CHELSEA ARE FAVOURITES

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said that Chelsea are the favourites to lift the FA Cup this season.

Chelsea and Liverpool will be competing in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Liverpool rested a number of players for the match against Fulham with one eye on the FA Cup final. Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez were the big names who missed the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.

Following the defeat, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said that Chelsea will certainly come into the match knowing that they are the favourites to win the FA Cup.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said that Chelsea are the favourites to lift the FA Cup this season.

Chelsea and Liverpool will be competing in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Liverpool rested a number of players for the match against Fulham with one eye on the FA Cup final. Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez were the big names who missed the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham.

Following the defeat, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said that Chelsea will certainly come into the match knowing that they are the favourites to win the FA Cup.

This certainly seems to be a mind game from the Liverpool captain. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has not lost against Chelsea in 13 attempts both as a player and manager. One can certainly say that Kenny Dalglish has the lucky charm against Chelsea.

However, Chelsea do come into the match on the back of the 6-1 drubbing against QPR during the weekend. Fernando Torres showed that he is getting back to his old self after scoring a wonderful hat-trick against QPR. Liverpool too difficult Norwich 3-0 during the weekend with Luis Suarez scoring his first hat-trick for the club. Yet, Gerrard says that Chelsea are the favourites.

“Whenever we’ve played them we’ve never gone into these contests lacking belief. We’ve definitely held our own, if not got the better of them. I won’t deny that it’s going to be difficult, they’ve shown some very good form under Di Matteo, so they are probably slight favourites,” added Gerrard.

Moreover, Chelsea will be playing Newcastle United on Wednesday night knowing that they must win the game in order to realistically finish within the top four. Hence, Chelsea interim manager Roberto di Matteo is unlikely to rest players for the match against Newcastle, although he may protect some of the key players.

VALDES PRAISES AC MILAN

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has praised AC Milan by saying that they are very dangerous team ahead of the crucial quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Barcelona have been drawn against the Italian champions in the quarter-final stage of the competition, while they also have the possibility of facing Chelsea in the semifinals once again should they get past AC Milan.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has praised AC Milan by saying that they are very dangerous team ahead of the crucial quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Barcelona have been drawn against the Italian champions in the quarter-final stage of the competition, while they also have the possibility of facing Chelsea in the semifinals once again should they get past AC Milan.

However, Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has said that it will be a tough proposition to get past AC Milan because they are very dangerous team. Barcelona have returned to form at just the right stage in the season, as they have won the last nine matches without exception.

This, however, does not provide them with overconfidence according to Valdes. Barcelona could not get past AC Milan when the two sides met each other in the group stages of the Champions League earlier in the season. AC Milan managed a credible draw at the Camp Nou, while they narrowly lost in the match at the San Siro 3-2.

It is one of the reasons for Valdes to believe that the quarter-final tie against the Italian champions will once again be tough. Barcelona has recently closed the gap on Real Madrid at the top of the table to just six points from a massive 10 points. Hence, many believe that the title race is back on in Spain.

“Milan are always a very dangerous team. We saw that in the group stage. They are a great team with great history. A tie against Milan, who are one of the biggest sides in Europe, will be difficult. But it is coming at a good time for us and it is vital that we try to play our usual game,” Valdes said in a recent interview. Barcelona will face AC Milan on Wednesday.

MANCHESTER CITY ONE OF THE FAVOURITES

Manchester City have spent a fortune in this summer in the hope of assembling a squad which can not only finish in the top four but can challenge for title as well. But can they do it?

As the rest of European football tightens its belts in line with the global economic climate, the expenditure at Eastlands keeps on rolling. Over £80m has already been lavished on Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov and further additions look set to follow with £25m-rated midfielder James Milner and Italian striker Mario Balotelli strongly linked.

Manchester City have spent a fortune in this summer in the hope of assembling a squad which can not only finish in the top four but can challenge for title as well. But can they do it?

As the rest of European football tightens its belts in line with the global economic climate, the expenditure at Eastlands keeps on rolling. Over £80m has already been lavished on Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov and further additions look set to follow with £25m-rated midfielder James Milner and Italian striker Mario Balotelli strongly linked.

City’s rivals, meanwhile, have spent barely a fraction of that – the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and even Chelsea priced out of the transfer market as selling clubs inflate their prices. In the case of Arsenal and Liverpool, the problem is trying to keep hold of key players rather than acquire them – Fernando Torres 2.02 to not be a registered Liverpool player on September 3rd 2010. There are better odds available on the free betting websites.

As a response to this one-team spending spree, City are third favourites to win the title at 6.4, indicating a clear expectation from punters – and one would assume their Abu Dhabi owners also – to go beyond just securing Champions League football next season and to challenge for the top berth. But with a bulging accumulation of highly-paid superstars, boss Roberto Mancini may find his transfer binge leaves him with too many cooks spoiling the broth.

Regardless of their six-figure monthly salaries, footballers want to be playing regularly and accommodating a current first-team roster of 36 players will prove an almighty headache for the Italian, who will need to initiate more squad rotations than a washing machine on spin cycle. Yet, even trying to offload those surplus to requirements may in itself prove troublesome as the high wage demands most are accustomed to at Eastlands simply cannot be matched by potential suitors elsewhere.

With the pressure on to deliver immediate results, it may prove all too much for a man who masterminded just 11 victories from 21 Premier League fixtures last season, ultimately costing the club fourth spot – City 1.59 to finish in the Top 4 in 2010/11. Indeed, following Mancini’s arrival, Everton outperformed City in the league last season and rather than aiming their sights above them, the Citizens should perhaps be wary of those behind them.

David Moyes’ men endured a torrid start to the last campaign with injuries and the acrimonious departure of Joleon Lescott but found fine form at the turn of the year. Continually punching above their weight, Everton look attractively priced at 8.4 to finish in the Top 4 and 2.7 for a Top 6 finish.

Should Tottenham reach the group stages of the Champions League, manager Harry Redknapp may find difficulty in juggling the taxing demands of both domestic and European affairs – Spurs 4.1 to repeat last year’s Top 4 finish and 50.0 to win Champions League.

New Liverpool boss, Roy Hodgson, has plenty of work ahead to turn things around and were Torres to leave, along with highly influential midfielder Javier Mascherano, the dark clouds may linger over Anfield for a while longer. Liverpool are 2.74 to finish in the Top 4.

On paper, the Manchester City squad looks highly impressive but where Chelsea succeeded was in large part down to their manager, Jose Mourinho, who was never afraid to make aggressive tactical changes when needed. Mancini, however, came under fire for his overly cautious approach at the latter end of last season when crucial wins were required.

One key distinction was that Chelsea were there or thereabouts in the Premier League pre-Mourinho but City are looking to do too much too soon, having come from mid-table obscurity in such a short period. Can one ever have too much of a good thing? Manchester City may well just show us next season.