Premier League 2012/13: Season review

It was always going to be difficult to follow up the events of last season, but despite this, we were still treated to some exciting football throughout the season of 12/13 in the Premier League. This season has also seen some of the finest players to grace the Premier League hang their boots up and retire. Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, Paul Scholes alongside PSG's David Beckham the most notable. They were joined by Sir Alex Ferguson who after 26 years as manager at Manchester United, decided it was his time to retire from the game.

It was Ferguson's side that won the race for the title taking it back from rivals City making it 20 league titles for the Scot. United finished 11 points clear of Mancini's men making it the perfect send off for Sir Alex. City were far from the side that pinched the league title last year, with significant injuries and poor signings in the transfer window to blame. Games they would have coasted a year ago were lost and drawn with players putting in far too many inconsistent performances. The signing of Robin Van Persie was particularly crucial with the former Arsenal man the Premier League's top goalscorer for United with 26 league goals to his name. City's top marksman in the league was Sergio Aguero who only managed the 12 league goals.

Sir Alex claimed his 20th league title

With the title decided before the close of the season, all eyes were on the race for the final Champions League position. With Chelsea filling the third place, it was North London sides Arsenal and Spurs who were battling for the final position. It came down to the final game of the season with Arsenal holding the advantage. Spurs needed to better Arsenal's result to stand a chance, but with both sides winning their games, it was Arsenal who took the place, leaving Spurs in fifth and playing in the Europa League next year.

Down at the other end of the table, Wigan Athletic once again found themselves in another relegation battle. However it wasn't to be for them as they couldn't make another miraculous escape. Roberto Martinez's men will now play in the Championship having had eight years in the top flight. They were  joined by QPR and Reading, with the latter making an immediate return to the Football League. Just like the battle for the top four, there were several sides battling to keep their place in the Premier League. Most notably Newcastle United, who having finished sixth last season, found themselves in contention for the drop. Like them, Stoke City were also hovering dangerously as having had one win in 13 games during the second half of the season meant that Tony Pulis' men were dragged into the battle.

In the domestic cups, there was plenty of drama. In the Capital One cup, Swansea emerged as winners, as they overcame surprise finalists Bradford City, who had a cup run to remember. In the FA Cup, there was more surprises with Wigan Athletic the winners having beaten Manchester City in the final with a late goal. There was success for English clubs in Europe as Chelsea, under interim manager Rafael Benitez, were crowned winners of the Europa League winning 2-1 against Benfica.

The fixtures for the 2013/14 Premier League season will be released on Wednesday 19th June at 9am.

Look out for an in depth Premier League season preview on EnglishFootball4U in August as we look ahead to the 2013/14 season.

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FA Cup Final Preview: Man City v Wigan Athletic

It's that time of the year again when silverware is decided, memories are made and every decision is critical. This Saturday evening sees the FA Cup Final which will be contested between former Premier League champions Manchester City and fellow top flight side Wigan Athletic. It has been an interesting season for both clubs with this final meaning something different for both clubs. Manchester City look likely to finish second this season having missed out on the title to rivals United, while opponents Wigan are attempting another miraculous escape from the league's relegation zone.

Man City:

picture: mcfc.co.uk

Having missed out on the Premier League, Roberto Mancini will be desperate to win the FA Cup and take a piece of silverware back to the Etihad. His men have now made the final for the second time in three seasons after they beat Stoke at Wembley two years ago thanks to a Yaya Toure goal. City reached the final this year thanks to a 2-1 victory in the semi finals over Chelsea with goals from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. But it is Carlos Tevez who leads the scoring charts for City this season, and is the top scorer in this competition for the blues with five goals. Goals have been hard to come by this year for City though, and this hasn't been helped with the injuries to Aguero and playmaker David Silva. City will be strong favourites to win the final but these two met just a few weeks ago in the league where City scraped a 1-0 home win. Second choice goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has played in every round of the competition this season conceding just the once and Mancini is likely to keep faith with him by using him this weekend. The Romanian was a star performer in the semi final against Chelsea making a number of good saves.

One to watch: Carlos Tevez
Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez has been one of the stand out players for City this season. With 17 goals this season he leads the goalscoring charts for the club. His goal was enough to separate City and Wigan when they met a few weeks ago at the Etihad.  The forward has excellent vision and although he is well known to play up front, he is more than capable to drop off and create chances as an attacking midfielder. Tevez expressed his desire to leave at the end of the season recently to Argentinian TV, and a win on Saturday maybe the perfect send off for him.

Wigan Athletic:

picture: gettyimages

The Lactics are in yet another relegation battle this season. Despite this, Roberto Martinez's side have had quite a run in this year's competition which included a 3-0 away win at Everton. It was Millwall who Wigan defeated in the semi final with the Premier League side winning comfortably 2-0 with goals from Arouna Kone and Callum McManaman. It is the latter though that has gathered attention this season both good and bad. The youngster has been in fine form this season and has three goals in this season's FA Cup. As well as Millwall, the winger scored against Huddersfield and Everton and is very likely to be in the starting eleven at the weekend. The final has come at a very busy time for the Lancashire club as they play three games in a week. With victory over West Brom at the weekend, they host Swansea mid week before making the journey to Wembley on Saturday. Martinez will be desperate to avoid repeating Birmingham City, who in 2011, won the Carling Cup and then were relegated in the same season.

One to watch: Shaun Maloney
Scottish playmaker Maloney has been one of the star performers for Wigan this season without a doubt. The Scotsman has been involved in several key moments for them this season including a stand out performance in the recent away win at West Brom. His last minute free kick against QPR may also prove vital if Wigan are to stay up this season. Maloney's good form this season may see him leave at the end of the season with boss Martinez resigning to the fact this is very possible. His quick feet and pace is a pain for defenders and alongside his excellent set pieces, Maloney will have to be on top of his game if Wigan are to pull off a shock this Saturday.

Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Wigan Athletic

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FA Cup Semi Finals: Preview

It's been a while since I have posted anything on here but despite this I shall be posting more regularly in the coming weeks and months as we come to the end of the season.

It's FA Cup weekend today as we see the semi finals of the competition take place at Wembley. There has been questions thrown into the mix recently into whether the semi finals should be played at Wembley or not. In previous years they have taken place at Villa Park and Old Trafford which seems logical and also means for fans there would be just the one trip to Wembley being the final. However now fans will go to Wembley twice within the space of a month or so and asks the question whether it takes away the excitement of going to the home of English football.

However moving on from that, the two semi finals see three Premier League sides and one Championship team take to the field in the battle for a place in the final. Winners from last season's competition, Chelsea, face fellow Premiership side Manchester City while Wigan Athletic take on Millwall in the first of the semi finals.

1# Wigan Athletic v Millwall

picture: the guardian.co.uk

Top flight side Wigan stunned everyone in their quarter final tie this year as they produced an excellent first half display to dispose of Everton at Goodison Park. Despite this they face themselves in yet another relegation fight in the league. The Premier League team will go into the tie as understandable favourites as they continue their cup journey. Roberto Martinez's side overcame Bournemouth, Macclesfield, Huddersfield and Everton to get here and will continue to rely on Jordi Gomez for the goals. The Spanish midfielder is their top scorer this season in the competition with three and alongside Arouna Kone the pair are a real threat. They come up against Championship side Millwall who are playing their second cup semi final in nine years. Kenny Jackett's men have only let one goal in, in their cup run this year and have kept clean sheets in their previous three games. They surprised everyone in the last round as they overcame Blackburn Rovers in a replay at Ewood Park thanks to a goal from Dan Shittu. Luton, Aston Villa and Preston have also fell victim to the London side in this year's competition. This tie will be the 23rd competitive meeting between the sides with Millwall winning nine and Wigan winning just the six.

Prediction: Wigan 2-0 Millwall

2# Chelsea v Manchester City

picture: bbc.co.uk

In this all Premier League tie winners of the competition last season Chelsea come up against Premier League champions Manchester City. It has been an interesting season for Chelsea as they find themselves in two semi finals and fighting for a Champions League place. Despite fans unrest with interim Rafa Benitez, the Spaniard has guided the side to semi final places in the FA Cup and Europa League. Manchester City came out on top in the Manchester derby on Monday at Old Trafford and with the title race all but over, they will want the FA Cup to be coming back to the Etihad. Roberto Mancini's men have had a relatively simple journey to the semi finals knocking out Barnsley, Leeds, Watford and Stoke scoring 13 goals and not conceding one. Having knocked Manchester United out in the last round, Chelsea will fancy their chances against City despite failing to beat them in three encounters this season. Manchester City came out on top in the Community Shield game at the beginning of the season as well as the league game at the Etihad. The two played a goal less draw at Stamford Bridge though back in November. 

Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Manchester City

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FA Cup Quarter Finals: Preview

As the season begins to get to the end, we focus on the quarter finals of the FA Cup this weekend. Only recently we saw the first piece of silverware won this season with Swansea beating Bradford 5-0 in the Capital One Cup final last month. The winners of the four FA Cup games will see them play at Wembley in the semi finals. There are three Championship sides and five Premier League teams battling it out for these places as we preview the four ties.

1# Manchester United v Chelsea

picture: chelseafc.tv

The cup so far has seen the big sides in the Premier League avoid each other up until now. The two teams faced each other in the Capital One Cup this season which saw a cracking game see Chelsea come out winners 5-4 after extra time. Both teams were involved in European action in the week but will both be determined to progress to the semi finals. Chelsea were the winners of the competition last season under Di Matteo beating Liverpool, while United have not won the competition since 2005. Victory for Chelsea would relieve some pressure under interim boss Rafa Benitez but at Old Trafford, a victory will be a massive task for the blues. United will look towards dutch maestro Van Persie for inspiration and goals as he looks to add to his goal tally this season.

Prediction: Man United 2-1 Chelsea

2# Manchester City v Barnsley

Barnsley will look to cause an FA Cup shock as they travel to the English champions. Having had an excellent run in the competition this season, the Championship side will want a repeat of their cup run of 2008 where they beat Chelsea at the same stage. City have had a relatively simple route to the quarter finals this season and will expect to get past their opponents. They will be without Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero but will still be expected to put out a strong side that will aim to repeat the club's success in the competition two seasons ago. As the league looks out of their grasp, Roberto Mancini's only other chance of silverware comes in the cup. The most recent tie between the clubs came in 2004 where City handsomely beat Barnsley 7-1 in the League Cup.

Prediction: Man City 3-0 Barnsley

3# Millwall v Blackburn Rovers

picture: bbc.co.uk

In the all Championship affair, the chance of a semi final place for both clubs will is massive. Had these respected clubs lost their fifth round ties then this hame would have seen non-league Luton host Premier League Arsenal. Instead Millwall produced a professional display to get past Luton while Blackburn were involved in the tie of the round as they beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates. Rovers under Michael Appleton have not won any of their five games in the league since the shock win having lost four and drawn one,. In the only league game between the two this season, Millwall were the winners as they beat Blackburn 2-0 at Ewood Park back in November. 

Prediction: Millwall 2-2 Blackburn

4# Everton v Wigan Athletic

In the opening cup game of the weekend, these two Premier League sides will battle it out for a place at Wembley. In the previous round, Everton needed a replay to dispatch of League One side Oldham, while Wigan comfortably saw of Championship side Huddersfield 4-1. Wigan will play their second game against a Merseyside club this week having played Liverpool at home in the league last Saturday where they were thumped 4-0. Everton going well in the league, reached the semi finals last season, but came out second best as they were beaten by city rivals Liverpool. This is the 18th meeting in all competitions between the clubs. The last time Wigan beat Everton at Goodison Park was back in 2005 when they won 1-0 in a league game. 

Prediction: Everton 2-0 Wigan Athletic

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Capital One Cup: Quarter Finals

The fourth round of the Capital One Cup saw some of the best League Cup games in its existence. The eight games saw a total of 37 goals scored in some enthralling encounters.

The stand out game of the round saw Arsenal make a remarkable comeback away at Reading in front of the Sky cameras winning 7-5. It all looked rosy for the home side after 35 minutes, as Brian McDermott's men lead 4-0 through Jason Roberts, Noel Hunt, Mikele Leigertwood and a Laurent Koscielny own goal. Despite an awful first half display Arsenal went in at the break with one goal to their name and a slither of hope as Theo Walcott chipped home after through on goal.

picture: ozsportsreviews.com

The second half of the game started as the first half finished. Arsene Wenger brought on Olivier Giroud who made an immediate impact to head home a Walcott cross and to make the scoreline 4-2. As the half came to a close, it looked like Reading had withstood the Arsenal comeback but in the 89th minute Koscielny made amends for his own goal as he headed home another fine Walcott corner. It was the winger though that completed a remarkable game as his 95th minute shot crept over the line despite the efforts of Nicky Shorey to stop the strike.

The equaliser took the game to extra time, and the 30 minutes did not disappoint as the Gunners went ahead for the first time in the game as Marouane Chamakh drilled home from outside the box. Chamakh's goal had looked like it was to be the vital goal to take Arsenal through but Reading had other ideas. As extra time neared the end, Pavel Pogrebnyak popped up to head home their fifth from a Chris Gunter cross. The game looked set for penalties but it was Walcott again who blasted home from six yards after Andrey Arshavin's cross was blocked to complete his hat trick. Chamakh lobbed home in the dying moments to end a remarkable game and one that will be remembered for a long time.

The drama on Tuesday night continued on Wednesday as Chelsea faced Manchester United at Stamford Bridge for the second time in four days. Like Arsenal, this game was in front of the Sky cameras and didn't disappoint either as Chelsea won 5-4 after extra time. Goals from David Luiz, Daniel Sturridge, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Gary Cahill were enough to overcome a reletively inexperienced United side whose goals came from the boots of Giggs (2), Hernandez and Nani.

picture: theguardian.co.uk

The cup wasn't completely dominated this week by the goal fests but with a shocks too as both Wigan and Sunderland were beaten by lower league opposition. Sunderland fell down to Championship side Middlesbrough 1-0 at the Stadium of Light as Scott McDonald's goal was enough for them to win the Wear-Tees derby. Wigan were embarrassed at home as League Two Bradford City beat them 4-2 on penalties to take them to the quarter finals. Both Liverpool and Spurs were eliminated from the competition as Brendan Rogers side were beaten by his former side Swansea 3-1. Spurs were beaten 2-1 away at Norwich with Spurs' Clint Dempsey missing a penalty in the dying moments of the game to end their involvement in the competition.

The quarter finals saw the 'bigger' teams avoid each other and will see Chelsea travel to Leeds who have already deposited of Everton and Southampton in the competition so far. Bradford's reward is a home tie to Arsenal while Middlesbrough face an away trip to Swansea. In the final tie of the quarter finals, Paul Lambert will face his former side as his Villa team will travel to Norwich City.

All games will be played the week commencing the 10th December whilst Chelsea's game at Leeds will be played on 19th December due to their commitment to the Club World Cup which they will play in after their Champions League success.

Quarter Final ties:

Bradford v Arsenal
Leeds United v Chelsea
Swansea v Middlesbrough
Norwich City v Aston Villa

Capital One Cup: Second Round Draw

As the football season begins to get into full swing, eyes drew to the second round of the Capital One Cup. The first round games threw up some cracking games and some excellent entertainment. Seven Championship teams fell at the first hurdle with last years runners up Cardiff losing to League Two side Northampton Town the shock of the round. Derby were involved in a ten goal thriller at Pride Park which ended 5-5 after extra time. Their opponents Scunthorpe came out the eventual winners 7-6 on penalties and will face Norwich in the second round.

picture: thisisscunthorpe.co.uk

Other Championship casualties included Brighton, who were well beaten 3-0 by Paolo Di Canio's Swindon Town. Paul Benson struck early on in the second half for the Robins, and an Alan Navarro brace soon after booked them a second round tie against Premier League side Stoke City. Bristol City also crashed out losing 2-1 to League Two side Gillingham Town at Ashton Gate. 

Relegated side Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a penalty shoot out to get past Aldershot Town at Molineux. Michel Rankine had cancelled out a Sylvain Ebanks Blake goal in the second half and after the first 13 penalty kicks had been successful, Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme kept out Jordan Robert's penalty to give the Championship side a second round tie away at Northampton Town.

All Premier League sides come into the second round bar the clubs competing in Europe meaning there are 13 top flight clubs playing for a third round tie. Everton are involved in one of the stand out games playing at home to League One side Leyton Orient. Morecambe's reward for dumping Blackpool out of the cup, is a trip to the North East where they will play Sunderland. 

Both Wigan and Fulham will have to play to their best if they are progress as they both travel to a Championship club. Having been dumped out of FA Cup by Swindon last season, Wigan face a tough task in playing Nottingham Forest. Fulham face newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. 

All ties will commence the week beginning the 27th August 2012

Second Round Fixtures: 

Aston Villa v Tranmere Rovers

Burnley v Plymouth

Carlisle v Ipswich Town

Coventry v Birmingham City

Crawley v Bolton

Doncaster v Hull City

Gillingham v Middlesbrough

Leeds United v Oxford United

Leicester City v Burton Albion

MK Dons v Blackburn Rovers

Norwich v Scunthorpe

Notts Forest v Wigan Athletic

Preston v Crystal Palace

QPR v Walsall

Sheff Wed v Fulham

Stevenage v Southampton

Stoke City v Swindon Town

Sunderland v Morecambe

Swansea v Barnsley

Watford v Bradford

West Ham v Crewe Alex

Yeovil v West Brom

Reading v Peterborough

Everton v Leyton Orient

Northampton v Wolves

2012/13 Premier League: Preview Part 2

As promised we look at the second half of teams in the Premier League and look at their chances this year as well as the transfer activity they have been involved in.

Queens Park Rangers: 

picture: blogs.soccernet.com

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Rangers have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market. Manager Mark Hughes has brought in a number of players which include South Korean Park Ji-Sung from Manchester United and Junior Hoilett who made the move from Blackburn Rovers. Pre season has been very productive for the London side who have gone through unbeaten winning four and drawing two in their six games. With a squad full of Premier League experience, Rangers will want a higher finish in the league this season and want to establish themselves as a Premier League club.

Prediction: 19th

Reading:

Reading return to the Premier League after a four year absence from the top flight. They achieved automatic promotion last season finishing top of the Championship ahead of Southampton. Boss Brian McDermott has worked wonders at the Berkshire club and has significantly strengthened the squad during the summer transfer window. Chris Gunter has made the move from Nottingham Forest and is joined by forward Pavel Pogrebynak who chose Reading ahead of Fulham who he spent the second half of last season at. Left back Ian Harte is a set piece specialist and has gathered a number of goals and assists since he joined the Royals back in 2010. Strikers Jason Roberts and Adam Le Fondre scored a number of critical goals last year and they will be key if they are to remain in the top flight. 

Prediction: 16th

Southampton:

picture: saintscorner.tumblr.com

The Saints joined Norwich last season in achieving two successive promotions in two seasons. Having looked the favourites to win the league, the Saints were pipped to the title by Reading who they will join in the Premier League this season. Southampton open their campaign away at Manchester City, and will follow up with a trip to Arsenal and a home game against Manchester United. Manager Nigel Adkins paid £7million for Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez who scored 15 league goals for his former side last season. He joins a strong Saints front line with main man Rickie Lambert and fellow forward Billy Sharp expected to score the goals that will keep them in the league. 

Prediction: 20th

Stoke City:

Stoke had a busy season last year competing in four competitions and collecting plenty of air miles. Having finished runners up in the 2010/11 FA Cup, they achieved a place in the Europa League. The Potters made it comfortably past the group stages but their journey came to an end having lost to Valencia 2-0 on aggregate in the round of 32. Tony Pulis's men only managed four wins in the second half of the season meaning they finished in 14th place. The signing of Peter Crouch at the start of the season was a great acquisition by Pulis, and the frontman rewarded his manager by scoring one of the goals of the season against Manchester City. So far Pulis has only brought in three players in the window, Michael Kightly made the move from Wolves, and is joined by defender Geoff Cameron and midfielder Jamie Ness from Rangers. 

Prediction: 9th

Sunderland:

Martin O'Neill brought in a breath of fresh air for Sunderland last season replacing former boss Steve Bruce. Bruce was sacked midway through last year having only won two games in 13. The Black Cats finished in 13th place last season, and fans will want a significant improvement this year. The development of James McLean was something positive to take from last year, with the winger making the Republic of Ireland squad at the end of the season for Euro 2012. Sunderland only mastered 45 goals last season with Nicklas Bendtner their top goal scorer with only eight league goals to his name. If they are to improve on this total this season then O'Neill will need to bring in a centre forward to give them a greater threat upfront. 

Prediction: 11th

Swansea City:

picture: thesun.co.uk

Brendan Rogers took Swansea to an impressive 11th place finish last season and excellent performances throughout the year, saw him snapped up by Liverpool. His 'Tiki Taka' style of play saw Swansea beat Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal at home and eliminated any thoughts that his team would be favourites to be relegated. The loan signing of Gylfi Sigurdsson was a masterstroke by Rogers as the Icelandic starred in many games scoring important goals. Striker Danny Graham scored 12 league goals and with Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer aiding him out wide, Graham will want to better his tally this season. With Rogers off to Liverpool, former Juventus man Michael Laudrup took the reigns at the club and has so far brought in Spanish defender Chico and Spanish striker Michu from Rayo Vallecano during the window.

Prediction: 13th

Tottenham Hotspur:

Tottenham ended last season in fourth place having been title contenders mid way through the season. Due to Chelsea's Champions League final win, Spurs will be playing Europa League football though this year and not in the Champions League. Harry Redknapp was sacked at the end of the season and was replaced by Portuguese man Andre Villas Boas. Striker Emmanuel Adebayor was the top goal scorer for Spurs last season and scored 17 league goals in his loan spell. The Togo man has since gone back to parent club Man City and a deal to keep him at White Hart Lane has yet to be agreed. AVB has so far only brought in two players during the window, snapping up midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, and defender Jan Vertonghen who signed from Ajax. 

Prediction: 6th

West Bromwich Albion:

Roy Hodgson's decision to become England manager has meant that WBA will start 2012/13 with Steve Clarke at the helm. Clarke spent the last season and a half as the number two to Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, and was also Jose Mourinho's number two when the 'special one' was manager at Chelsea. Clarke's first competitive game as West Brom manager will be against former team Liverpool as they face each other at The Hawthorns on the opening day of the season. On loan last season, keeper Ben Foster signed permanently for the Baggies from Midland rivals Birmingham City. Swedish frontman Markus Rosenberg has also been brought in from Werder Bremen and will offer a further attacking threat alongside Shane Long and Peter Odemwinge.

Prediction: 17th

West Ham United:

picture: tbhr.co.uk

West Ham made an immediate return to the Premier League coming up through the play-offs. Sam Alladyce's men looked likely to achieve automatic promotion but poor performances in vital games meant they needed to go through the play-offs to get promoted. Alladyce has been busy in the transfer window so far bringing in eight players including goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and former Wigan man Mohamed Diame both on free transfers. West Ham will be looking to get off to a good start as they face Swansea, Aston Villa and Fulham in their first three games. Led by Kevin Nolan, goals shouldn't be a problem with Ricardo Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard and Carlton Cole all available to play up front. The experience of Matty Taylor and Mark Noble in midfield will help the younger players in the squad and guide the team through the season.

Prediction: 12th

Wigan Athletic:

Wigan made yet another remarkable escape last season avoiding relegation and finishing in 15th place above Aston Villa and QPR. This season will be their eighth successive season in the Premier League and will be manager Roberto Martinez's fourth in charge of the Lactics. The Spaniard turned down the chance to manager both Liverpool and Aston Villa to remain with Wigan. Martinez has been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far only bringing in just the two players. Fraser Fyvie has joined the club from Aberdeen and is joined by defender Ivan Ramis who decided to join Wigan when it looked like he was going to fellow Premier League side West Ham. 

Prediction: 18th