Wenger tells Arsenal players momentum is with them to win Premier League

Deepak Jain>Wed, Jan 06 10 03:59 PM

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has declared war on Chelsea and Manchester United by telling his players that the momentum is with them at present to win the Premier League.

The Gunners will move to within one point of leaders Chelsea if they beat Bolton. And Wenger is convinced that his team have the advantage over their title rivals after completing a 10-point turnaround during the holiday period.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti recently claimed that Wenger was a good magician for predicting the Blues' Christmas collapse.

"One month ago we were a long way from the top teams, but now we have momentum on our side and the chance to keep that going. I said when we lost to Chelsea at the end of November that they would drop some points, but I never expected it to happen so quickly," The Sun quoted Wenger, as saying.

"One month has given us a good springboard to go even further. Why should we stop here when we have taken so many points from our opponents? We refused to give up. The mental strength and solidarity of my players has been tested and they have come through it.

"Now I know that within our team we have a great hunger for success. We are a team that has grown up together and now we want to win things together. What was most important was how we responded to the opportunity to come back when the other teams dropped points," he said.

"We have put ourselves in a better mathematical situation and we must keep up that momentum by being consistent. We are on a good run and we want to test the resistance of the other teams. We have a good opportunity to get close to Chelsea and we want to take it," Wenger added.

Wenger is aware his young team have little experience of going the distance. But he is adamant his youngsters are better equipped this time.

"I believe we can cope with all the demands, especially with Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and Nicklas Bendtner soon coming back from injuries. The title race will be different because there are six or seven teams challenging for the top four," he said. (ANI)

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Jeev looking for double celebration

Deepak Jain Wed, Jan 06 10 03:39 PM

Chonburi (Thailand), Jan 6 (PTI) Ace Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh is anticipating a double celebration this month with a Royal Trophy triumph followed by the birth of his first child. His wife, Kudrat, is expecting their first baby at the end of January and although Jeev is reluctant to be away from home he could not resist the chance to represent Asia against Europe. "This is an exciting time for me and while I am on such a high about things, I am hoping it will transfer over to my golf, so that I can have as great a week," said Jeev who will be an important cog in the Asia''s title defence against Europe in the fourth edition of the event which gets underway at the Amata Spring Country Club on Friday. "We still have a few weeks before the baby is due and everything seems to be going fine, so I was very keen to play here," he said. According to Jeev, Asia''s triumph augured well for the golfers from this continent. "It was so important for Asia to win last year, because that victory has done wonders for the profile of the Event. That result helped to establish it as a great and fiercely-fought Competition. .

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Beckham's AC Milan stint to seal his England ticket for 2010 World Cup

Deepak Jain>Wed, Jan 06 10 03:23 PM

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Ace midfielder David Beckham is certain of his ticket to the England team for the 2010 World Cup after being promised regular first-team football with AC Milan.

Beckham is back in Italy for a second loan spell and could play for the Rossoneri against Genoa at the San Siro tonight.

England boss Fabio Capello warned Beckham that he needs to be playing regularly in Europe if he is to make the squad for South Africa. But Milan coach Leonardo revealed that he expects Beckham to be more than just a bit-part player as AC Milan.

Beckham made 20 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti in last season's loan stint with Milan. Although Ancelotti is now at Chelsea, it appears his successor is happy with the loan deal, The Sun reports.

"We have a lot of matches and he will have a lot of football over the next few months. David will have plenty of opportunities because there is no doubt he is going to be an extremely important player for us over the rest of the season," Leonardo said.

"Not many English players do well in Serie A. That is true. But Beckham has adapted his life here. He has created a good relationship with everyone. He trains hard, he sacrifices himself. He works hard and does everything we ask. It is impossible for a player like him not to be successful," he said.

"He is always motivated which is very special. We have created a good relationship with him from the last time. I genuinely believe David feels at home here, which is important. David has been here over a week now and he has not lost his condition since playing in the US," Leonardo added. (ANI)

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Sportech to relaunch football pools in tabloids

Deepak Jain Wed, Jan 06 10 02:29 PM

British sports betting games the football pools and Spot the Ball will be revived in the redtop newspapers after gaming business Sportech signed a new deal with Trinity Mirror.

Sportech, which currently operates the pools online and via newsagents, betting shops Ladbrokes, and a network of home visitor collectors, said on Wednesday it would reintroduce the game in the national Daily Mirror from January.

"Many of the readers of The Daily Mirror will have played, or known, the Classic Football Pools and Spot the Ball in the past, and we are pleased to be able to introduce these traditional games," said Sportech CEO Ian Penrose.

The pools is a game where players guess the outcome of football matches, scoring points for draws, while in Spot the Ball players guess the location of the ball from a stock photo with the ball erased.

The original pools operator, Littlewoods, was formed in 1923 and bought by Sportech in 2000.

Sportech shares were up 1.8 percent at 57.8 pence at 08:06 GMT.

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Briatore's lifetime ban for fixing Formula One race lifted

Deepak Jain>Wed, Jan 06 10 01:53 PM

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who was banned from Formula One for fixing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, has had his lifetime ban lifted, plunging the sport into chaos.

The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris ruled that the Italian's ban for fixing was illegal.

But Briatore's friend and grand prix supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that Briatore will not attempt a comeback, and warned the Crashgate scandal is not over yet.

Team chief Briatore had ordered Nelson Piquet Jnr to crash to help fellow Renault driver Fernando Alonso win the race, The Sun reports.

Ecclestone, a member of the World Council, which banned Briatore, said: "It's not over by a long way. Just because a bloody judge has said what he's said doesn't make any difference.

"The court said it was wrong, so the FIA can start all over again and it will go on and on,' he said.

Briatore, 59, is manager to double world champ Alonso, now at Ferrari, and Red Bull's Mark Webber.

The decision means he is free to continue in his role as co-owner of Championship outfit QPR with Ecclestone.

Brazilian Piquet blew the whistle on the scandal after being sacked last July for poor results.

He revealed Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds ordered him to crash, forcing the safety car on, which helped Alonso win as his rivals had to pit. (ANI)

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Sunburnt Murray leads Britain to second win in Perth

Deepak Jain>Wed, Jan 06 10 01:49 PM

Andy Murray misjudged the strength of the Perth sun but timed everything else to perfection as he led Britain to a 2-1 win over Germany to move a step closer to the final of the Hopman Cup mixed team event on Wednesday.

Laura Robson pushed Sabine Lisicki before going down 7-6 6-3 in the women's singles rubber but the world number four trounced Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4 6-1 before teaming up with the teenager to win the deciding mixed doubles 6-3 6-2.

Victory over Russia in their final round-robin match on Friday would ensure Britain's place in the final of the traditional Australian Open warm-up event.

Following on from his routine win over Andrey Golubev in Britain's win against Kazakhstan on Monday, Murray looked sharp from the start and was far too good for Kohlschreiber.

Murray has vowed to become more aggressive in 2010 and the Scot was true to his word as he stormed 4-1 clear thanks to some crisp hitting.

PERTH HEAT

The only blip came when he dropped his serve in the seventh game and Kohlschreiber levelled at 4-4, but he broke again to win the set and then roared through the second set in just 17 minutes.

After cruising through his two singles matches this week, Murray admitted that the scorching Perth weather was causing him as much trouble as any of his opponents.

"My back is on fire," he told reporters. "I practised yesterday with my shirt off and I got so, so burnt.

"(But) I served really well and didn't really give him too many chances on my serve. I think that was the main difference."

Robson gave world number 22 Sabine Lisicki a real fright with a performance way above her 15 years.

The Briton served for the first set at 5-4 but a touch of inexperience let the German back in and though Robson led the tiebreak 5-4 with a mini break, Lisicki pinched it 7-5 and then took the second set by virtue of three breaks to one.

When it came to the mixed doubles, Robson more than held her own as she and Murray romped to their second victory in three days to clinch victory.

Murray had joked that his back was sore after the first match because he had carried Robson, but the 15-year-old said she had got her own back this time.

"You know I think I did," Robson said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates 2010 - with grapes!

Deepak Jain>Wed, Jan 06 10 01:39 PM

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed the New Year by posing with a big bunch of grapes.

Ronaldo, 24, who was posing for a publicity photograph, was taking part in a Spanish custom, which required him to scoff a grape in between the chimes of midnight on New Year's Eve in Spain, reports the Sun.

Dressed in classic black tie, the winger went on to toast the start of the new decade with a glass of fizz.

The footie found Premier League glory with champions Man Utd. (ANI)

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