Cardiff 3-6 Liverpool: Suarez, Skrtel and Sturridge make it six wins

If Liverpool achieve the extraordinary and win the title this year it will almost certainly hinge on the blistering form of Luis Suarez. 

The Uruguayan scored his third hat-trick of the season to equal Robbie Fowler’s club record of 28 goals in one campaign. 

That is with eight games yet to play and despite missing the first five games of the season through suspension.

His closest rival is nine goals adrift. Strike partner Daniel Sturridge has scored 19. 

Together, they have outscored all but three other teams in the league.  They are simply unstoppable and it is irresistible to watch. 

You could even forgive the blatant selfishness in the 90th minute when Suarez was one-on-one with Cardiff keeper DHe saw his young, pleading teammate Raheem Sterling would have an easy finish but instead took on Marshall himself. You cannot turn ruthlessness like that on and off. 

That goal capped a third successive away victory which keeps Liverpool in second place, four points behind leaders Chelsea with Manchester City close behind. 

The Liverpool fans marched away from Cardiff City Stadium singing ‘we’re going to win the league.’
Brendan Rodgers encouraged their optimism but remained coy.

‘We’ve now got five games at home and three away. Anfield is a special place. Fans can believe and dream and that’s important. They have every right to’

There were, Rodgers conceded, weaknesses in the Liverpool defence particularly in the first half when they twice went behind. 

‘We gave the ball away cheaply once or twice,’ he said, ‘and we’re not the sort of side that just rely on outscoring. We’re balanced. At half time, I reinforced that and we showed great resilience and offensive power.’

The standout moment in the match came in the 59th minute when Sturridge played a back-heel pass, demonstrating an almost telepathic awareness of Suarez’s whereabouts.

Wayne Rooney scoring with a spectacular lob from the halfway line.

Wayne Rooney, the man heralded by David Moyes as "the last of the great street footballers" at the Cambridge Union last summer, produced arguably the most audacious flourish of his own remarkable canon last night by scoring with a spectacular lob from the halfway line.

Besides setting the platform for a second restorative Manchester United victory in four days, it was also redolent of that wondrous strike that David Beckham had unleashed from almost exactly the same spot against Wimbledon on August 17, 1996.

white; color: #282828; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 10px;">

Better still, Beckham was inside the Boleyn Ground to see it, smiling broadly at the symmetry. The shot itself measured 57.9 yards as Rooney, in a glimpse of the genius that has persuaded United to part with £300,000 a week to retain his services, needed barely a second to let the ball come over his shoulder, set himself, and arrow the ball in a flawless arc over West Ham United's back-pedalling goalkeeper Adrián.

If any player ever can be worth such an eye-watering sum, then this was a feat to reinforce it. For Rooney was luminescent en route to his two goals here, with the first immediately earning its place alongside the bicycle kick to win last season's Manchester derby as a defining distillation of his United career.

All the pain of the defeat to Liverpool, all the torpor he had exhibited during United's dismal league campaign to date, evaporated in an instant as Rooney rediscovered the brand of skill that the club's supporter had waited until March 22 to witness.

By the time he was replaced with 15 minutes left by Javier Hernández, his name was being chanted with renewed gusto by the travelling band. If the evening was not already gratifying enough for Rooney, his brace of instinctive finishes also vaulted him to third on the list of United's leading scorers with 212, passing Jack Rowley.

In the absence of Robin van Persie, it fell to Rooney to fashion one of his most enduring Polaroid moments in a United jersey. Perhaps he knew an opportunity was beckoning from the sheer fragility of the West Ham defence, after Marouane Fellaini had been allowed one uncontested header in the six-yard box, but the striker's eighth-minute intervention was still a case of temerity writ large.

Letting the ball bounce over his shoulder on the halfway line, Rooney shaped his body to let fly with the most sumptuous volley, which caught Adrián indulging in a dozy piece of gardening by the halfway line and sailed straight into the back of the Spaniard's net.

If Rooney's celebrations were exuberant, then the cameras also caught the watching Beckham smiling wryly, relishing the shades of that masterstroke at Selhurst Park 18 years ago. It is extraordinary what Rooney can do when the mood takes him.

Six days earlier he had toiled against Liverpool in a display of dismaying anonymity, but this latest inscription in his scrapbook was a reminder of the player at his freshest at his flashiest.

His terrorising of West Ham did not end there as, fortified by the support of Juan Mata in a customary position behind the central striker, he provided one delicious cut-back across the area that Fellaini should have done more to control.

Mata was the wellspring of many of United's best moves, first teeing up Shinji Kagawa with an exquisite pass and then pouncing upon a loose ball to force Adrián into a sharp save.

But it was the inspired Rooney who always looked the most likely to engineer the breakthrough, and so it proved once more when Ashley Young, haring down the right, crossed low but a little too close to Mark Noble.

While Noble made a creditable effort to clear, it landed directly in the path of Rooney, who was scarcely required to shoot as the ball flew off his right boot and beyond the hapless Adrián. Initially it appeared to be a piece of outrageous good fortune, but replays suggested his technique was so flawless that he might even have meant it.

Rooney could have snaffled a hat-trick had he shown a touch more composure over Mata's cross at the back of the box, but rather than picking his angle he attempted another luscious volley, which this time was so miscued that it almost sailed out for a throw.

In the second half Moyes chose caution above enterprise, as United all but shut the game down with their assured passing game.

West Ham, as has been too familiar throughout their campaign, were far too one-dimensional to deal with it, with Kevin Nolan looking especially sluggish and Andy Carroll spurning at least two fine chances in a blur of hair and flying limbs.

For one night only, the irrepressible Rooney was simply not to be upstaged.

Unbelievable: Wayne Rooney scores from just inside West Ham's half after seven minutes

Wayne Rooney delivered a stunning reminder of the days when Manchester United could be relied upon to decorate the Premier League with the extravagance of their football.

Under the floodlights at Upton Park, Rooney scored a goal of stunning invention from some 57 yards. 

It was greeted with a gleeful leap from the bench by United manager David Moyes — and a massive grin from the watching David Beckham, who had thrust himself into the conscience of the nation with a goal of his own for United from the halfway line against Wimbledon in the fa\raway summer of 1996.

Rooney followed up his eighth-minute wonder goal, from barely five yards inside West Ham’s half, with a second that showed the speed of his reflexes as he reacted to a clearance from Mark Noble 12 minutes before half-time.

Real Madrid 3-1 Schalke (Agg 9-2) UCL 2014

The Portugal international stole the headlines yet again as Madrid moved into the quarter-finals with another comfortable win over the Bundesliga side

Cristiano Ronaldo equalled Ferenc Puskas' goalscoring record as Real Madrid beat Schalke 3-1 and secured their progress to the quarter-finals of the competition with a 9-2 aggregate win.

The prolific Portugal captain took his goal tally for the La Liga leaders to 41 for the season and 13 in the Champions League in 2013-14.

The tie was settled in the first leg in Gelsenkirchen a fortnight ago, when Ronaldo also scored twice as Real hammered the Bundesliga side 6-1 to put one foot in the last eight and Ancelotti's men finished off the job at the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo opened the scoring and restored Real's lead 16 minutes from time after Tim Hoogland briefly levelled for the visitors on the night.

Alvaro Morata sealed the victory a minute after Ronaldo's second goal and the former Manchester United forward struck the crossbar and the post in another outstanding display.

But there was concern for Madrid ahead of Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona as Jese Rodriguez was forced off early on and replaced by Gareth Bale after suffering suspected cruciate knee ligament damage

Real were determined to finish the job in style and were in front after 21 minutes when Bale picked out Ronaldo and the Portugal forward was left with a simple finish from six yards out.

Bale then produced a rapid turn of foot before setting up Morata, but the striker scuffed his right-foot finish with only Ralf Fahrmann to beat.

But Schalke were level against the run of play when defender Hoogland's strike from outside the penalty area deflected off Ramos and wrong-footed Casillas after 31 minutes.

Real responded and Fahrmann had to be alert to deny Isco and Morata. Former Real striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then spurned a great chance to give Schalke a half-time lead when his left-foot finish was just wide of the far post.

The prolific Ronaldo sensed the opportunity to add to his incredible goal tally, but Fahrmann produced a fine save to keep out his downward header six minutes into the second half.

Schalke suffered a blow when Benedikt Howedes was withdrawn injured 11 minutes after the break and they were behind once again when Ronaldo drove forward 16 minutes from time and beat Fahrmann at his near post.

The 29-year-old then spurned a chance to score a hat-trick when his shot struck the bar, but Bale set up Morata and the young striker made no mistake after he had been initially denied by Fahrmann. 

Chelsea 2-0 Galatasaray UCL 2014

It was not a happy homecoming for Didier Drogba as the hosts comfortably dispatched of their lacklustre visitors to march into the Champions League quarter-finals

Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win overGalatasaray on Tuesday evening.First-half goals from Samuel Eto'o and Gary Cahill - on his 100th Chelsea appearance - sealed a comfortable 3-1 aggregate success, with the long-awaited Stamford Bridge return of Didier Drogba proving an anti-climax.

Eto'o opened the scoring with the first attack of the game, controlling Oscar's pass before firing low into the corner and Chelsea made their dominance count shortly before the break when Cahill converted the rebound from a John Terry header.

Former Chelsea striker Drogba had very little impact on the game, his most notable contribution coming in the first half when he blasted a free-kick over the crossbar and into a banner bearing his own name.

Mourinho's spiky relationship with opposite number Roberto Mancini was well documented in the build-up, but it was the Portuguese who had the last laugh as Chelsea secured an untroubled passage into the quarter-finals. 

Eto'o, back in the side in place of Fernando Torres from the first leg, had scored all of his previous nine Chelsea goals at home and that trend continued in the fourth minute.

Eden Hazard played a pivotal role, spinning away from Felipe Melo before feeding Oscar, who slipped the ball into the path of the striker, the Cameroonian taking a touch before firing low beyond Fernando Muslera.

Hazard and Oscar combined to great effect once again midway through the half to set up Frank Lampard, who stabbed his effort wide.

Chelsea went close again in the 33rd minute, Lampard whipping in a free-kick from the left that Terry volleyed narrowly over the crossbar from 10 yards.

The hosts continued to press with Hazard at the centre of everything, this time bursting down the left to allow Eto'o to set up Willian, but the Brazilian's tame effort was comfortable for Muslera.

All Chelsea's pressure paid off three minutes before the break, Cahill smashing home from close range after Muslera had parried Terry's powerful downward header from a Lampard corner.

Willian tested Muslera with a powerful drive five minutes after the interval, while the Uruguayan also denied Lampard and substitute Torres towards the end.

In stoppage time, Drogba fluffed a chance to trouble Petr Cech on the goalkeeper's 100th Champions League appearance as Chelsea reached the quarter-finals for the eighth time in the last 11 seasons.

Samuel Eto'o gave the hosts an early advantage after slotting the ball past Fernando Muslera after just four minutes before Gary Cahill reacted quickest from a corner just before the break to double their lead.

Spurs Vs Arsenal 2013/2014 2nd EPL

Spurs midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson says the north London derby is a test of character which they must pass, after dismal defeats to Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool

“It is down to us to prove that we are not gutless and we do care about the club.” That is Gylfi Sigurdsson’s response to the strident criticism of Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach, Tim Sherwood, following his side’s hapless 4-0 defeat away against Chelsea last week.

Sherwood pulled no punches in his assessment of a Spurs squad that has capitulated on more than occasion during the current campaign. The result is that a season that was so rich in promise – after the riches spent last summer – is in danger of petering out in a fug of frustration and recrimination.

“Gutless” was the word that stood out in Sherwood’s post-match lash-out at Stamford Bridge, but it did not end there. He also railed against a squad which, he claimed, had a “lack of characters” and are “too nice with each other”.

“They need to dig each other out more often,” Sherwood said as he attempted to distance himself from the debacle.

The outburst was admirable in its candour, but maybe not in its effect. It did not go down well with the club’s hierarchy, who are considering whether to replace Sherwood at the end of this season, and did not yield immediate dividends, if the 3-1 home defeat against Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday – which leaves Tottenham facing a monumental task to qualify for the quarter-finals – is anything to go by.

Sherwood’s criticisms appeared likely divide more than unite a squad but Sigurdsson understands his anger as he prepares for the Premier League home game against north London rivals, Arsenal, today.

“I am not going to go into details about what he says in the dressing room but he was not happy,” Sigurdsson said, when asked whether Sherwood had been even more brutal in private. “After that game against Chelsea, though, any manager would not have been happy to lose 4-0. So he was within his rights, you need a reaction and if the manager didn’t say anything we would be in trouble. But as long as you have a manager who cares about the team and the players then you will be fine.”

The Chelsea defeat was all the more damaging because it followed a trend – with Spurs having crumpled 6-0 and 5-1 against Manchester City and being hammered at home 5-0 by Liverpool. They have been the whipping boys for the top four.

But what about the public and personal nature of Sherwood’s attack? “In a way he is probably right to say what he did because it has happened too many times,” Sigurdsson said. “It is down to us to give a good reaction and show that we are hungry and that we want to be successful for Tottenham. As players we know we need to address it and we cannot go down again in the way we did. We have to make sure we don’t lose 4-0 or like we did to Liverpool at home or to Man City, even though they can do it to any team. It has happened too many times [to Spurs] this season.”

With Spurs in fifth place in the league the aggregate against the four clubs ahead of them in the table is painful: played six, lost five, drawn one, conceding 23 goals and scoring just twice. It would suggest the gulf is greater than the six points by which they trail Arsenal. “It was a big game against Chelsea and it was a big blow but now we move on to Arsenal,” Sigurdsson said.

“We played Liverpool earlier in the season and lost [5-0] and then we played Manchester United at home afterwards and drew 2-2. That was a chance for us to prove people wrong and we were unlucky to draw it. Against Arsenal it’s a chance again to prove a point.”

It has been a difficult campaign for the Spurs squad with the world-record sale of Gareth Bale last summer, for £85 million, other senior players leaving to balance the books and a huge, ambitious – and ultimately risky – £107 million recruitment drive led by the arrival of the likes of Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela and Paulinho which fuelled wild claims that they were suddenly title contenders.

“Because we had so many changes in the squad I never looked at Tottenham as winning the league,” Sigurdsson said. “I think it was more about a Champions League spot, depending on how quickly the new boys settled. Some players can take longer to settle than others depending on whether they speak the language or if they are used to English football. This is only my second season but we lost three or four senior boys last summer. When you bring in so many new players it takes time for them to get used to the football and living here. Hopefully next season will be better.”

Not that Sigurdsson believes this campaign can be written off. The spotlight and the demands are too unforgiving for that. “You don’t really have the time to look at it that way. We should be higher in the league, that’s a fact.”

A personal frustration for Sigurdsson is that since he arrived at Spurs in the summer of 2013, signing from German club Hoffenheim, for £8.8 million, he has not often featured in his favoured position behind the strikers. “I have been playing on the left the majority of the time and would prefer to be through the middle. That’s life.”

Not that there are any regrets at joining Spurs, especially as he spurned the chance to move to Liverpool who are now title contenders. “Of course not. I went where I wanted to go and you cannot look back on ’ifs and buts’. I am really happy here, it’s a big club and there’s pressure to win every game and that is what I want to be a part of.”

There is just one – crucial – ingredient missing: “We need to show we want to win trophies or achieve Champions League football for the club.”

Diego Costa is wanted by Jose Mourinho to revamp Chelsea's misfiring front line

Chelsea will sell Romelu Lukaku in the summer.

Despite Lukaku’s success on loan at Everton this season following a prolific year when farmed out to West Bromwich Albion, Jose Mourinho does not want to give the Belgian international striker a new deal.

Mourinho refuses to accept he made a mistake by letting Lukaku go on loan this season.

And given that the 20-year-old has since made some cutting remarks about Mourinho - and the Chelsea boss has been scathing in response - bridges have been burned.

Mourinho is intent on signing one, possibly two, world class strikers in the summer, with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao of Monaco well-known to be his prime targets

Yet despite not rating Lukaku as a top class striker, Mourinho would be reluctant to sanction the sale of the striker to a rival English club for fear of the player coming back to bite him.

Lukaku then may be forced to leave for Spain - and Atletico Madrid is a possible destination.
But he could also move to Germany, with Borussia Dortmund a likely destination.

Loic Remy will be a target for Tottenham this summer.

Remy has proven himself this season as a consistent goal scorer at Newcastle, where he has been on loan from QPR.

If QPR gain promotion to the Premier League they could retain Remy but it is more likely that the player would want to move on.

With Jermain Defoe departed and Emmanuel Adebayor’s future uncertain, Spurs will be seeking to sign at least two strikers this summer.

Remy is well-known to Tottenham’s new chief scout Ian Broomfield.

Broomfield returned to his role at Spurs after a period with QPR where he was involved in the signing 27-year-old Remy from Marseille last season.

 

It now seems certain - as predicted here when he first singed his 18 month contract - that unless Tottenham finish in a Champions League spot Tim Sherwood will be sacked in the summer with Dutchman Louis van Gaal favourite to take over.

The manner in which Sherwood steadied the ship and his forthright manner has though impressed many in the game.

And it is likely that Sherwood will get a chance at another Premier League club.

His name has already been discussed, along with Malkay Mackay's, in the corridors of power at Norwich where Chris Hughton’s position remains fragile.

Barcelona’s right back Daniel Alves will be a summer target for both Manchester United and Manchester City.

Alves has a year left on his contract but has fallen out with the club and some of his team mates.

Both United and City need a world class right back.

 

Roy Hodgson will keep tabs on Hull City’s Curtis Davies over the next couple of months.

Last week TV pundit Roy Keane rubbished the suggestion of Hull boss Steve Bruce that Davies could break into the World Cup squad.

But I understand Davies would be in line for a call up if any of the centre halves established in the England squad - Phi Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones or Chris Smalling - get injured.

Even if it is assumed that Arsene Wenger will sign a new, and perhaps final, three-year contract with Arsenal this summer there has been discussions within the Emirates inner sanctum about who is the right man to succeed him.

Frank de Boer, Didier Deschamps, Michael Laudrup and Roberto Martinez are four of the names that have been discussed.

Dennis Bergkamp has been earmarked to take over from the club’s academy from Liam Brady.

Thomas Vermaelen is set to quit Arsenal in the summer and could secure a move to Manchester City.

Vermaelen has lost his regular starting spot this season but is still highly regarded and City skipper 

Vincent Kompany would recommend buying his Belgian international defensive partner.

Joleon Lescott, who is wanted by West Ham Aston Villa and possibly Liverpool, is on the way out of the club on a free transfer

Jack Rodwell’s career has floundered at Manchester Cuity since his £12million move from Everton two years ago.

The midfielder was tipped to make England’s World Cup squad but hasn’t been able to command a regular starting place at City.

Everton are set to make a summer move to sign him.

But Rodwell would also interest Newcastle

l

The Chelsea boss was sent to the stands during the Blues' 1-0 loss at Aston Villa

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has again insisted that his side are not in the title race following Saturday's defeat to Aston Villa.

The west Londoners slipped to defeat in the Midlands as Fabian Delph's winner stopped the Blues, who had both Willian and Ramires sent off prior to Mourinho being sent to the stands himself, from extending their lead at the top of the table.

But despite the fact that his side are six points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, Mourinho reiterated that he doesn't see his side in the mix to be crowned Premier League champions.

He told reporters: "We are not in the title race. We are in a match race. We play every match. We try to win, we think we can win. 

"We give everything to win. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But that's our race; improve and try our best every match."

Mourinho also expressed his frustration with Chris Foy after being sent off in the aftermath of Ramires' red card, insisting he asked for "five seconds" to discuss the dismissal with the referee.

The time is now: David Moyes has challenged Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie to perform on Sunday

Manchester United’s season is beginning to resemble one of the more tortuous soap operas.
David loves Wayne and gave him millions to keep him close; Robin loves David and doesn’t want to leave. But can Robin and Wayne improve their personal chemistry? A happy ending depends on it.

The arrival of rampant Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday — the first of four big fixtures in 10 days for David Moyes — brings United’s travails sharply into focus. 

While Liverpool boast the two leading scorers in the Premier League, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, there have been huge question-marks about the partnership between United’s ‘main players’ van Persie and Rooney

The statistics show they have barely passed to each other on occasions this season. The naked eye can tell you they have sometimes run in opposite directions to celebrate United goals, impossible to imagine under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Rooney has derided van Persie as being ‘not the brightest’ and gets frustrated the Dutchman does not cover more yards in matches.

Van Persie patronises Rooney by claiming they are both ‘nine-and-a-halves’ while making it clear on the pitch he’s the real No 9.

Undoubtedly, they have huge egos. While nobody says they need to be bosom buddies, United fans will expect them to put the team’s interests first.

Rooney has got what he wanted — a bumper five-year deal. Van Persie has indicated he wants to stay beyond his current contract in 2016. But it’s time they showed they care beyond self-interest. 

Navigating his way through the minefield is Moyes. Despite the presence of £64million signings Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini and a glut of other internationals, the manager knows the tone for his team is set by Rooney and van Persie. 

After shambolic displays in the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Olympiacos — the only pass Rooney received from his team-mate all night was from kick-off — Moyes spotted improvements in last Saturday’s 3-0 win at West Brom, a trend they must continue against Liverpool’s lethal SAS.

‘I thought the two boys were outstanding against West Brom for effort and work-rate,’ said Moyes.

‘Robin tackled a few people and got around. Wayne was the same. When your two main players are showing that, I think it rubs off on the rest of the team. I think those two players are pivotal for Manchester United, really important players for the side.’

Moyes has never been worried that Rooney and van Persie want to be at the club next season, but he has been privately concerned about their form, individually and collectively. 

Much work has been done on the training ground and the manager added: ‘As a pair, I thought the two of them had their best game against West Brom because they were team players.

‘They showed commitment and determination to the team. Robin received more balls, Wayne received more balls. Hopefully that’s the way forward.’

United fans will say their front two owe them, not just on Sunday but also against Olympiacos in the second leg on Wednesday night, when they trail 2-0, and then League matches at West Ham and at home to Manchester City.

Rooney, who will move joint-third on the club’s all-time scoring list if he scores against Liverpool, said: ‘These are massive games coming up — we have worked really hard in training to be ready for them. The top four is tough, but we have to keep going. We could sneak in.’

The Super Eagles midfielder first half strike was enough to secure victory against Troyes on Friday night

Nigeria midfielder Sunday Mba scored his third goal  in the French Ligue 2 on Friday night as his club defeated Troyes 1-0 at the at the Stade Armand Césari.

Mba’s cool finish in the 3rd minute was enough to hand Stéphane Rossi’s men their third win of the season against a Troyes side that is ninth on the Ligue 2 log

Though Les Noirs dominated the game, their major undoing was their inability to convert begging chances that came their way.

The Super Eagles player now boasts of five goals since making his debut against Niort in a league game.

CA Bastia occupy the root of the French Ligue 2 log with 17 points from 28 games. 

Alan Pardew charged for improper conduct

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has been charged with improper conduct after his apparent headbutt on Hull City's David Meyler during Saturday's Premier League fixture, the Football Association said on Monday.

Pardew, who has already been fined £100 000 and given a formal warning by his club, was sent to the stands by referee Kevin Friend after the 72nd minute flare-up on the touchline.

"Due to the serious violent and/or aggressive nature of the reported behaviour this case has been designated as non-standard," the FA said in a statement on Monday.

Pardew has apologised for his conduct and has until 1800 GMT on Thursday to respond to the charge.

It is not the first time Pardew has been in hot water over his touchline behaviour and he could receive a lengthy ban for an altercation which has been widely condemned, including by England's League Managers' Association.

He served a two-match touchline ban for shoving a referee's assistant on the opening day of last season while earlier in this campaign he verbally insulted Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Real Madrid and their noisy neighbours Atletico laid on the perfect prelude to the Oscars with an at-times X-rated blockbuster full of action, villainy and bad acting as both sides lost the plot and played out a draw in which the real winner was the third team in the Spanish title race, Barcelona.

Amid the late challenges, dives and recriminations of referee Carlos Ferreiro by both sides, Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to have the last word with the goal that earned Real a point and meant they have now gone 15 years without having been beaten at the home of the city rivals. 

Madrid have won 12 and drawn two since Atletico’s last home win against them in 1999 and it was the same old story after just three minutes when Luka Modric took a short corner to Angel Di Maria and his cross was swept in by an unmarked Karim Benzema.

Atletico 2-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo strike earns Los Blancos a draw in heated derby

Real Madrid and their noisy neighbours Atletico laid on the perfect prelude to the Oscars with an at-times X-rated blockbuster full of action, villainy and bad acting as both sides lost the plot and played out a draw in which the real winner was the third team in the Spanish title race, Barcelona.

Amid the late challenges, dives and recriminations of referee Carlos Ferreiro by both sides, Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to have the last word with the goal that earned Real a point and meant they have now gone 15 years without having been beaten at the home of the city rivals. 

Madrid have won 12 and drawn two since Atletico’s last home win against them in 1999 and it was the same old story after just three minutes when Luka Modric took a short corner to Angel Di Maria and his cross was swept in by an unmarked Karim Benzema.

Manchester City 3-1 Sunderland: Toure and Nasri strike in quick succession before Navas completes scoring

For 55 minutes, Manchester City seemed to have little idea of how they might break down Sunderland’s resolute defence.

A goal down after Fabio Borini’s 10th minute opener for the underdogs, they seemed to be banking on a moment of individual quality to turn the game and win them the Capital One Cup.
It arrived from a man who seems like he was born for these occasions.

Yaya Toure scored the type of goal that no-one else on the pitch - not even Sergio Aguero - could replicate.

It was one of the great Wembley goals. The ball was laid off to Toure 30 yards from the goal at the west end of this famous stadium and the Ivorian curled a beautiful finish into the top corner.

The technique was perfect, the ball placed into an area that left Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone with absolutely no chance.

The game had until then looked like it might be going the same way as the FA Cup final defeat to Wembley last May, which probably made sure Roberto Mancini lost his job.

City’s greatest opponents today were perhaps themselves - but when they needed the leadership, character and quality of true winners, their big players came through.

Toure has now scored 17 goals from central midfield this season in all competitions and he has taken his Wembley tally to three strikes, having scored in 1-0 wins in both the semi-final and final of the FA Cup triumph in 2011.

That 2011 victory was City’s first major trophy in 35 years. This year they are going for an unlikely quadruple.

The hope of four trophies is likely to be reduced to three after the second leg of their Champions League clash with Barcelona on March 12, but with the people like Toure around you can’t rule out the possibility that Manuel Pellegrini’s men could overturn a 2-0 deficit.

His goal changed the whole mood around Wembley and barely 60 seconds later the 30,000 City fans in north London were in delirium as Samir Nasri slammed home a wonderful finish of his own from the edge of the box.

Sunderland responded bravely, but City looked comfortable once they went ahead, controlling possession and moving the ball quickly to their more creative players.

In the final minute of normal, Toure turned provider with a typical driving run on the counter-attack before he fed Jesus Navas to steer in City’s third. 

But it all came from that one moment of genius out of nothing. They say the great players define the big games and Yaya has produced in such moments more than anyone else around.

A defeat here could have seen City begin a slide of sorts, with a Champions League exit looking likely and their battle with Chelsea for the Premier League title set to go to the wire.

Now they can focus on a possible quadruple. They have one in the bag - and for that they have Toure to thank.

Former Newcastle managers Alan Shearer and Graeme Souness were united in their condemnation of Alan Pardew after the current boss was sent off for headbutting Hull City midfielder David Meyler on Saturday.

The Magpies boss admitted to moving his head in the direction of Hull’s midfielder in the 72nd minute of the match which visiting Newcastle won 4-1. 

Referee Kevin Friend viewed it as a serious incident and sent Pardew to the stands, with the FA sure to take a close look at the altercation in the coming days.

David Moyes would be out of his job in other major club in Europe

Had David Moyes been manager of any other major club in Europe, there is every chance he would be out of his job now.

The powerhouses, from Chelsea to Real Madrid to Bayern Munich, do not suffer the kind of season Manchester United have endured without taking ruthless action, and defeat like the one against Olympiacos would have been the end for Moyes anywhere else.

Chelsea, remember, sacked Andre Villas-Boas after a dreadful 3-1 defeat against Napoli at the same stage of the Champions League two years ago.

United, however, are different. Like Liverpool and Arsenal, they do things in what I believe to be the right way. History shows they do not panic or make kneejerk reactions: even Tommy Docherty was not sacked when United were relegated to the old second division in 1974.

But just because United have not panicked doesn’t mean they won’t be anxious and nobody knows what the Glazer family are thinking. Moyes deserves until Christmas to show he can be a success but, as a wise football man, he will be aware losing makes positions become untenable. 

Watching United labour against Olympiacos brought back memories of the situation Roy Hodgson experienced in his brief stay at Liverpool in 2010; the shock home defeats, the unexpected cup exits and certain players letting the manager down badly.  

The way Robin van Persie, for instance, is playing reminds me of the way Fernando Torres was with Hodgson. His goal record might be good, as was Torres’ for Hodgson, but the quotes that he has made and the stories surrounding him make it feel like Van Persie isn’t behind Moyes.

He didn’t miss a game last season in the Barclays Premier League but this year he has been in and out – is he thinking about the World Cup? – while his demeanour has served only to increase the perception there are problems. Torres did exactly the same.

If a manager loses his players, there is often no way back and an issue Moyes has to contend with at the moment is the fact he is the focus of the criticism; United’s players will know this and can hide behind that, rather than looking at their own shortcomings. Again, that happened with Hodgson.

To see Moyes now, he looks shell-shocked. The Moyes I knew at Everton would never have been so amenable in television interviews after seeing his side perform as badly as United did in Greece.

When he was at Everton, you would see the anger in his face and his answers would be short. You knew he felt let down by his team but, equally, you knew he would drag a response out of his team.

A defender released by David Moyes while at Everton handed a surprise call up to the Germany squad

A defender released by David Moyes while at Everton has been handed a surprise call up to the Germany squad by Joachim Low.

Shkodran Mustafi, now 21, was let go on a free transfer by Moyes in 2012 after making just one substitute appearance for the Goodison Park side.

But he has flourished at current club Sampdoria and has now been deemed good enough to make the Germany squad for their friendly with Chile on Wednesday.

Centre back Mustafi was a German youth international right through his time at Everton but made his only appearance as a substitute for Tony Hibbert in a Europa League tie with BATE Borisov in December 2009.

He moved on to the Serie A side in January 2012 for nothing and has since made 41 appearances.

Mustafi has a relatively low profile in Germany but was a member of the side that won the European Under 17 Championship in 2009 and has two Under 21 caps.