Wenger targets title race

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the frantic Christmas schedule can expand the Barclays Premier League title charge beyond a two-horse race.

The Gunners trail leaders Chelsea by 15 points and while it appears to be a straight shootout between Jose Mourinho's side and reigning champions Manchester City, Wenger insists the landscape can change over the next week.

Three games in seven days has convinced Wenger that if Arsenal and those trailing the pacesetters can stitch together a series of results, a new contender could emerge.

"It can still change. Let's see how the schedule goes over Christmas. We'll have a much better idea at the beginning of January," Wenger said.

"The next three or four games are important. Chelsea will be in the fight for the title, for sure, but will it only be Chelsea and Man City?

"Today you can say maybe, but it is still a long way off. Chelsea are in the Champions League, Man City as well.

"Then you have the FA Cup and Chelsea play in the League Cup. There is still a long way to go.

"But what is for sure is that the teams like us and those around us need to be massively consistent to have a chance of coming back."

Arsenal topped the table on January 1 of this year only to finish the season fourth, seven points adrift of City. Wenger denies his team have regressed, however.

"I don't think we have gone backwards in the quality of our squad because if you look at the five players that we bought, you cannot say that one of the five is a failure," Wenger said.

"I can't deny we are behind much more than last year, but we have had a depleted squad since the start of the season and no stability.

"The fact that we got so many important injuries at the back has cost us too much."

Wenger would like to see the Premier League's traditional festive schedule preserved, but has called for the introduction of the type of winter break seen in Germany.

"Maybe it would be good for the English national team to have a break in January. Respect the English tradition and give a winter break in January," he said.

"If you look at the history, is it a coincidence that the German national team has always done well in the big tournaments when England hasn't done so well?

"It is just Germany who has the longest winter break in Europe, among the big countries.

"And by coincidence, they always do well in tournaments because they have refreshed players."

Source: Sporting life

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho apologises to West Ham's Sam Allardyce for STUPID words

The Chelsea boss admits he was stupid to label Big Sam a footballing dinosaur in a bitter war of words last January.

Mourinho felt the West Ham boss was more of a Big Sham after a boring 0-0 draw and laid into Allardyce’s negative tactics.

The flamboyant Chelsea boss accused Allardyce of playing football from the 19th century and publicly blasted his side for cheating, time wasting and feigning injury.

But Mourinho has issued a heartfelt apology to the man he now considers a big pal.

And motormouth Mourinho revealed he is happy to eat some festive humble pie as the two sides meet again, with the new-look Hammers riding high in fourth spot.

The Chelsea boss said he took back his harsh comments, admitting: “Yeah, stupid, silly words.

“Last season I had a couple of words about them. Not about the way they played, about the way they started wasting time after two minutes of the game, which I don’t like.

“But I respect him as a coach. As a person he is a very good guy but as a coach he has a beautiful career.

“I’m happy that he’s doing well with West Ham. I think he deserves respect. He has my respect.”

The two will embrace warmly at Stamford Bridge today in stark contrast to the public fall-out which left Allardyce blazing: “I don’t give a s***e!”

But now Mourinho admits he got it all wrong after Allardyce, who has yet to be offered a new deal, turned the Hammers into a side challenging for a European spot.

Source: Daily star

Torres set for Atletico return

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is understood to be set for a return move to boyhood club Atletico Madrid, according to Sky sources.

The Spaniard joined AC Milan on a two-year loan deal over the summer but has found the back of the net just once for the Serie A club.

This has prompted speculation that Milan are keen to offload the striker and Sky Sports’ Spanish football pundit Guillem Balague believes a deal for the former Atletico Madrid striker to return to the Vicente Calderon has now been done.

Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ on Christmas Day, Balague said: “Our understanding is that Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and AC Milan have reached an agreement for Fernando Torres to go back to Atletico Madrid.

“It was all discussed, negotiated and agreed yesterday. It seems it is all confirmed. We have not received details from the club yet but (Atletico manager) Simeone asked for Fernando Torres three weeks ago.

“In fact, he wanted him in the summer but there was a transfer fee to be paid at that time that Atletico Madrid could not afford. The suggestion is that Chelsea have let him go for free but in any case it seems confirmed that Fernando Torres returns home.”

Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool for £50m in the 2011 January Transfer Window in the biggest transfer deal involving two English clubs.

The 30-year-old scored 81 goals in 142 appearances on Merseyside but failed to recapture that form for Chelsea, netting 45 times in 172 games prior to his loan move to Milan.

Balague added: “I think Fernando Torres needs to rediscover his love for football. For me that’s the most important thing. He did very well as we all remember at Liverpool but at Chelsea we saw a different Fernando Torres.

“His record was okay was under previous managers to Rafa Benitez. With Rafa Benitez he did well but it became very clear that Jose Mourinho did not have him in his plans.

“After that AC Milan was obviously a great alternative for both the club and himself but it just did not work for either and returning home for me is a way for him to rediscover his love for football.

“He’s wanted by the manager and that is another thing that has not happened in recent years. So all in all I think it is good for Fernando Torres and good for Atletico Madrid.”

Source: Team talk football

Man Utd targeting Premier League title - Louis van Gaal

Manchester United have not given up on winning the Premier League title this season, says manager Louis van Gaal.

Ahead of their home game against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, the Dutchman's side are third, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Following a slow start, the Red Devils won six games in a row before their 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last week.

"Our goal is still to be the champion at the end of the season. It is always to be first," Van Gaal said.

United's 1-0 derby defeat by Manchester City at the start of November had left Van Gaal presiding over the club's worst start to a season since 1986-87.

The 63-year-old former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager had insisted his side were in a rebuilding process that could take three years.

That was despite spending £150m on players in the summer - including a British transfer record fee of £59.7m on Angel Di Maria.

Di Maria has been among the injury-hit players on a lengthy treatment list that played a part in the Old Trafford side's stuttering start.

But the recent run of form has put the club back in the title mix alongside neighbours Manchester City and leaders Chelsea.

United's board had targeted a top-four finish and Champions League qualification at the start of the season, but Van Gaal said: "With my players and all the staff, we are trying to achieve more than they expect."

Source : bbc football