Arsenal turn the tables as Chelsea's frailties are exposed

Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick as Arsenal ran riot at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal

This is a season of extraordinary scorelines.

There was Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal, Tottenham 1-5 Manchester City, Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City and to that list you can now add Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal.

It may not be so great for fans of great defending but it is thrilling for the neutral looking to simply be swept along by a game of football.

This game at Stamford Bridge is a very early (and worthy) contender for game of the season.

Not many gave Arsenal a prayer of getting anything at Chelsea but on the day, in an attacking sense at least, they were sublime.

Their much-discussed mental frailties did not come to the fore, as the Arsenal of a month ago would probably have crumbled after Juan Mata made it 3-3 with 10 minutes left and found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-3 scoreline. Perhaps they have turned a corner.

Yet again, Robin van Persie was the difference.

Where would Arsenal be without him?

He now has 28 goals in 27 Premier League games in 2011 and his hat-trick at Stamford Bridge further underlined his status as one of the leading lights in world football.

van Persie terrorised the defenders and goalkeeper throughout

He was given a little bit of help from Chelsea's defenders and goalkeeper Petr Cech, consistently beaten at his near post, but van Persie was the best player on the pitch throughout and he thoroughly deserved his hat-trick.

Arsenal must do everything in their power to extend his contract now, before the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid come sniffing.

He was by no means Arsenal's only standout performer though.

Aaron Ramsey was sensational in midfield while Theo Walcott produced some outstanding wing-play.

This was one of Walcott's best performances in an Arsenal shirt, constantly menacing and running at Chelsea's defence, and he capped off his display with a deserved goal to put the Gunners 3-2 up.

Quite how he scored remains a mystery, as the danger should have been cleared when he slipped and was surrounded by three Chelsea players.

He was allowed to pick himself up though, keep hold of the ball and run straight in on goal, before beating Cech at his near post. It was a catalogue of errors from all concerned, but credit to Walcott for his tenacity.

Walcott capitalised on Chelsea hesitancy to weave his way to the goal to put Arsenal 3-2 up

Gervinho was a constant threat while Mikel Arteta was a calming influence in the centre.

Laurent Koscielny was the only defender on the pitch to have a good game and he didn't deserve to be in a side which conceded three times, but if it wasn't for him Arsenal could have conceded far more.

It wasn't all plain sailing for the visitors though and, certainly defensively, Arsene Wenger's side still have a lot of work to do.

The two full-backs leave so much space in behind, Per Mertesacker still looks suspect with his positioning and lack of pace while the defence as a whole is slit open far too often for a team at this level.

Chelsea could have scored many more than three, particularly in the early exchanges of the first half, and if Daniel Sturridge in particular had been more clinical there would have been a very different outcome.

This game was not all about Arsenal, though.

Chelsea more than played their part in this classic, for good and for bad.

Firstly, let's talk about the good.

Juan Mata was exceptional, regularly carving Arsenal open and scoring a superb goal to make it 3-3, while some of Chelsea's approach play early on was sensational.

Mata got his deserved goal with a superb strike, with Chelsea looking the most likely to win at that point

However, they only have themselves to blame for the defeat.

Their full-backs were given a torrid time, with Ashley Cole destroyed by Walcott and Jose Bosingwa regularly found wanting defensively.

The defence always looked shaky and had a number of close offside calls go their way before van Persie cancelled out Frank Lampard's opener on 36 minutes, with John Terry not looking the lynchpin he once was and Branislav Ivanovic looking out of his depth alongside him.

Andre Santos' goal to hand Arsenal a second equaliser - after Terry had scored on the stroke of half-time as Chelsea retook the lead - further emphasised that.

The Brazilian left-back got in behind an out-of-position Bosingwa before becoming the first to beat Cech at his near post.

There were then calls for Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to be sent off after a foul on Ashley Cole outside the area, before Walcott scored his amazing goal despite being surrounded by three Chelsea players when he was on the floor.

Mata delivered his late equaliser only for van Persie to capitalise on more woeful Chelsea defending with just five minutes remaining.

A terrible back-pass from Florent Malouda left John Terry with a difficult task, running towards his own goal and giving chase to the electrifying van Persie, but the England captain confounded this by slipping and giving the Dutchman the simplest of chances.

He rounded Cech to give Arsenal a 4-3 lead and Chelsea only had themselves to blame.

van Persie kept his composure to round Cech and finish with ease

van Persie rounded it off in stoppage time after Arteta found him on the edge of the area, before he let off a stinging shot which shouldn't have beaten Cech - again at his near post - but did.

It was a catastrophic defensive showing from Chelsea which stemmed from the attacking philosophy of manager Andre Villas-Boas.

His side has been so open at times this season it has been ridiculous.

It is refreshing to see the Portuguese manager's attacking approach but he has overdone it at times, perhaps trying to distinguish himself from Jose Mourinho.

It is like Villas-Boas is scared of being compared to Mourinho and his style of football, but he certainly needs to instil more solidity in his Chelsea team or their title challenge will be over before it has even begun.

Chelsea have not looked so bad defensively since before Mourinho's days at the club, ironic given Villas-Boas was initially seen as a 'mini-Mourinho'.

His side have now lost two Premier League games in a row after last week's tempestuous loss at QPR, and it now looks like they will face a battle to simply hold onto their top four slot.

Villas-Boas has paid the price for his expansive playing style

They have been far too open and naive, particularly against Arsenal, and they are now just three points ahead of the side from the Emirates Stadium, who were until recently described as a 'crisis' club.

Too many individuals were not at their game for Chelsea.

Terry was poor, perhaps affected by the racism allegations of this week, nothing Sturridge did seemed to come off, John Obi Mikel did not offer an effective screen in front of the defence and Fernando Torres was quiet and disinterested. Villas-Boas already has a big job on his hands to turn this around.

Chelsea were guilty of spurning gilt-edged chances but so were Arsenal.

It was like a game of basketball at times and could have been any score: 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, but Arsenal were the deserving winners and seem to be back on track now.

Any talk of them being in title contention is premature as they face a monumental task to simply finish in the top four, and in a sense this result doesn't change too much.

Everyone knew about their attacking qualities and their defence was on the whole as bad as ever at Stamford Bridge, so there is still much to work on.

The top sides are clearly not as far away as some thought though so a 16th straight season for Arsene Wenger's side in the Champions League may not be out of the question.

The way Arsenal's players celebrated after the final whistle demonstrated the magnitude of the result

With Wenger's philosophy of football, he will have loved the game for its end-to-end nature and both teams going for it, and he will be even more delighted Arsenal came out on top.

On their day, Arsenal can destroy anyone and with van Persie in this sort of form, nothing is impossible.

Chelsea will have been embarrassed to concede five times at home, and rightly so.

Arsenal taught them a lesson and thoroughly deserved the win - although it could easily have ended as a draw - and there is much for Villas-Boas to ponder.

He has introduced a new, ultra-expansive style at Stamford Bridge but at what price?

It was a thrilling game for all neutrals though, with all emphasis placed on attack.

Arsenal are back and producing the sort of football we all long to see, and long may that continue. The confidence they will gain from this result could be enough to set them on their way to a good run of form.

Both sides must surely realise though that some of the defending on show was simply diabolical and will need addressing if either are to have successful seasons.

Van Persie is Arsenal's only hope

Robin van Persie has been in sublime form over the last year

It's official: Robin van Persie is the most prolific goalscorer in the Premier League.

His tally of 25 goals in 26 league games in 2011 is remarkable and goes to show Arsenal have not lost all of their world-class talents.

However, the Dutchman is in severe danger of being wasted at the Emirates.

Arsenal have slightly recovered from their catastrophic start to the season with four consecutive wins in all competitions, but their performances have not been to a high enough standard and van Persie appears to be the only player capable of saving them.

Their last league game, at home against Stoke, emphasised that.

With van Persie on the bench, Arsenal struggled and the Potters were level at 1-1 until he was brought on.

Within seven minutes, van Persie had put Arsenal ahead and he later rounded the game off to underline his status as the Gunners' leading light.

Without him, they would be nowhere.

He is their only world-class player after the summer departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

Both Fabregas and Nasri left as Arsenal's trophy drought extended to six years

Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey will eventually play their way into that category but for now everything rests on van Persie.

At 28, he has reached his peak and it is such a pity he is not in a team to match him.

He is out of contract in 18 months and it would be no surprise to see him follow Fabregas and Nasri out of the door next summer.

Arsenal are going backwards and van Persie cannot go with them.

Some of the things he does at times are simply sublime, the work of a genius.

He produced some unbelievable moments in their recent game against Sunderland, including one incredible effort which hit the post and had echoes of Eric Cantona, while he seems to be regularly single-handedly winning Arsenal games.

They have recovered - largely due to van Persie - to seventh place in the Premier League and Champions League qualification is the best they can aim for.

However, look at their squad and you realise they need a miracle to finish in the top four. The only person who can realistically provide one is van Persie.

But is merely finishing in the top four really all van Persie has ambitions to achieve?

Without van Persie's goals, could Arsenal be in a relegation battle?

With the performances he is producing, he could play for any club in the Premier League and not look out of place. Even the mesmerising Manchester City.

Of course, qualifying for the Champions League for 15 straight years is a fantastic achievement by Arsene Wenger and everybody at Arsenal, but that run looks almost sure to end this season.

Manchester United, City and Chelsea look certainties to qualify while Tottenham and Liverpool both look a cut above Arsenal, so van Persie must surely be considering his future.

He is far too good for the Europa League.

Arsenal go to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea tomorrow and that will provide a true test of whether they have recovered.

The likelihood is Chelsea will have far too much for them.

van Persie will be able to drag Arsenal to victories over some of the lower-ranked sides at home but facing a side like Chelsea, on their own patch, is a different prospect.

They would need a fantastic performance from everybody to take anything from Stamford Bridge but consistency is not something this side looks capable of. Only van Persie is producing week in, week out.

The only thing which counts against him is his injury record.

van Persie has struggled with injuries throughout his career

He has often been in great form and suddenly his body has gave up on him but when he is fit, he has very few contemporaries.

He may not quite be the best striker in the Premier League, but he may just be the best all-round striker.

van Persie can run, shoot, head, cross, pass, has a great dead ball delivery and strike, can produce immense moments of skill and do pretty much anything when he is in form.

He is one of the world's best strikers but time is fast running out for him to be in a team which matches his talents.

He will feel great attachment to Arsenal and Wenger, who have shown so much faith in him and are now relying on him as their captain and best player, but he may soon realise like those before him that the time is right to leave.

If Arsenal take a beating at Chelsea tomorrow, the penny may begin to drop.

Robbie's dazzlers star as City thrash United

Has there ever been a more shocking Premier League scoreline?

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

Where to start?

Well, there's only one place to start. Take a look at the scoreline. Manchester United 1 Manchester City 6. Incredible. Even the most optimistic of City supporters couldn't have dreamt of this.

Of course, the scoreline was skewed by Jonny Evans' sending off and United's late naivety, but nobody saw this coming.

The visitors arrived at Old Trafford as title pretenders and left as title favourites. Never before has a statement of intent been more effectively delivered.

The day had started rather predictably, with Mario Balotelli in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

He reportedly set his house on fire after setting fireworks off in his bathroom, but his performance against United demonstrated why Roberto Mancini feels he is worth the trouble.

The only fireworks from Balotelli which mattered were on the pitch.

His nonchalant finish for the opener gave City the foothold they needed to put their neighbours to the sword.

They say goals change games, and this was a definite example of that.

Balotelli's shot gave David De Gea very little chance of saving it

Before Balotelli's 22nd minute strike, United were the better side.

They were quicker to every ball, beginning to threaten and making City's tactics look inept.

One swing of Balotelli's right boot later though and all that changed.

Suddenly it was City quicker to every ball, producing magic and looking menacing.

It was a great finish by Balotelli, too.

The excellent James Milner found him in space just inside the box, before Balotelli coolly slotted the ball into David De Gea's bottom left corner to set City on their way.

Balotelli's humourous celebration earned him a booking

After scoring, the Italian lifted his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with "Why always me" daubed on it, and just 63 seconds into the second half, Jonny Evans must have been thinking exactly that.

The Northern Irishman hauled Balotelli down just outside the box and was the last man, with referee Mark Clattenburg given very little choice but to give him his marching orders. That was when the rot set in for United. City seized their opportunity.

The second goal, the one to almost see United off, arrived soon after.

On 60 minutes, David Silva and Milner combined before the latter's cross left Balotelli with an open goal, which he duly converted.

United were always dangerous but City were even more so.

Milner was again central to their third, playing in the superb Micah Richards who found Sergio Aguero in the middle, with the Argentinean on hand to beat De Gea.

Aguero was perhaps the quietest of City's attacking talents, but it was typical of him to get in on the act.

Darren Fletcher's fantastically controlled side-footer with nine minutes left raised hope of a home comeback, but there was to be no reprieve today for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Substitute Edin Dzeko made it 4-1 in the last minute of normal time when Joleon Lescott retrieved a corner to leave the unmarked Bosnian with an open goal, David Silva grabbed a deserved goal by slotting the ball through De Gea's legs when United were slit open and he was played in by Dzeko, and Dzeko rounded things off with his second after Silva's exquisite take-down and pass in his own half set him one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

City's players, staff and fans were in dreamland after Dzeko rounded things off with the sixth

This was ultimate humiliation for United. Never, in the Premier League era at least, have they been so humbled.

The fact this performance came against their nearest rivals will have made it all the more painful.

United looked weak in the centre of midfield, with Anderson and Darren Fletcher giving the ball away too often even when it was 11-a-side and the duo lacked creativity throughout.

The Red Devils' magnificent start to the season made Paul Scholes' retirement and Ferguson's failure to replace him seem irrelevant, but this game demonstrated exactly what they were missing.

When they went down to 10 men, Scholes would have kept the ball and given United the composure and threat going forward they needed, but they simply couldn't get a foothold without him.

They were heavily linked with Wesley Sneijder over the summer and his star quality could also have been crucial here.

Wayne Rooney never stopped trying but cut a frustrated figure, Rio Ferdinand couldn't cope with Mancini's dazzlers and Patrice Evra will have been disappointed with his role in some of City's goals, but let's give City the credit they deserve. They were given a chance and boy did they take it.

Milner was at the heart of it at both ends of the pitch.

Milner was unlucky to miss out on the man of the match award

His work-rate surely makes him one of the first names on the teamsheet for the bigger games but it was more than that he showed at Old Trafford.

He was incredibly influential in forward areas and played a key part for some of the goals, while his defensive work should not go unnoticed.

It really was a sensational performance by Milner, a forever underrated talent who is just beginning to get the recognition he deserves.

Balotelli put his off-the-pitch distractions to one side to score twice and play a key role in Evans's sending off. The negativity off-the-pitch is now becoming a side issue rather than a distraction with him performing like this.

David Silva's performance also should not be overlooked.

Silva is fast becoming one of the world's best players

The little Spaniard is quite simply a magician and his role in the final goal summed him up.

He very rarely gives the ball away and he is forever supplying bullets for City's firepower, but his control and pass for the sixth was sublime even by his standards.

To take the ball down the way he did and play such a perfectly weighted through ball with his next touch was incredible.

How United could do with someone like him in their midfield.

His passing and vision is second to none and he is the man who turns City from a great team to an incredible team.

If they can play like this on a regular basis, they could beat anybody.

Micah Richards seemed to be everywhere during the game

Micah Richards also deserves a mention.

He picked up the man-of-the-match award for his great defensive qualities and marauding runs into United's half.

His presence meant Patrice Evra was always kept on his toes and unsure of whether to attack or defend, with Richards attacking so intently with powerful runs.

With Richards in this form, there are no better right-backs in the country. An England recall surely beckons.

Mancini should be given all the credit for the way he has his team playing.

At times last season his side were dull and content to sneak results, but it is a different story now and they are a joy to watch.

Mancini has got his side playing with incredible style and flair

From now on they should be known as 'Robbie's dazzlers'.

Just a couple of weeks ago in Munich, his substitutions were in the headlines for all the wrong reasons but the whole Carlos Tevez affair is all but forgotten now, with Mancini again making great changes.

His subs made a great impact against Villarreal in midweek and they were key again.

Of course, he is lucky to have such a strong bench but his decision to bring off Balotelli and replace him with Dzeko was sensible and brave.

With Balotelli on a hat-trick and being the volatile character he is, it would have been easy for him to react with sheer anger to being brought off but Mancini made the correct decision.

Balotelli didn't complain and Dzeko, with a point to prove, wreaked havoc and scored twice.

Balotelli was on a booking after his celebration for the first goal and is always a man liable to be sent off, so Mancini was right not to give United any chance of getting back into the game by removing the chance of his team going down to 10 men.

In truth, something like this has been coming all season for United.

Fernando Torres missed his golden chance at Old Trafford, but the fact he got the opportunity shows how fragile United are at the back

Chelsea created a hat-load of chances at Old Trafford, as did Arsenal and even promoted Norwich, but City were clinical and capitalised on any United errors.

City have been tearing teams apart on their own patches all season, most notably with their 5-1 win at Tottenham, and United should have been more prepared for the dangers.

They were so naive at the end it was incredible.

In stoppage time at 4-1 down and down to 10 men, the sensible thing to do would be to shut up shop and take your medicine.

But Evra and co kept attacking - admirable according to Mancini but suicidal according to Ferguson - and City were allowed to inflict total humiliation on their rivals with two stoppage time strikes.

Ferguson must take some of the blame for that but the experienced players, particularly Rio Ferdinand and Evra, should have known better.

Ferdinand looks finished as a top level performer and it would not be a surprise to see him become a bit-part player now, with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones ready to step up.

Ferguson described the defeat as his worst in football

The biggest challenge for Ferguson will be picking his players up off the floor.

They will have felt embarrassed and distraught with the scoreline but if there's one thing that has been learned from 19 years of United dominance, it's to never write them off.

City are no longer overawed by them though, and why should they?

They have the best English keeper in a long time in Joe Hart, a rock at the back in Vincent Kompany, quality with both full-backs and a set of flair players to set pulses racing.

City are rampant and are now worthy title favourites, but how will they deal with that pressure? On the evidence of this performance, nothing should faze them.

Ferguson may now be regretting his statement a couple of years ago which demeaned City and suggested United would overcome their challenge.

The noisy neighbours are having a party and ready to take over.

Aguero winner reignites Man City's Champions League hopes

Roberto Mancini could not hide his delight after Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner

Manchester City 2-1 Villarreal


Roberto Mancini's celebration after Sergio Aguero's 93rd-minute winner for Manchester City against Villarreal last night said it all: his side had got out of jail.

If the Argentinean had not been there to tap in James Milner's cross, City would have been staring at Champions League elimination, left for dead by Bayern Munich and Napoli.

Aguero's winner though has given them a reprieve.

Their path to the knockout stage will still not be an easy one - they will most likely have to win in Spain and get something from their away game at Napoli - but at least the situation is retrievable.

City fans may not like to admit it, but they showed a Manchester United-like trait by scoring their last-gasp winner.

So often in the past Sir Alex Ferguson's side have kept going to the end and eventually got what they wanted, and now Mancini seems to have instilled a similar winning mentality at City.

The dogged resistance of the Villarreal side would have led many lesser teams to resign to their fate prematurely, but there was none of that here.

The Spaniards played an effective counter-attacking game but City always looked the better side. It certainly would have been two points dropped had they not found the breakthrough.

Mancini's tactical changes during the game were ironic as they were like Munich revisited.

On that fateful day, Edin Dzeko reacted furiously to being replaced by a defensive midfielder and Carlos Tevez infamously 'refused' to come on, meaning any Mancini subs against the Spaniards were going to be in the spotlight.

By bringing Adam Johnson off and putting on Gareth Barry with his side 1-0 down and five minutes of the first half still remaining, Mancini sent out a message.

Johnson was understandably unhappy to be hauled off but kept his emotions in check

It was made clear, as if anybody doubted it, that the Italian was the boss and he would not be intimidated by players or past events.

He knew the situation could have blown up in his face again, as Johnson could have reacted like Dzeko and the sub seemed defensive, but it just strengthened his position as manager even more.

Within three minutes, the excellent Aleksandar Kolarov's cross was bundled into his own net by Carlos Marchena, and immediately Mancini will have felt vindicated.

Barry gave City better control in midfield and allowed Yaya Toure to make more probing runs into the box, giving Villarreal more to think about.

The second half was a frustrating affair for the home side, with Villarreal rarely threatening but defending excellently, and it looked like time was about to run out.

Argentinean Aguero did what his compatriot Tevez wouldn't in Munich and came on for the last half an hour, but even that did not look like being a match-winning change.

It was the introduction of James Milner with nine minutes of the 90 left which eventually proved pivotal.

In the last minute of added time, he split the defence with a surprise pass into Pablo Zabaleta, who provided the cross for Aguero to poach the winner.

Substitute Aguero was on hand to poach the winner after some excellent build-up play

City could be described as 'lucky', merely because the goal came 10 seconds before the final whistle was to be blown, but they should be praised for their perseverance when it would have been easy to become frustrated and give up.

They, particularly Mancini, celebrated as if they had won the Champions League but it is easy to understand why given the importance of the result.

Had Aguero not popped up with the clock ticking down, Europa League qualification through a third-placed finish would have been a more realistic prospect than qualification for the Champions League knockout stages, but the result at least leaves them within touching distance of the top two.

They have not done themselves justice so far in the Champions League, but they are learning with each game to keep persevering because they clearly have the quality to beat any side.

Understandably, they are under immense pressure to do well this season in the competition due to the money they have spent, but it must be remembered this is the first time the club have competed in it.

Yes, many of their players have experience of the Champions League but as a collective, as a club, as a set of fans, everything is new.

City's trip to Villarreal in the next game could prove pivotal to their chances, and they could really do with picking up three points there to give themselves a great chance of qualifying.

Juan Carlos Garrido's side are bottom of the group on no points

The Spaniards now have very little to play for so their motivation may not be the same in their home match, so City must finish them off and move onto seven points.

With either one or both of Napoli and Bayern Munich destined to drop points when they play each other on the same day, City would put themselves in a very strong position.

Of course, they are likely to need at least a point in Naples if they are to have a chance, but with the quality at Mancini's disposal anything should be within their reach.

Mancini showed great bravery to make his subs against Villarreal and again proved his tactical flexibility, but he knows the Champions League may be just beyond them in this campaign.

However, his decisions have at least given City a chance of reaching the knockout stages and Aguero's willingness to come off the bench and influence the game is exactly what should be expected of any player.

The irony of the Argentinean coming off the bench to score the winner for City in a Champions League game just two weeks after the Tevez scandal wasn't lost on anyone and perhaps softens the blow of the whole affair for Mancini.

He now knows who to trust and who is committed.

The overriding feeling after the game, perhaps expressed in the celebrations, was one of relief.

City are still in there scrapping and are not willing to relinquish their debut Champions League campaign easily.

Now they must repeat the job in Spain.

Suarez ready to torment United again

Luis Suarez's performance against Manchester United in March marked him out as a special player

When Liverpool and Manchester United last met in March, it was the performance of Dirk Kuyt which was most talked about.

Liverpool won the game 3-1 and Kuyt scored a hat-trick, but it was the display of another Reds star which had allowed the Dutchman to grab the headlines.

Luis Suarez played a key role in each of Kuyt's goals - scored from a combined total of about five yards - and it was his trickery throughout the game which gave Liverpool the edge.

The two sides come up against each other again tomorrow in what is sure to be another titanic tussle between two great rivals, and it could just be that Suarez holds the key again.

When the Uruguayan is on form, he has very few contemporaries and judging by his display in this fixture last season, he seems to relish the big occasion.

He tormented Sir Alex Ferguson's side with his mazy dribbling, tremendous work-rate and elusive movement.

Suarez is the jewel in Liverpool's team and his performance in the March victory over United will certainly have worried Ferguson.

Ferguson has probably devised a plan to nullify the threat of the Uruguayan but if he can play near the level he did in March, it will be an extremely difficult game for the Red Devils.

It will certainly be their biggest test yet in this campaign, with Liverpool looking genuine contenders for the title after their win over city rivals Everton in their last game.

The jury is still out on some of Kenny Dalglish's signings, with particularly Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson struggling to live up to their enormous transfer fees, but a win over United tomorrow will leave the Reds just three points behind their rivals and looking in great shape.

Carroll and Henderson cost a combined total of around £55million

United have been tremendous going forward this season but occasionally they have looked fragile at the back.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have slotted seamlessly into the side but as a whole they look like a team which will concede goals.

With Liverpool's attacking talents, United will be tested to the limit on Saturday.

Steven Gerrard should make his first start of the season after injury and it looks like the ideal time for him to step back in.

It will give Jordan Henderson the chance to take a step back and out of the firing line and also give the rest of the side a confidence boost to have their talisman back.

Gerrard's passion and knowledge of this fixture could prove crucial with many of the players on both sides having little or no experience of this derby.

Whatever their experience though, it seems to be ingrained into Liverpool players to raise their game against Manchester United.

Dalglish, along with local heroes Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, will have left the new players in no doubt as to what this fixture means to the fans so you should expect to see a fired-up Liverpool team tomorrow lunchtime.

Nothing makes them happier than putting one over on United, whatever personnel they have on the field.

It will also be interesting to see how Wayne Rooney reacts to his red card shame with England in Montenegro.

Rooney will be eager to bounce back after his England red card

He is always in for a hot reception at Anfield as a boyhood Evertonian but this time that atmosphere is sure to be even more poisonous towards him.

It would be just like Rooney to bounce back from a terrible week with a match-winning performance, but you can be sure the likes of Carragher will be winding him up for 90 minutes in the hope he blows a fuse again.

Whatever happens with Rooney though, this is sure to be a high-tempo ferocious clash, with attack probably coming out on top of defence.

Both sides should score, with the likes of Suarez and Gerrard key for Liverpool and Nani, Ashley Young, Rooney and Javier Hernandez crucial for United.

Young, Rooney and Nani have been in devastating form so far this season

It is time for Liverpool to prove their title credentials and the only way they can do that is by ending United's unbeaten record so far this season.

It is time for Carroll, Charlie Adam and Henderson to prove they are Liverpool players and ease the burden on Suarez and Gerrard.

Old adversaries Dalglish and Ferguson have overseen their fair share of games between these sides over the years, and both will know the outcome of this game will give a fair indication of how this season is going to pan out.

United have been the more blistering of the two teams so far this season, with Nani, Young and Rooney in scintillating form, but they know this will be their biggest test yet.

They now have to come up against Liverpool again, up against Dalglish, up against Gerrard and, of course, up against Suarez.

Suarez holds the key to this game and if he can torment Ferguson's side as he did in March, United's unbeaten start to the season may be about to come to a shuddering halt.

Last chance for Steve Kean at Blackburn

Blackburn's beleaguered manager Steve Kean may be entering the last chance saloon

Put simply, Steve Kean is a dead man walking at Blackburn Rovers.

In fact, the only thing keeping him in a job at the moment - indeed the only thing which landed him the job in the first place - is the incompetence of the club's owners.

To sack Sam Allardyce midway through last season was nonsensical, and to replace him with a coach with no experience of management was crazy in the dog-eat-dog world of the Premier League.

Young coaches like Kean deserve their shot at management, but not on the basis that they are a "positive man", as Indian owners Venky's put it when he was appointed.

Rovers would have been a comfortable mid-table side under Allardyce, but under Kean they have become nothing more than relegation fodder. Relegation this season seems inevitable unless a change is made.

Fans are revolting against Kean and the owners, with the last two losses - heavy defeats to Newcastle and Manchester City - doing nothing to appease them.

The fans cannot be blamed for speaking out given Kean's record - six wins in 28 league games - but the risk is the poisonous atmosphere they are creating may have a detrimental impact on the team.

They can see their club's Premier League life slowly slipping away, with recent statements from Venky's doing nothing to reassure fans.

It seems they don't have the first idea about how to run a football club and which decisions need to be made.

Kean will be unable to win over the doubters for some time yet as they have become sick of his constant public positivity in the face of criticism. He needs to tell it like it is.

Some Blackburn fans have made their feelings towards Kean clear

In the summer, he proclaimed Blackburn would be a Champions League outfit by 2015, a foolish statement which will continually come back to haunt him for the rest of his reign at Ewood Park.

There is no evidence Venky's have the funds required to launch anything like a top four bid, no evidence to suggest Kean is good enough to get anywhere near that level and certainly not the required level of talent on the playing staff.

Their 4-3 win over Arsenal earlier this season was a rare highlight of Kean's reign but even that highlighted the deficiencies of the team.

Rovers are so soft at the back it is farcical.

With top defenders like Scott Dann, Christopher Samba and Ryan Nelsen, they shouldn't concede anything like the number of goals they do.

There is clearly something fundamentally wrong, in the tactics or the mindset, that Kean simply cannot turn around.

As if his position was not weakened enough by fan protests, the recent sacking of his assistant John Jensen over his head has made his position almost untenable.

Blackburn have a crucial game this weekend away at Queens Park Rangers and the fear for Kean must be that he cannot afford a defeat.

He has just took his side to India to spread the name of Blackburn Rovers on the sub-continent and to meet the club's owners, who surely must have told him recent performances and results are not good enough.

Kean always tries to put a positive spin on everything, but even he must realise the situation at Ewood Park is perilous.

QPR away represents a real chance of picking up some points but also poses a real danger.

Neil Warnock's QPR are sure to cause Blackburn problems

Rangers have been decent since Tony Fernandes bought the club - despite their recent pummelling at Fulham - but haven't been scoring enough goals.

However, all that is likely to change soon when the likes of Adel Taarabt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton click into gear, and it could just be that Blackburn are the first team to bear the brunt of that.

They are sitting second from bottom with just four points from seven games and if they pick up nothing from Loftus Road, they run the risk of propping up the division.

Even if they do pick up one or three points this weekend, it will not be enough to convince most Rovers fans that Kean is the right man for the job.

Fresh protests are planned for upcoming games and that is a tad unfair on Kean, thrown in at the managerial deep end.

It should be the owners who get most of the stick for appointing the Scot in the first place.

Former Rovers boss Hughes may be the ideal man to turn things around

They are clearly clueless about football as an experienced manager - Martin O'Neill, Alan Curbishley or Mark Hughes, for instance - is desperately needed to turn things around.

All clubs need stability and so in that respect it may be prudent of them to stick with Kean, but most would agree that if something is not done fast there will only be one outcome for Blackburn this season: relegation.

Kean will never be able to fulfil his promise of Champions League football and so he will always be fighting a losing battle.

There is an argument that his hands have been tied since taking over from Allardyce, with the marquee signings which were promised and large transfer budget not materialising, while he had to watch as star defender Phil Jones left for Manchester United in the summer.

Kean has got the best out of young talent Junior Hoilett and has introduced exciting prospects Ruben Rochina and Mauro Formica to the team, but even this cannot save him with the supporters.

Fans care about results and performances, and as a collective, Rovers have simply not been good enough under Kean.

Blackburn is a great, family club and their fans deserve better than they are getting at the moment, both in the boardroom and the dugout.

Their supporters experienced the ultimate high when they won the Premier League under Kenny Dalglish but they may be about to reach the ultimate low under another Scot.

Relegation to the Championship is a real prospect the way Kean's team have started this season so despite Venky's loyalty towards him, they cannot afford to let their team slip into the second tier.

Lose at QPR and the board may be forced to act.

Let's have a Euro 2012 to remember

Euro 2012 needs to succeed where other recent international tournaments have failed and produce exciting football

International football needs boosting.

For too long now it has been no more than a distraction to many football fans, particularly in England.

The all-conquering Premier League has played its part in that, of course, but many are just no longer interested in tepid qualifiers against minnows like Andorra, Azerbaijan and Albania.

They are no longer interested in watching England fumble their way through an easy group, with dour displays and no realistic hope of success in a major tournament.

It could be said this extends beyond the borders of England, too.

Scotland have the most vociferous crowd of the Home Nations yet they haven't reached a major tournament since 1998, Wales have only qualified for one major tournament - the 1958 World Cup - and attracted just over 12,000 spectators for last week's win over Switzerland, Northern Ireland last reached a major tournament in 1986 and the Republic of Ireland's last qualification was for the 2002 World Cup.

Negativity towards international football is growing around the globe, too.

The recent FIFA scandals have not helped, but the borathon World Cup of 2010 also acted as a nail in the coffin.

International football still has great benefits, like its potential to bring a nation together as it did with Spain in 2010.

However, the only real time anyone gets excited about it is in the major competitions.

Qualifying groups are often tedious, with the big nations almost always breezing through, meaning there are rarely exciting matches on home soil to raise excitement about the international game.

Tournaments are the only part of international football which excite, and that is why it is crucial the Home Nations qualify and do well at Euro 2012 to ensure fans don't turn their backs on their national team for good.

Northern Ireland and Wales cannot qualify, of course, but England have already booked their place in Poland and Ukraine while Scotland and the Republic of Ireland both currently hold play-off places.

It would be great to see England, Scotland and Ireland at Euro 2012 as it would create a great deal of interest and bring back a feelgood factor around the respective national teams.

England are almost always there at the major tournaments, of course, and it nearly always ends in extreme disappointment.

It is crucial Euro 2012 does not turn out like that.

If Fabio Capello is to still be manager for the tournament, he must lead the side to at least the semi-finals if he is to fully rebuild his reputation in this country.

Wayne Rooney's petulant red card in the final qualifier against Montenegro will rob Capello of his best player for one to three games of the tournament, but England should have more than enough to reach the knockout stages provided they can avoid the likes of Spain, Germany and Holland early on.

It is extremely unlikely England could win the tournament, as the youngsters are too inexperienced and the older players are past their best, but a semi-final place would be enough to lift the optimism around the team for future tournaments.

As for Scotland, they have the unenviable task of possibly needing a result in Spain to reach the play-offs, but if they were to do that and subsequently win their two-legged tie, it would really make Euro 2012 one of the most anticipated international tournaments in this country in recent times.

If Ireland make it to Poland and Ukraine too it would be an intriguing tournament for the Home Nations and could put international football back on the agenda for football fans here.

Are our teams good enough to win these tournaments? No, but it is crucial they win back their fans by competing to the best of their abilities.

Scotland and Ireland would struggle to reach the knockout stages but their mere involvement in a major competition would be enough to reignite their fans and provide hope for the future.

The club game will remain more popular than international qualifiers and friendlies, whatever happens, but the international game needs to fight back and win back some of the doubters.

Hopefully, Euro 2012 will be a goal-fest with exciting football from all teams and the Home Nations finally restoring some national pride.

There cannot be another borathon of a tournament; there cannot be any more debacles. International football needs saving and hopefully Euro 2012 will provide the lasting memories to get everyone talking again.

If it is another disappointment, some will turn their backs on internationals for good.

Sebastian Vettel can achieve anything he wants

Sebastian Vettel is the youngest man to win two Formula One world titles

Sebastian Vettel is just 24.

Yet already he is a double Formula One world champion and there really are no limits to his potential.

He is in a great car, no doubt, and his Red Bull has been largely untouchable all season, but what has been made clear time and time again is that Vettel is in that car for a reason.

He has mastered the car and couldn't have done much more with it.

His car is the best on the grid but there have been many times this season where it was more than beatable.

Mark Webber is fourth in the drivers' standings in the sister car and that shows the Red Bull may not have been as domineering as some think. Perhaps it was the extra five or ten per cent Vettel can drag out of it which has made all the difference.

The German has dominated the season - proved by the fact he has clinched the drivers' title with four races still to go - and deserves all the praise.

Vettel's Red Bull has led the way all season

He is well on the way to legendary status and is on course to break all manner of records.

Vettel just seems to have a thirst for winning that some others don't have.

He wants the records. He wants to go down in history.

He revels in getting pole positions, winning races, setting fastest laps and just generally getting his name all over the record books.

It's all a far cry from the Sebastian Vettel of 2010, who was quite erratic and only clinched the title in dramatic circumstances in the last race of the season.

He was nicknamed the 'Crash Kid' and his potential was written off by some, but perhaps the signs of his greatness have always been there.

He made his Formula One debut in 2007 at just 19 for BMW as a replacement driver, becoming the youngest driver ever to score a point in the sport at the United States Grand Prix.

Vettel then moved to Toro Rosso, minnows of Formula One, and scored many points in the latter part of the 2007 season before becoming the youngest ever F1 race winner in 2008 with victory at the Italian Grand Prix. That team have not even come close to replicating that since he left to join sister team Red Bull in 2009.

Vettel produced one of Formula One's great shocks to win a race with Toro Rosso

A few dodgy moves and non-finishes in the middle part of last season were all it took for some to forget all that, but this kid was always destined for the top and is now fulfilling his potential in a car which matches his ability.

It's impossible to tell if he is truly the best driver though, as all cars are of course not equal, but he is certainly one of them.

Could he go on and break Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles? It's a real possibility.

At just 24, time is on his side and with his fellow German Schumacher still competing in his 40s, that suggests Vettel may have the best part of 20 more years to get the five more world titles that would bring him level with Schumacher. That is a scary prospect for his rivals.

Vettel may have dominated the season, but in truth Formula One is much more competitive than it was when Schumacher was at his best.

This season is likely to be a one-off in terms of one man dominating but it would be a major surprise if Vettel was not in serious contention to win a third straight crown next year.

Vettel may have won the championship at a canter but this season has not all been about him.

Jenson Button has had a superb year at McLaren - so much so that he looks like beating teammate Lewis Hamilton in the standings - while Fernando Alonso again got the best out of his Ferrari.

Button has been steady all season and looks good for second, but most observers would still say Alonso is the best driver in Formula One, perhaps just pipping Vettel.

Both are now on two world titles so it promises to be a titanic tussle next season and one all F1 fans will look forward to.

Button has outperformed teammate Hamilton this season

As for Hamilton, he has had a wretched year and surely cannot wait for it to end.

He has got into a rut and can't get out of it so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the remainder of this season.

Hamilton's aggressiveness is what makes him so great so he shouldn't change his style too much, but he needs to strike a better balance between attacking and being sensible if he is to ever add to his one world title.

Vettel is already on two titles and it is frightening to think of how many he could win.

Winning seems to breed contempt and many have never warmed to Vettel because of this, but slowly people are starting to admire him for the superb driver that he is.

His appearance on Top Gear earlier this year was a masterstroke as it showed British fans that he was in fact a likeable, down-to-earth guy, and his performances on the track will have endeared him to many race fans.

Vettel is a phenomenon and is in a dream car, so he really could go on to achieve anything over the next 10, 15, maybe 20 years.

For the rest, the message is simple: catch him if you can.

Fairytale stuff for Brendan Dolan

Brendan Dolan defied all the odds to hit a nine-darter and reach the World Grand Prix final

In darts, there can be no better feeling than hitting a nine-dart finish.

It represents perfection and the culmination of years, perhaps decades, of hard work.

In recent years, it has become the norm for a nine-darter to be hit in most televised tournaments, but it remained the holy grail at the World Grand Prix in Dublin. Until yesterday.

The tournament is unique due to its double start format, making it even harder to reach perfection as the double would have to be hit with the first dart, followed by seven big trebles and a bullseye.

This is the 14th staging of the Grand Prix, and up until now a nine-darter had not been hit.

As the standard of darts increased over the last few years, it seemed inevitable that duck would be broken sometime.

The most likely candidate of course was Phil Taylor, who has had a number of near misses for the elusive nine-darter, while others in contention would be greats of the game like Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade and John Part.

Darts legends Taylor and van Barneveld have never hit a nine-darter with a double start

However, nobody could have predicted how the run without a nine-darter was going to end.

Brendan Dolan had already had a fairytale story to reach the semi-final.

As the world's number 36, nobody could have expected him to get so far.

He has been a decent player for a number of years, but up until this week it had been an achievement for him to simply reach major tournaments with no major successes to his name and his best televised performance being when he reached the last 16 of the UK Open three years ago.

Remarkably, he hit the nine-darter in the eighth leg of his semi-final against James Wade to send the Irish crowd potty.

What makes it even more remarkable is that Dolan is an Irishman - albeit Northern - himself.

Of all the people to hit the first nine-darter in Dublin, it was incredible it turned out to be by an Irishman.

Ireland hasn't even come close to producing a winner of the Grand Prix, so it is a magnificent achievement by Dolan.

It would have been easy for him to lose concentration after the euphoria of the nine-darter, but he kept his cool and somehow kept up his unbelievably high standard.

Not many gave him a prayer of defeating Wade, the defending champion, but Dolan produced the darts of his life to thrash him 5-2 and set up an unthinkable final with Phil Taylor.

Wade cut a frustrated figure as he was outplayed by Dolan

He started the legs brilliantly, regularly hitting the double 20 with his first dart, and that was perhaps the key to his victory.

Dolan also regularly found the treble 20 with the first dart in his hand and often followed that up with two more, while his checkout conversion at the end of legs was decent despite some slip-ups.

Wade didn't play badly - although he should have made it 4-3 in sets only to unprofessionally go for two double tops on 80 with three darts in his hand, with Dolan then mopping up his finish to take the match after Wade missed - and he can go away thinking he was simply beaten by a player who could do very little wrong on the night.

It is hard to determine which was Dolan's biggest achievement, winning the semi-final or hitting the nine-darter, but it was a remarkable double and a double which will go down in darting history.

Everyone will now remember the name of Brendan Dolan, the plucky underdog who defeated all the odds to reach greatness despite having a poor year.

It will be an even bigger task of course to beat Taylor, the best player who has ever lived, and the likelihood is Dolan will simply have too much to do to defeat 'The Power'.

Taylor has been in supreme form and may have too much for Dolan in the final

Whatever happens though, this will go down as by far the best week of Dolan's career and to do it in front of his adoring fans will have made it all the more special.

Dolan reaching the final of the World Grand Prix will be talked about for years to come, as will his historic nine-darter.

He admitted after the match he had only ever hit three or four perfect legs in practice throughout his entire career, and they were under normal rules with no double start.

So to produce that leg under those circumstances in front of his home crowd and in his first major semi-final is almost a miracle.

The way Dolan reacted to the perfect leg was very cool, calm and collected. It was as though he had just done something routine, something he does every week, but inside he must have been filled with joy and excitement.

Taylor hit his highest-ever average in this tournament with 103 in his semi-final win over Richie Burnett, and will start as the huge favourite to win his 10th Grand Prix crown.

However, nobody will ever be able to take this away from Brendan Dolan and his story of this tournament will go down as one of the most remarkable in darts.

There may yet be another chapter to write with the final against Taylor tonight, but whatever happens, his story is sure to be a best-seller.