EPL Sat ~ Man Utd v Reading / Tottenham v Liverpool
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Man Utd v Reading
Ch 24 - 11:00 pm - (Live)
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Manchester United: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Silvestre, Evra, Heinz, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Giggs, Richardson, Saha, Rooney, Smith, Park, Solskjaer.
Reading : Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Seol, Doyle, Long, Lita, Gunnarsson, de la Cruz, Bikey, Oster, Federici.
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Tottenham v Liverpool
Ch 23 - 11:00 pm - (Live)
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Tottenham : Robinson, Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Lee, King, Assou-Ekotto, Davids, Huddlestone, Ziegler, Murphy, Malbranque, Tainio, Zokora, Lennon, Defoe, Keane, Berbatov, Mido.
Liverpool : Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Luis Garcia, Pennant, Gerrard, Zenden, Bellamy, Crouch, Kuyt, Fowler, Dudek, Guthrie, Hammill, Peltier. -
Risk bet: Reading wins or draw....
seriously.everytime Man U goagainst a team which jus came frm division 1 they don reali win -
But i belief after what Reading did to Chelsea, they will be on their toes... Tho without scholes, carrick and vidic for this match... could still be a problem.
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Tottenham v Liverpool
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR and Liverpool are positioned next to each other in the Premiership table. The Londoners have been climbing steadily, and a victory here would put them level on points with the Merseysiders. But being the highest placed club with a negative goal difference, Martin Jol's side would need a clear seven-goal victory to leapfrog their opponents.
Both these clubs have scored the bulk of their points on home turf. The Merseysiders top the Premiership's "home" table with 26 points - 18 more than they've gained on their travels. Spurs have bagged 19 more points at home than away (25 at White Hart Lane, six on the road). The north Londoners have won their last 12 in League and Cup at the Lane - seven of which were in the Premiership.
Spurs have lost only one of the last nine home Premiership meetings against Liverpool. Since being on the wrong end of an 2-3 scoreline on 16 March 2003, the Londoners have won one and drawn the last two against the Reds at the Lane.
Jermain DEFOE is Tottenham's top scorer with 12 goals, six in the Premiership.
Goalkeeper Paul ROBINSON is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Tottenham's Premiership matches this term.
LIVERPOOL thought they had banished their away-day blues, but old habits die hard and their first two victories on the road this season have been followed by a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn on Boxing Day. It was the first goal the Anfield club had conceded in eight League outings. The reverse at Ewood Park also ended a seven-match unbeaten run in the Premiership and saw them drop from third to sixth. Victory at the Lane would put them back on course for a Champions League spot.
The Merseysiders have kept more clean sheets in this Premiership season that any other club, with the exception of Chelsea (10 each). Spurs have managed just four - no club has kept fewer than that.
The Reds are unbeaten in five Premiership meetings with Tottenham, winning the last two including this season's reverse fixture 3-0. That sets up the possibility of a third Premiership 'double' over the North Londoners and first since 2002-03.
Peter CROUCH is Liverpool's top scorer with nine goals.
If selected, CROUCH will be making his 50th Premiership appearance in a Liverpool shirt.
Tottenham : Robinson, Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Lee, King, Assou-Ekotto, Davids, Huddlestone, Ziegler, Murphy, Malbranque, Tainio, Zokora, Lennon, Defoe, Keane, Berbatov, Mido.
Liverpool : Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Luis Garcia, Pennant, Gerrard, Zenden, Bellamy, Crouch, Kuyt, Fowler, Dudek, Guthrie, Hammill, Peltier.
REFEREE
Steve Bennett (Orpington, Kent)
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Liverpool
10 September 2005 - Ref: Howard Webb
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
23 September 2006 - Ref: Howard Webb
Liverpool scorers: Gonzalez 63, Kuyt 73, Riise 89
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
at Spurs only
League: Spurs 30 wins, Liverpool 18, Draws 15
Prem: Spurs 6 wins, Liverpool 3, Draws 5 -
Don be too sure though.......
Reading will be a nice opponents for Man UNTIED -
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Man Utd v Reading
MANCHESTER UNITED are already assured of going into the new year in pole position - only the size of the lead over Chelsea remains to be established. The champions are at home to Fulham, while the Red Devils are hoping to make Reading their sixth victims in seven outings. Victory at Old Trafford would retain a four point margin at the very least. Twelve months ago, they ended 2005 in second place, 11 points behind Chelsea.
United scored three goals in both of their festive fixtures to date (0-3 at Aston Villa, and 3-1, home to Wigan), and Cristiano Ronaldo has been integral - scoring twice in both games. Sir Alex Ferguson's side have won twice as many League games as Reading (16 to eight), and scored twice as many goals (44 to 22).
The only previous League match between these clubs was drawn 1-1, at the Madejski in September, when Ronaldo salvaged a point for the Red Devils.
Louis SAHA is United's leading scorer with 12 League and Cup goals.
RONALDO is the club's top marksmen in the Premiership with 10 goals.
If he plays, John O'SHEA will be making his 150th Premiership appearance for Manchester United.
READING head for the Theatre of Dreams having left Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day with an unexpected point from a 2-2 draw. They've only managed one win in six away League games, but if they could hold United, it would be their third draw in a row on the road. On the other hand, if the Royals could win, they would become the only club of the 92 in the Premiership and Football League who could boast more League wins than defeats against the 15 times champions of England and twice champions of Europe.
Steve Coppell's side are desperately hoping to hold onto their place in the top half of the Premiership table. They have been the surprise package, with half of their League wins coming in a four game streak between 12 November and 2 December. But since then, they've managed just two points out of a possible 15.
The Royals are paying their fifth visit to Old Trafford. They're yet to win there, having drawn one and lost three FA Cup ties.
Kevin DOYLE is Reading's top scorer with eight goals - all in the Premiership. He is joint fourth in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.
Ivar INGIMARSSON, Marcus HAHNEMANN and Nicky SHOREY have been on the field for every minute of every one of Reading's Premiership matches to date.
REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Reading 1-1 Manchester United
23 September 2006 - Ref: Peter Walton
Reading scorer: Doyle 48 pen
Man United scorer: Ronaldo 73
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
at Man United only
League: Man United 0 wins, Reading 0, Draws 0
Prem: Man United 0 wins, Reading 0, Draws 0 -
Tottenham (7) v Liverpool (6)
Tottenham will be without Robbie Keane (knee) and Jermaine Jenas (ankle), who are expected to return in January. Aaron Lennon (knee) and Mido (groin) missed the Boxing Day win over Aston Villa and remain concerns.
Last season: Liverpool 1 Tottenham 0, Tottenham 0 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Tottenham W W W L W; Liverpool W W W W L
Top scorers: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham) 12; Peter Crouch (Liverpool) 9
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
Man Utd (1) v Reading (9)
Michael Carrick returns to the Manchester United squad for tomorrow's clash with Reading at Old Trafford after an ankle injury. Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic are suspended, so Rio Ferdinand is set to return along with Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Louis Saha, who all sat out the Boxing Day win over Wigan.
Reading have no new injury worries ahead of tomorrow's trip to Manchester United. Winger Bobby Convey is back in training following a knee operation but will not be considered for the Old Trafford clash. Striker Dave Kitson is also on the comeback trail.
Last season: No corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Man Utd W W L W W; Reading L D L L D
Top scorers: Louis Saha (Man Utd) 12; Kevin Doyle (Reading) 8
Referee: M Dean (Wirral). -
Man Utd v Reading - Man U 3-1
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i have a feeling spurs will win
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Man Utd 3-2 Reading
Manchester United gave manager Sir Alex Ferguson an early birthday present with victory over Reading at Old Trafford. Ferguson, who is 65 on New Year's Eve, saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put United ahead from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross.
Ibrahima Sonko soon headed Reading level from Nicky Shorey's free-kick after Edwin van der Sar's flap. Ronaldo restored United's lead after Solskjaer hit the post and he volleyed in his second before Leroy Lita pulled one back for Reading. United's frustration subsided when Solskjaer lost Sonko and headed in his eighth goal of the season from Ronaldo's perfect cross on 33 minutes.
Reading were behind for only five minutes when Sonko headed home after Edwin van der Sar had come out to punch Nicky Shorey's free-kick but failed to get a touch. Ronaldo headed a Carrick corner against the bar as United looked for a swift response to Reading's equaliser.
It almost came eight minutes after the break when Wayne Rooney made space for himself on the left side of the box before flighting a shot narrowly over the crossbar. Substitute Ryan Giggs poked the ball into the side netting from another Ronaldo cross as United inched closer to a second goal.
The inevitable happened on 59 minutes when Rooney sent Solskjaer into the left side of the box and when his shot squirmed off the far post, Ronaldo was on hand to stab in the rebound. The Royals lost the influential Graeme Murty with a groin injury and introduced Sam Sodje who amazingly only lasted nine minutes before being sent off for two bookings inside four minutes.
United extended their lead to 3-1 when Ryan Giggs picked out Ronaldo who appeared to be offside when he volleyed the ball past Hahnemann for his sixth goal of the festive period. Giggs and Carrick went close to adding to United's tally before Lita pulled one back for Reading with slide-rule precision from the left to cause a few anxious moments in injury time.
For Ferguson, this result was the perfect birthday present, especially as title rivals Chelsea were held to a draw by Fulham, extending United's lead to six points. -
Tottenham 0-1 Liverpool
Luis Garcia's strike earned Liverpool a third away win this season to take themselves up to fourth as Spurs were left to rue a host of missed chances.
The winner owed much to a defensive error from Didier Zokora, Spanish striker Garcia sweeping in after Steven Gerrard had been gifted possession.
Dirk Kuyt also came close, but a late Spurs assault so nearly bore fruit. Steve Finnan hit his own bar and Hossam Ghaly twice contrived to fire wide with the goal gaping, but the Reds held on.
It represented Spurs' first home defeat in 13 games, but Martin Jol will wonder how his side did not emerge with at least a point after a thrilling conclusion to the game.
Robinson had to save low twice from Craig Bellamy efforts and Kuyt curled wide when well-placed, but the half looked to be drifting towards stalemate until Garcia's intervention.
After a Liverpool attack had broken down, Zokora contrived to gift possession to Gerrard and, after exchanging passes with Kuyt, the midfielder's effort somehow spilled to Garcia who swept home left-footed.
Spurs stood firm as Liverpool raced out of the blocks early in the second half though, Kuyt and Steven Gerrard going close.