last April - a defeat which, coupled with a draw against Sunderland three days later, handed the title initiative to the Merseyside club.

The atmosphere at Anfield that day was highly charged, coming two days before the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and the football was compelling.

City fought back to level from 2-0 down only to be undone by a fine Philippe Coutinho strike 12 minutes from time.

Pellegrini said: "It was a very special day because it was the day when we remembered what happened with their fans some years ago. It was a very emotional day.

"It was a very close game. We couldn't win for different reasons but this year we go with the same mentality, to try to win and try to be an aggressive and attacking team from the beginning."

City recovered from that slip last April to win their last five games and deny Liverpool their first league crown since 1990.

But last season's title race is still remembered for the attacking brilliance of both clubs - they each scored more than a century of goals - and there have been signs of that flair returning of late.

City have reignited their challenge at the top after a sticky spell with 4-1 and 5-0 victories over Stoke and Newcastle respectively.

Liverpool have also started to rediscover their goalscoring touch after an underwhelming first half of the campaign, although both sides will go into the game on the back of European defeats.

One of the chief reasons for Liverpool's dip this season has been the loss of Luis Suarez - a player whose talents City were reminded of on Tuesday as the Uruguayan struck twice in Barcelona's 2-1 Champions League win at the Etihad Stadium.

Pellegrini said: "For any team, losing Luis Suarez is important.

"For the games against Barcelona, you asked me what we were going to do with (Lionel) Messi. But if we controlled Messi, if we controlled Neymar, they would have Suarez.

"Of course Liverpool miss him. The performance of Luis Suarez in the last year was incredible and you always need a player with that.

"But the big teams have a lot of other players in the squad. Liverpool this season bought a lot of important players. (Mario) Balotelli is a very good player and in (Rickie) Lambert they have an important player."

Matic ban 'damages football'

The Chelsea midfielder is banned for Sunday's League Cup final after he reacted to a heavy Ashley Barnes tackle last weekend by shoving the Burnley man to the ground.

Matic had his ban shortened from three games to two during the week, but that reduction failed to pacify Mourinho, who showed up at the Goals on Sunday studio last weekend to vent his spleen about Barnes' 'career-ending' tackle.

Mourinho refused to comment further at his Friday press conference, but he revisited the subject at a later briefing and claimed English football's reputation is in danger of being undermined.

"We must take care of our football," he said. "It's not about how many millions are watching on television. It's about the feeling and respect and credibility, what people think about it.

"Strong credibility. This is something English football cannot lose. You lose credibility when a player like Matic is suspended, and another player can play this weekend.

"I don't think you can have any doubt that all around the world people open their mouths with surprise at how this can be possible."

Mourinho has complained about a perceived 'campaign' against Chelsea this season which he believes has affected refereeing performances.

Speaking ahead of Wembley he said:  "It's easy to cope with a mistake. It's not easy to cope with lots of mistakes. It's not easy. We try. Hopefully the final is a good final."

Ref stands by Brown red card

East says he believed both Brown and John O'Shea made contact with Radamel Falcao in the incident that resulted in a penalty in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Saturday.

East pointed to the spot in the second half after Falcao appeared to be felled by O'Shea, although Brown was in close proximity as well.

Replays showed O'Shea pulled Falcao back just as he was about to shoot, and Brown came around to challenge the Colombian.

O'Shea pleaded with East to send him off instead, but Brown walked.

A statement from the PGMOL read: “From his position Roger East, the match referee, believed he saw contact from John O’Shea and Wes Brown on Radamel Falcao.

"As he thought Brown made a foul on Falcao while he was in the act of shooting, he dismissed Brown. After the incident, the match referee consulted with his team of officials but none were better placed to offer guidance.”

United went on to win 2-0 and East's decision occurred on the same day that football's rule-makers ruled out the imminent use of video technology.

United manager Louis van Gaal said after the game: "The (Sunderland) players protested more because they felt the wrong player was sent off. That's a mistake. You make mistakes as well, and so do I. It can happen." 

Wayne Rooney converted the subsequent penalty, ending his eight-game spell without a league goal.

The United captain scored again from close range in the 85th as the hosts temporarily leapfrogged Arsenal into third place in the table.

Rooney admitted he thought East had got the penalty decision wrong. 

He told Sky Sports News HQ: "I don’t think it was Wes – it looked like 'Sheasy' so the referee has got it wrong and I’m sure they will look at that and rescind Wes’ red card."

Arsenal announce £11m profit

The Gunners, who sit third in the Premier League, have seen their off-field revenue streams based around the 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium continue to improve over the six months ended November 30 2014, which has in turn released more funds for record player purchases of £93.7m including the summer acquisitions of Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck.

The increase in turnover, up some £12.6m from the same period in 2013, was part grown by the club's new kit partnership with Puma, while cash reserves now stand at £138.8m, up from £120.6m.

Arsenal, whose only long-term debt is against low-interest fixed-rate bond repayments for their stadium, expect to be "fully compliant with all of the requirements of both the Premier League and UEFA financial regulatory regimes".

Chairman Sir Chips Keswick said: "Our commitment to investment in the squad was evidenced by a record level of expenditure on players joining the club.

"Crucially, this investment remains at a level which is consistent with our principle of affordability and which is financially sustainable in accordance with the applicable regulatory regimes.

"On the field, the team has produced some strong results and the squad is looking fit and better balanced.

"However, we need to find our best form on a more consistent basis as we approach, what I hope will be, an exciting end to the season."

On Wednesday night, Arsenal saw their hopes of progress through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League left in doubt following an unexpected 3-1 home defeat by Monaco.

Martinez wary of Arsenal

The Gunners' chances of progressing to the quarter-finals of the continental competition look slim after they were beaten 3-1 at home in their last-16 first leg on Wednesday.

It left Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger critcising the "weak mentality" of his team, and on Friday the Frenchman admitted he had been "hurt" by what happened.

He also talked about the difficulty of "switching mindset" from the disappointment of that game to the challenge of tackling the Toffees, but made clear his determination to do so, speaking of the "very good opportunity to put things right again".

And Martinez said ahead of the Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium: "I don't think Arsenal will suffer from a psychological setback after what happened in their last game.

"They have incredible experience in these sorts of games."

Everton are going into the game off the back of a European high, having comfortably completed a 7-2 aggregate victory over Young Boys by seeing them off 3-1 at Goodison Park on Thursday to advance into the Europa League last 16.

But Martinez is not underestimating the benefit an extra day's worth of preparation will have for Arsenal, and has also pointed to the league form of Wenger's side - eight wins and only two defeats in their last 11 fixtures, and just one home loss all season.

"It is true that an extra 24 hours in terms of recovery makes a big difference," the Spaniard said.

"We need to make sure we are fully fit and refreshed. We expect an Arsenal fully focused on trying to carry on the outstanding form they have in the league, and we'll have to be at our very best.

"Arsenal have only had one home league defeat and we know we have a real difficult task in front of us.

"But at the same time, after our result last weekend, we are desperate to perform well and get a good result."

Everton were held to a 2-2 home draw by bottom side Leicester last Sunday, a game which took their recent league record to only two wins in 14 games.

Martinez guided the Toffees to a fifth-placed finish last season, but this term they have struggled for momentum domestically and have been 12th for the last few weeks.

It has been in stark contrast to an impressive European campaign, in which the manager feels his players have been more free of the pressure of expectation.

And Martinez hopes his side, with a top-four spot now certainly not on the agenda, can play in a more liberated style in the league.

He said: "We have gone into league matches feeling too much responsibility, like we have something to lose rather than something to gain, and I think in the Europa League it has been completely different - from a mental point of view, it has just been an opportunity to beat the opposition and show what we can do.

"That is exactly the manner we should be approaching the games with in the league and hopefully, now we are going into the final 12 matches and we know we are not going to be in a position to get into the top four, we will be in a position to get as many points as we can, finish as high as we can and find a real enjoyment in domestic competition too."

Villa 'can't drop more points

Sherwood saw his side put in a spirited display at Newcastle but Papiss Cisse’s first-half strike was enough to hand Villa their seventh consecutive league defeat.

And the Villa boss believes his side need to take points from every one of their 11 remaining games if they are to maintain their top flight status.

“The dressing room is very disappointed but the nature of the game is onwards and upwards,” Sherwood told Sky Sports.

“I’m ramping up the pressure on them. I’m telling them we can’t drop any more points.

“Let’s take it upon ourselves. Everyone tries to pile the pressure on us but we put more pressure on ourselves. We have to take points in every game we play. Simple as that.”

Aston Villa twice had the ball in the back of the Newcastle net through Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke but on both occasions the strikes were ruled out for offside.

Benteke, Scott Sinclair and Tom Cleverley all missed chances and Sherwood believes his side need to show better quality under pressure, claiming they are not too good to go down.

He added: “People say we’re too good to go down with all this quality. It’s all nonsense. You have to prove it on the pitch. You have to go out there and do it.

"People say it’s all about guts and desire in a relegation fight. They’ve got that. They showed me that today. We need to show quality under pressure. That’s what we need to do.”

United win after bizarre red

Radamel Falcao produced a fine piece of skill to turn John O’Shea in the box and was hauled down by the Sunderland defender to earn United a second-half spot-kick. However, referee Roger East mistakenly dismissed Brown, before Rooney drilled in the penalty on 66 minutes.

Rooney then added his second - and first from open play in 2015 - by heading in from close range with six minutes left when Costel Pantilimon parried Adnan Januzaj's shot. Januzaj had replaced the disappointing Angel di Maria at half-time.

Ander Herrera had a late goal correctly ruled out for offside but the result leaves Sunderland three points above the relegation zone and with just one win in their last 10 Premier League matches.

United began the game brightly and Rooney - who had gone eight games without a goal before kick-off - wasted a good chance to open the scoring four minutes in when he headed Di Maria's corner wide.

However, Sunderland showed early intent too, with Connor Wickham surging forward and drawing a fine save from David de Gea from the edge of the box before Jermain Defoe curled a shot over the bar.

United dominated possession throughout the opening 45 minutes though, and the impressive Ashley Young sent a powerful volley over the bar before his cross-shot deflected up onto the woodwork off the foot of O'Shea.

The impressive Young - who caused Anthony Reveillere problems throughout the match - then cut inside and bent an effort wide from 25 yards before Sebastian Larsson hacked Marcos Rojo's effort off the line five minutes before the break.

Di Maria had a first half to forget, wasting numerous opportunities to deliver a good cross into the box, and was replaced by Januzaj at the interval.

The young Belgian had an immediate impact, winning two corners at the start of the second half before lashing a volley wide on the hour mark when Reveillere half-cleared Rooney's free-kick.

Well-organised Sunderland continued to frustrate United until a smart piece of control from Falcao - who started in place of the injured Robin van Persie - left O'Shea little option but to foul the United striker in the area.

However, controversy followed when the referee - advised by his assistants - showed a red card to O’Shea's fellow centre-back Brown before Rooney fired the penalty low past Pantilimon's right.

Substitutes Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini both tested the Sunderland shot-stopper as tiredness took its toll on the visitors before Rooney nodded in the second from close range to put the result beyond doubt on 84 minutes.

There was still time for one more moment of drama, when Herrera's injury-time goal was rightly ruled out for offside, after Fellaini had spurned a golden opportunity to score a one-on-one chance. 

Nasri: I can be an arrogant jerk

Nasri, who scored during City's 4-1 win at Stoke on Wednesday night, has a reputation for straight talking which has seen him land in hot water in the past.

Nasri was criticised for his attitude by Roberto Mancini during the Italian's reign at City and the former Arsenal man decided to retire from international football last year after falling out with France coach Didier Deschamps.

Nasri told L'Equipe 21: "From time to time, I'm a jerk. Sometimes it is better to buckle but it is something I can't do.

"I managed when I was younger and sometimes I went home with a knot in my stomach.

"Afterwards, you go off, but not with the right person.

"I'd therefore prefer to say everything I think, even if it means I'm not liked, even if it means I sound arrogant and a little *****. At least the folk I do like don't have to suffer."

Villa director dismisses 'hogwash'

Chairman Randy Lerner stuck by Lambert for two-and-a-half years but was rewarded with two 15th-place finishes and now a spot in the relegation zone.

Villa have scored just 12 goals in 25 Premier League games this season and Lambert was sacked on Wednesday after a defeat at fellow strugglers Hull on Tuesday night.

"Paul was just not bringing the team together," said Krulak.

"Randy was loathe to remove a manager mid-campaign. But there was this intensely strong feeling, not least from the players and fans, that Villa should be doing a lot better.

"Randy wants a team that - win, lose or draw - is fun to watch. But the opposite was true.

"This idea that Randy had not put money into the club and that Paul's hands were tied is simply not true. It's hogwash."

Lambert's net spent while Villa boss was almost £50m.

Scholes: United 'miserable'

Despite Van Gaal taking United to third in the table in his first season in charge, some critics have had issues with the style of play employed by the Dutchman.

Another ex-player, Gary Neville, caused a stir when he compared them to a pub side earlier this season, while Scholes also has issues.

Writing in the Independent in the wake of the midweek win over Burnley, he said: "Part of being a Manchester United player under Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the most important part of being one of United's attacking players, was that when you were in possession you had to take risks in order to create goalscoring chances. It was not an option; it was an obligation.

"In the periods of my career when I stopped passing the ball forward, or when I stopped looking for the risky pass that might open up a defence, the consequences were the same. The manager stopped picking me. I got back into the team when I went back to doing it the way he wanted.

"United's history was built on attacking football, which does not always mean that the team kept clean sheets or did not concede chances. Why do you think United have had some of the best goalkeepers in the world over the years? They needed them because the team committed so many players forward.

"It does not give me any pleasure to say that at the moment I am struggling to watch Louis van Gaal's team with any great enjoyment. They beat Burnley on Wednesday night but it was Burnley who had by far the best of the first half.

"At times, United's football is miserable. To beat opposing teams you have to attack, and to attack you have to take risks. Too few of the players in the current team are prepared to take those risks."

Scholes scored 155 goals for United during their richest period of success and is at a loss to work out why Van Gaal is employing captain Wayne Rooney in midfield.

He added: "We come at last to the two strikers, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao. I feel they look like strangers at times, while Wayne Rooney is moved around the team to accommodate them.

"Wayne can play anywhere on the pitch. He is so willing, and he will give you at least a 7/10 performance most times. Against Burnley he ended up as a defensive midfielder. At other times he has been pushed out to the right-hand side, where he will look for the strikers early or switch the play.

"But if Van Gaal does not think Rooney is a better option up front than the other two then there really is a problem."

Roy: Play Rooney up front

Rooney has consistently been deployed in the middle of the park in Louis van Gaal's Manchester United regime and has not scored since Boxing Day.

The Dutchman used him as a defensive midfielder in the 3-1 win over Burnley, telling Sky Sports after the game: "I have to look for the better balance and I think, because of Rooney, we have a better balance in midfield."

But counterpart Hodgson, speaking ahead of next month's European Qualifier against Lithuania, insists the 29-year-old - just four goals away from becoming England's all-time leading scorer - is best played as a striker.

"At the moment I don't necessarily think (central midfield) will be his best position for us and I don't have any immediate plans to play him there. But who knows? I will never say never.

"He's a goalscorer, isn't he?

"One always likes to see one's goal-scorers in positions where they can get into the box and in and around the box.

"He's our top goal-scorer in the qualifiers, he's just a couple of goals (four) away now from being England's leading goalscorer, so I hope he will continue to score goals for us."

January award for Kane, Koeman

Kane scored five goals in January and assisted on one more, opening his month in fantastic style with two goals in their 5-3 win over Chelsea at White Hart Lane.

He went on to score in the defeat by Crystal Palace and then added two more in Spurs' 3-0 win over West Brom, and he has since taken his season's tally to 23 to put himself firmly in the frame for a first England senior call.

"New Year's Day was a great day for me and a great day for Tottenham," Kane said, reflecting on the win over Chelsea. "I got the two goals which was great, and managed to finish it off quite well against West Brom.

"We're still in quite a few competitions, we've got the final of the Capital One Cup ahead of us, and we're doing well in the league as well. Exciting times ahead and February's going to be a big month. Hopefully we can all continue our form.

"The north London derby was a big day for me as well. A special day, probably one I won't forget for the rest of my career. It was an all-round great team performance and to get the two goals was very special.

"Beating teams like Arsenal and Chelsea shows we can be up there and challenge. There is still a long way to go but we are focusing on each game as it comes.

"A lot of people are talking about it (England) but there is still a month or so until he names his squad and I've just got to keep doing what I am doing and keep my feet on the floor. Come the end of March, hopefully I am still doing it and we'll see what happens."

Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle, Chelsea forward Oscar, Southampton defender Jose Fonte, Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla and Liverpool midfielder Emre Can were the other nominees.

Koeman's side played only three league matches in January, but won all three including vital victories over chief European rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

They kicked off 2015 with a 2-0 win over Arsenal, followed that up with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford and, after making it past Ipswich Town in the FA Cup, beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James' Park.

Results since the turn of the month have been a mixed bag for the Saints (one win, one draw, one defeat) but they remain in fourth place and well in the running for Champions League football next season.

"It's a great feeling," said Koeman, who is the first manager to win the award twice this season. "It means a lot and it shows the great month Southampton had in January.

"Of course it was great wins against Arsenal home and Manchester United away, and then a difficult one away against Newcastle.

"That makes the decision that I win this title. The players are doing fantastic. We know it will be a very tough last part of the season. The spirit is in the team, the confidence is in the team and we know our way of playing. I think that's the most important thing we have to do to keep going with what we did before."

He beat off competition from Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and Stoke City's Mark Hughes to win the award.

Annoyingly, Jose Is Right On Lukaku...

I absolutely hate it when Jose Mourinho is right; I take a rather squalid delight in him being wrong.

These mind games, for example. Legendary, are they? The Dark Arts of the Special One? Just to be clear, the last tactic employed by this latter-day Sun Tzu to create a siege mentality around his players was 'sulk in a corner and refuse to talk until they admit that Chelsea never foul anyone'.

I've heard some people say that the snide remarks made to some sponsors about Samuel Eto'o's age were a deliberate ploy to gee him up for the title challenge. Except they weren't. It was just Mourinho being Mourinho. i.e, amongst other things, being pretty low rent. That over-the-shoulder eye-poke on Tito Vilanova was about the scummiest thing I've seen in all the time I've watched football. Put simply: I want him to fail.

But, he's too good. The world would be a great deal more pleasant if all of what I found unappealing about Mourinho - the aggressive negativity of his approach to big games, the demands for vast amounts to be spent on whichever team he controls, the disingenuous, sniping mask he presents in public - were being piled on to hide a fundamental deficiency. That he might be fundamentally insecure, as the PE teaching, translating outsider, is quite possible - and God knows, his brand of football ranks a long way short, as a spectacle, of his achievements. But, you sense that behind the scenes, away from all the panting malarkey of the Special One, operates a manager whose ability to know what makes players tick, and which ones simply won't tick, is probably peerless.

The latest evidence came in the Merseyside derby, a game that could generously be described as tepid. This was partly because any time an Everton attack passed into the area where Gareth Barry fears to tread, it died. And this was largely because Everton were fielding a centre-forward who was acting like an overgrown teenager at a wedding, all awkward arms and legs and no intention of going near the dancefloor.

Clearly anyone who's watched the Premier League over the last few years knows that Romelu Lukaku is not a bad player, and occasionally seems a beast of a striker - and that 'good feet for a big man' schtick is an insult to how incisive his finishing can be. The gap he would leave in a foot race with some of the league's big men of yesteryear is wide. He was also, for basically the entire 90 minutes against Liverpool, useless to the point of irrelevance.

Of course, there are excuses - Steven Naismith wasn't born to play the feeder role to a striker always looking to lead the line, and Kevin Mirallas is currently preoccupied with watching the Kevin Mirallas Show in his head. None of Barry, Muhamed Besic or James McCarthy have a passing range that helps Lukaku. Martinez was a loon for not putting Ross Barkley as close to Lukaku as possible for the entire game. But the inescapable fact is that of all those players, McCarthy comes in the most expensive at a mind-bending £13million. You don't need telling that Lukaku cost quite a bit more - and at this kind of price there is no license to be an irrelevance in your club's biggest game of the season.

It seems like the trajectory of the 21st century - like Oblivion at Alton Towers, stuck at the top for days and days on end - has created an interesting new divining rod: Can you cope beneath the pressure of a fee that, in dollar-logic terms, is ridiculous? For Exhibit A: 'No!' - see Andy Carroll, Roberto Soldado, probably Juan Mata and, possibly, Romelu Lukaku. Free as a bird on loan at West Brom, and then Everton, you can't simply overlook what he's capable of producing. But - and this is where my teeth start to grind - does he have that extra thing? That mental concrete that the previous occupant of the role at Chelsea that Lukaku so obviously coveted, and was deemed unfit for, had rather a lot of. The step-upness.

It's worth remembering, Lukaku is only 21. No 21-year old, ever, should have to dominate his profession, unless possibly that profession is 'teenage rent boy'. I as much as anyone want the blight of anonymity that Lukaku is suffering this season to be something he'll grow out of. But on Wednesday he'll turn up at Stamford Bridge for what is surely - look away now, Everton fans - his biggest game of the season, knowing that at the moment it looks like the Special One was right. Again. B**tard.

Arsenal 2 Leicester 1: Five Talking Points

After returning as a substitute against Stoke at the start of January, Mesut Ozil promised Arsenal fans he would be back at 100% fitness by the end of the month, and the playmaker has been true to his word. Ozil was sensational in the first half against Leicester, setting up Laurent Koscielny's opener to take his tally to two assists and three goals in his last four starts. He also played a key role in Theo Walcott's strike just before the break, firing a swerving effort from outside the box that Mark Schwarzer could only parry into the England forward's path. If Ozil maintains his current form, then Arsenal can hope to hold on to fourth after returning to the Champions League spots for the first time since November 8

Liverpool Need Brendan To Be Brave...

"With Emre you can see the importance of his role and the position he plays in there. Why disrupt that and try and fix something that could actually create another problem?" said Brendan Rodgers when asked whether he would move Can from the defensive role in which he has excelled since Christmas to cover for the injured Lucas Leiva against Tottenham.

It seemed the obvious solution - with Joe Allen seen as the only other viable and yet underwhelming alternative - but Rodgers had another scheme that was hatched against Bolton in the FA Cup, when Can moved forward late in the match "so he could control the game from there, and that pushed the other midfielders forward". Starting with Can in defence and Steven Gerrard in central midfield gave Liverpool a game-changing option; it seems likely that 'Lovren for Gerrard' had long been pencilled into the plans for a match Rodgers knew he simply had to win. On this occasion, bringing on a defender for a midfielder was a proactive, positive move for which the Liverpool manager should be applauded.

Rodgers stood accused of sentimentality when he left an ineffective Gerrard on the pitch for 90 minutes against Everton on Saturday but there was little danger of him repeating that mistake. This time, his moves were made early and decisively, with all three changes making a difference. Can brought an energy and drive into the midfield that Gerrard has lost and Allen never had, while Adam Lallana and Mario Balotelli combined for the vital winner after a fading Daniel Sturridge had exited the stage. Whatever Rodgers' misgivings about Balotelli, he knew that the Italian was far likelier to conjure a winner than the willing but lumbering Rickie Lambert.

This was the Rodgers we had admired from last season, his starting XI screaming energy and intent. Jordon Ibe started once again at right wing-back when Glen Johnson or Jordan Henderson would have been safer options, doubling up with Lazar Markovic to pick on Tottenham's weakest link at left-back. And thus, Liverpool found a way to win without both Sterling and Lucas. It was brave, it was gung-ho, it was refreshing and it was exactly what Rodgers needed to claim what had escaped them since the last time they played Tottenham in August - victory over a side they were not entirely expected to beat.

Central to that was Rodgers' willingness to take risks. Moving Can out of defence was undoubtedly a gamble worth taking with the game poised at 2-2 with 22 minutes left on the clock. Well-timed disruption might just be the key to rescuing this stuttering season; it's certainly more fun than sleepwalking to seventh.

Ardley hails dogged display

The Dons boss was unhappy with the 65th-minute dismissal of defender Mark Phillips but was delighted with his side's performance as Albion dropped points for the first time at home since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took charge in November.

Ardley said: "I thought in the first half they were the better team as far as territorial advantage was concerned.

"But we tinkered with things for the second half and in the end I thought we had the best chances to win the game.

"It was obviously tough for us with the sending off. It made it more difficult and forced us to curb what we were trying to do."

In a direct reference to referee Seb Stockbridge, Ardley said: "It was a tough evening and I've got to be careful what I say, but the performance of someone out in the middle of that pitch who was not on my team was not acceptable.

"But I'm delighted with our performance. We defended resiliently, there's a good feel about the camp and we'll go away from here in good spirits."

Burton extended their unbeaten run to a club record of 11 Football League games but surrendered top spot after Shrewsbury grabbed two late goals to win at Carlisle.

The nearest Burton came to a goal was in the eighth minute when Adam McGurk headed a Lucas Akins cross against a post.

The Dons could have stolen the lead when Alfie Potter fired against the legs of home goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.

And it was Potter who twice had chances to punish some unusually slack Burton defending straight after the restart. The winger fired one shot across the face of goal and saw another effort cleared off the line by Tom Naylor.

McGurk squandered an opportunity to put Burton in front before Phillips was shown a straight red card after clashing with striker Stuart Beavon.

Burton boss Hasselbaink said: "They frustrated us and I imagine they're frustrated as well.

"Both teams had their chances and with a little bit more luck we would have scored one of ours, but it was not meant to be on this occasion.

"It would have been a different story perhaps if the early header had gone in. Then the game would have opened up and the holes would have been bigger.

"In the end, it was always a game of who would make the first mistake or who would take their chance, but none of the two teams could do that.

"Playing against 10 men is always difficult if you have to score. If you're winning already it's a different ball game, but they were able to get nine men behind the ball to frustrate us.

"But it's all credit to my boys that Wimbledon came here and changed their system. It shows we've been doing well of late."

Bolton hit back to beat Fulham

The Manchester United teenager only completed his loan signing earlier in the day after last Monday's transfer deadline switch was held-up through red tape.

But he wasted no time making an impact, capping his impressive first appearance for Neil Lennon's side with a rasping 25 yard drive 10 minutes from time as Kit Symons side failed to capitalise on a promising start to the Sky Bet Championship encounter.

The Swiss-born youngster's stunning goal returned the Trotters to winning ways after three defeats and two draws from their previous five games.

He also provided the cross for Eidur Gudjohnsen's third goal of his Bolton comeback and his first from open play for the Trotters since 2000 when he also netted home and away against the Londoners.

Adam Le Fondre rubber-stamped Wanderers' deserved success after 89 minutes with his first goal since joining on loan from Cardiff after a dreadful error by Marcus Bettinelli.

Wanderers were excellent value for their win after a slow start. Indeed, Gudjohnsen's shot, blocked by Shaun Hutchinson, was the only meaningful goal attempt in a sterile opening 20 minutes.

The veteran Icelander, named as Wanderers' seventh captain of the season, appealed for handball but referee Graham Sutton remained unmoved.

And in their first attack, after 21 minutes, the Cottagers took the lead.

Nikolay Bodurov's flicked header was well saved by Andy Lonergan but from the resulting corner, Alexander Kacaniklic cut the ball back for ex-Motherwell defender Hutchinson to fire home his second goal of the season from close range.

Unmarked Ross McCormack fizzed another effort wide of a post before Janko dispossessed Ryan Tunnicliffe only for Gudjohnsen to shoot straight at Bettinelli from 18 yards.

Fulham, however, were the most effective side going forward and McCormack's angled right foot attempt was pushed out of harm's way by busy Lonergan.

Five minutes from half-time Wanderers had a much more vociferous handball protest rejected as Josh Vela's goalbound drive smashed into Bulgarian Bodurov. Boss Lennon, no lover of Championship referees since his arrival from Celtic, berated the fourth official as Fulham survived.

The reprieve was a brief one as Gudjohnsen broke Bolton's league goal drought against the Londoners dating back 640 minutes to Ivan Klasnic's strike at Craven Cottage on November 28, 2009.

Janko, making his first senior appearance since United's 4-0 League Cup humiliation at MK Dons, delivered an excellent right-wing cross. Unmarked Gudjohnsen controlled the pass superbly before glancing the ball wide of Bettinelli.

Bolton started the second half equally brightly with Bettinelli pushing over Janko's cross and Le Fondre hammering another effort past the target.

He was even closer after 55 minutes, denied a first goal since his arrival, by Kostas Stafylidis' goal-line clearance.

Fulham were on the ropes and Bettinelli thwarted Le Fondre to deny Wanderers a deserved lead. But it took a Janko pile-driver to finally put Bolton in front before Le Fondre applied the coup de grace.

Clough wants more from side

Jose Baxter scored twice for Clough's side while Jay McEveley and debutant Matt Done were also on target.

Sammie Szmodic's effort midway through the second half briefly provided the visitors with a glimmer of hope before Matthew Briggs' foul on Paul Coutts presented Baxter with the opportunity to apply the coup-de-grace from the penalty spot.

Baxter gave the hosts the perfect start when he scored in the eighth minute.

Done doubled their advantage when he applied the finishing touch to a memorable 38th-minute move.

McEveley combined with the impressive Coutts to smash home from long range on the hour before Szmodic scored.

The Blades sealed a deserved victory when Briggs tugged back Coutts as he powered into the box, which presented Baxter with the opportunity to complete his brace.

Clough said: "We've scored six goals in our last two league games at home and that's great to see. But we've just told the lads in the dressing room that we want even more.

"We expect more from them because we know they are capable of it. Such as, in the last 10 minutes, trying harder to increase the margin of victory without losing control. They're good players but there's always room to improve.

"Matt (Done) did really well on his debut and to score will cap it off for him. He was a pest out there and we've probably not had enough of that lately, to be honest. But he gave their defenders a torrid time by closing them down whenever they had the ball.

"We're back in the play-offs now with games in hand on those around us so we want to use this as a platform to go forward."

Colchester boss Tony Humes said: "If we don't defend properly then we aren't going to win games. We're in danger of becoming a nice side to watch but also a nice side to play against and it goes without saying that's not what we want.

"They scored some good goals but I think, from our perspective, most of them, if not all, were preventable. We had a good first half but didn't make that count and they came out more confident in the second half.

"Having said all that, I didn't see anyone shirking their responsibilities which was good. We're a young side and we're hoping to bring in a little bit more experience during the loan window, which will help. But we're not that close.

"We had two players in mind but their clubs have moved the goalposts which, from our position, makes those deals impossible to do."

Beto ruled out for two months

The Portuguese 32-year-old, who missed last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Getafe, underwent tests in Lisbon this week which ruled out the need for surgery.

A statement from Sevilla read: "After tests carried out by Dr. Cartucho, a specialist in Lisbon, Beto will not have to undergo surgery but will need approximately eight weeks to recover from the elbow injury."

Beto, who has made 18 league starts for Sevilla this season, is set to miss eight La Liga games and Sevilla's Europa League last 32 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach.

But he could return in time to face Barcelona on April 12.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery has discovered that three other players - Stephane Mbia, Iago Aspas and Coke - will be out of action for a stretch after getting hurt during Sunday's game.

Cameroon midfielder Mbia has a grade II muscular lesion in his right thigh and will be out for three weeks while Liverpool's on-loan striker Iago Aspas will be sidelined for a month with a right-abductor injury.

Spanish defender Coke suffered a hamstring problem and will be only return to action next month.

Setback to Bernabeu plans

The European champions have ambitious plans for the iconic venue but Madrid's High Court has put the renovation on hold with the club under investigation over a related land deal.

The club said in a statement: "The High Court of Madrid has overturned the agreement from November 15, 2012, issued by the community of Madrid's Governing Council, which approved the specific modification of the Madrid general development plan, a decision that affects the Santiago Bernabeu.

"Following this ruling, Real Madrid will work with the city council and the community of Madrid to address those aspects that require attention in order to make the Santiago Bernabeu reform project viable."

Real Madrid announced plans just over a year ago to make the Bernabeu "the best stadium in the world" with an estimated £297million development, which would include the construction of retail, leisure and restaurant zones, a hotel and underground parking.

However, in August last year the High Court upheld a complaint by environmental group Ecologists in Action to halt an agreement with the city council for the development whilst the club were under investigation by the European Commission for illegal state aid.

The Commission is investigating a land deal which saw the city council reclaim land in the Las Tablas area of the city for a value in excess of 22 million euros in 2011, 13 years after it was wrongly sold to the club for just under 500,000 euros.

To compensate the debt owed to Real Madrid the club were given land around the Bernabeu and in the Opanel and Valdebebas areas of the city, where the club's training ground now stands.

The agreement signed in 2012 would have seen the land in Opanel handed back to the council as well as a public park created on one corner of the ground in exchange for the commercial development next to the stadium.