EPL Boxing day mile post/Fulham makes a change

Former Blackburn boss Roy Hodgson has been named as the new Fulham manager. Lawris Sanchez paid the price for a disappointing first half to the season as he was sacked before Christmas. Ray Lewington has been in caretaker charge for the last two matches but The Cottagers have continued to struggle. Fulham were keen to make a swift appointment and John Collins had been tipped to take the reins. The questions is will it be enough to keep them from regulation?

After 19 games in the EPL it is shaping up to be one of the most highly contested campaigns in quite some time. The top of the table looks like this:
1. Man. Utd 14 - 3 - 2/ 45 (winners of 5 out of 6 setting a tough pace)
2. Arsenal 13 - 5 - 1/ 44 (2 ties and 1 lost in last 6 have cost them)
3. Chelsea 11 - 5 - 3/ 38 (4 wins w/1 draw last 6 but are 3 wins shy)
4. Liverpool 10 - 6 - 2/ 36 (4 wins but two costly losses in last 6)
5. Man City 10 - 5 - 4/ 35 (only 6pts last 6 matches 10pts may be too far back)

Carling Cup update/EPL match day 17

Ten-man Tottenham Hotspur ended Manchester City's 100 per cent home record and booked a place in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup with a 2-0 away win. Jermain Defoe opened the scoring before Didier Zokora was sent off for a challenge on Elano. City dominated much of the second half, but Spurs clinched the contest in the dying moments through a superb break-away goal after 83 minutes.
*************************************************************************
EPL Update 17 games in:

Arsenal 17 40
Man Utd 17 39
Chelsea 17 34
Man City 17 33

the match of the weekend has to be Portsmouth traveling to Anfield to take on Liverpool with both clubs sitting on 30 points.
*************************************************************************
Chelsea have won the race to sign Argentine hot-shot Franco Di Santo. The Blues have agreed a deal worth $7million (£3.4million) with his club - Chilean outfit Audax Italiano, and the 18-year-old will move when the transfer window opens in January.

Champions League/EPL Update

In Champions League action, marquee clubs Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Chelsea advance in convincing fashion, with Schalke also advancing but backing in with a draw. Meanwhile Olympiakos quietly went about their business and also moved on. Scores for the day included:

• Marseille 0 Liverpool 4
• Chelsea 0 Valencia 0
• Real 3 Lazio 1
• Olympiakos 3 Werder Bremen 0
• Schalke 3 Rosenborg 1
• Porto 2 Besiktas 0

Meanwhile the only surprise in the EPL this weekend was a shocker as Arsenal suffered its first defeat of the year to Middlesbrough 2-1. This tightens the noose at the top of the table and going into this weeks matches, looks like this:

	Team	P	Pts
1	Arsenal	16	37
2	Manchester United	16	36
3	Chelsea	16	34

Champions League/EPL Update

The EPL is now 14 games in and Arsenal is looking for a little breathing room, but all of the top five clubs have upcoming matches they should win. The top of the table looks like this: Played Points

Arsenal	14	36
Man Utd	15	33
Chelsea	15	31
Liverpool	14	30
Man City	15	30

Champions League
Celtic booked their place in the knockout round by "backing in" after a 1-0 loss in San Siro. Celtic went into the game needing a point to be certain of finishing second in Group D, but with Shakhtar Donetsk going down 2-1 at home to Benfica, the Scottish giants were able to celebrate regardless of their own result, but they don't look like they have the fortitude necessary to go much further. The rest of the Champions League fixtures for December 11.

• FC Porto Vs. Besiktas

• Marseille vs. Liverpool
  

• Chelsea vs. Valencia
  

• Schalke vs. Rosenborg

• Real Madrid vs. Lazio

• Olympiakos vs. Werder Bremen