And so began a week’s-worth of rumors about yet another footballer who had fallen from grace. The speculation culminated in a shock transfer that sent Keane back to Tottenham, the club that he had served so well before his ill-fated move this summer.

Keane got his wish: A move away from a squad where he just didn’t fit. But what about the other former-stars and misfits around the world, players who once shined on the international stage but now can’t seem to get a game in with their current squads. You could probably make a pretty good starting XI solely out of players who are now spending most of their time on the pine.

That’s what I’ve done here. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring my 2009 All-Out-of-Favour XI.

GK – Dida, AC Milan

There are a lot of things I don’t like about Dida, not the least of which was his embarrassing display against Celtic in Oct. 2007, who collapsed to the ground stricken in supposed pain after he was tapped on the shoulder by a Celtic supporter. There are other things too: His unpredictability, his injury history and his seeming propensity to make huge gaffes. But let’s remember Dida was a part of two Champions League winning squads with the Rossoneri, and happens to be a former Serie A goalkeeper of the year. He was capable of greatness in the past. He’s 35, which for a goalkeeper means he’s not quite over the hill yet, and though he hasn’t played in a single league match this year for Milan, I have a feeling a change of scenery might be exactly what Dida needs. For that reason, I’ll take a flier on the 6-foot-5 Brazilian.

Estimated Cost: Able to leave for free in the summer.

RB - Micah Richards, Manchester City

It’s undeniable that Richards has suffered a dip in form this season for City, and consequently has seen his place in the squad come into doubt. Many feel Richards, who isn’t quite as tall a traditional center back, is better suited being moved out to one of the fullback slots. Others feel Richards could have a future as a holding midfielder. It’s pretty much undeniable, however, that his time at centre-back has not worked out so far. His recent arrest for alleged assault certainly hasn’t helped, either.

His name was tossed around a bit this transfer window, with Arsenal and Aston Villa mentioned. Richards has said he’s happy to stay and fight for his spot with the Sky Blues. He is still just 20 years old, and move out back to his more natural right back spot would help him. That’s where he would play on this team.

Estimated Cost: £10 million

CB - Kolo Toure, Arsenal

The longest-tenured Arsenal player has had a fine career in Red and White. At his best, Toure is a strong, pacey defender with the ability to make timely tackles. But Toure hasn’t looked himself this season – perhaps in part due to a bout with Malaria during the summer – and as a result has rarely found a consistent run of play in what has been an extremely inconsistent Gunners defense. More than anything, Toure may be a victim of a bad partnership. The Ivory Coast international and former Arsenal skipper William Gallas don’t get along, and don’t work very well together.

With Gallas injured, Toure got a brief run of play in January, and has surprisingly partnered with Gallas the last two matches. Still, with Johan Djorou in form, one wonders what Toure’s role will be with Arsenal the rest of the year. Manchester City made a run at him, but Arsenal weren’t willing to sell quite yet. If he isn’t able to lock down his first-team place, a summer move could be in store.

Estimated Cost: £11 million

CB - Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea

The Serbian centre-back hasn’t found many games since joining the Blues from Lokomotiv Moscow two summers ago. He didn’t feature at all last year, and has only played in nine games this year. But don’t forget, when Chelsea signed him for £9 million, they beat out AC Milan, Inter and Ajax to his signature. Ivanovic’s name has been mentioned quite a bit this January, and one would have to believe that in the summer, Ivanovic will be moving somewhere to get the first time football he’s missed out on. Fiorentina have been mentioned quite a bit.

Estimated Cost: £6 million

LB – Nicky Shorey, Aston Villa

I debated for a while on this one. To be honest, I couldn’t really find a player that I really could get behind. In the end, I chose Shorey over, say, a Jose Enrique, solely because Shorey has more match experience and I would imagine he’d be less prone to mistakes. He’s been buried on Aston Villa’s roster this term, but he was a very good with Reading for several years, and garnered plenty of interest in the January transfer window. Plus, he’s a left-back who actually defends, unlike, say, Gareth Bale. What a novel concept.

Estimated Cost: £3 million

LM – Florent Malouda, Chelsea

The second of three Chelsea men to make the squad. It’s safe to say Malouda has never really lived up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, and his place in the team will come into further doubt with the arrival of Christiano Ronaldo’s infinitely-less-talented, but stylistically-similar Portuguese counterpart Ricardo Quaresma (who, had he not been loaned out of deadline day, would have made this list). He was even linked to a loan move to Juventus this window.

But Malouda’s pace cannot be doubted, and at his best he’s the sort of player that puts a ton of pressure on defenders and can score the occasional goal. Any good XI needs a pacey player down the flank, and Malouda fits the bill for this squad.

Estimated Cost: £10 million

CM – Mathieu Flamini, AC Milan

Perhaps it’s unfair to call Flamini, who’s still settling into the Italian game after leaving Arsenal in the summer, “out-of-favour.” But Flamini has yet to gain the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti. Even with Gattuso – the very player many thought Flamini was bought in to replace – out injured form the rest of the year, Massimo Ambrosini still seems to be the favored choice.

But at 24-years-old, Flamini has a lot to offer. His work rate is one of the best around, and he can seem to be everywhere on the field at once. I would make the argument he was one of Arsenal’s two or three best players last season. His performances were so consistent, and his prowess at the holding midfield spot freed up the like of Cesc Fabregas, allowing him to flourish. It’s hard for me to imagine him not having a spot on the Milan team right now. But he can certainly have a place in this one.

Estimated Cost: £7 million

RM – Elano, Manchester City

The creative Brazilian was perhaps the driving force in Manchester City’s torrid start last season, scoring eight goals in 34 games and creating several others. He can play in the centre of the park in an attacking role (as he has of late with Brazil, even scoring in his country’s 2-0 win over Italy this week) or out on the right side, and at his best, he is the type of player that can carve out chances, whether it be with an incisive pass or a free kick, which he’s shown a particular prowess with. But with arrivals such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robinho, and with more sure to come in the near future, Elano has seen his role with City limited this season. But if he can play like his did last year, he’s the sort of attacking player that would mesh well with Flamini in the midfield and give our team some balance.

And if you think that a player that can’t hack it at Man City isn’t good enough to play anyway else, you obviously didn’t see Jo’s debut with Everton.

Estimated Cost: £7 million

F – Fred, Lyon

When he first moved to Lyon, he was lauded as one of the next big names in European football. Initially a hit at the Stade de Gerland, the Brazilian forward has barely seen the field of late for the French champions, blocked by French prodigy Karim Benzema. After featuring in Brazil’s 2006 World Cup side, he’s seen himself drop further in Brazil’s pecking order as his playing time has dwindled in France. In the past two seasons, he’s been rumoured be heading to a slew of English teams, being linked with West Ham, Middlesborough, Tottenham, and even Premier League misfits Stoke City. Ouch.

On the bright side, Fred is still just 25. He’s proven to be an effective player, scoring 16 goals in his first season with Lyon and 34 in 81 career appearances with the French side, which isn’t bad. He’s even got four goals in 19 appearances this year, which is decent considering most of his appearances have come as a sub late in games. Most recently, he’s been linked with a return to Brazil with Fluminese, but monetary disputes with Lyon have kept a move from happening.

Estimated Cost: £6 million

F - Didier Drogba, Chelsea

When healthy, there aren’t many more effective target men up front than Drogba. He’s so strong and so adept at shielding off defenders or winning headers. Just two years ago, he scored 39 goals in all competitions for Chelsea. But Drogba’s ineffectiveness (one goal in Premier League games this year) along with the resurgence of Nicolas Anelka (14 goals) and a reported bust up with ex-manager Luiz Felipe Scolari have limited Drogba’s opportunities. He was dropped from the squad for two games in January, but of late has featured more as an attacking option off the bench.

The 30-year-old has been featured in several rumor this transfer window, first as part of swap to land Manchester City’s Robinho and then as a target for Inter, where former Blues manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he’d love to have Drogba back. But Drogba said in January he preferred to remain at Chelsea, and perhaps Scolari’s sacking could open up some more chances for Drogba. Otherwise expect plenty of interest in the summer.

Estimated Cost: £15 million

F – Vincenzo Iaquinta, Juventus

Iaquinta’s never really gotten a chance at Juventus, buried behind first del Piero and Trezequet and now Amauri. The fans in Turin seem to like him, but it’s clear he’s not going to get the first-team football he deserves until he gets a move. He was rumoured to be heading to Zenit St. Petersburg this winter, and has been linked with other places as well (Newcastle being one of them). He obviously has some quality, having played in five of seven games during Italy’s 2006 World Cup run. He’s tall (6-foot-3), good in the air and is versatile enough to still be effective if he is forced out wide. Combined with Drogba, Iaquinta gives us plenty of muscle and skill around the goal up front.

Estimated Cost: £9 million

Subs

Mario Balotelli, F, Inter; Kevin Kuranyi, F, Schalke; Michael Johnson, M, Man City; Emerson, M, AC Milan; Jose Enrique, LB, Newcastle; Gregory Coupet, GK, Athletico Madrid.

Well, there it is. Certainly far from a perfect squad, but I’d back them to challenge for the Top Four any day. Now, it’s your turn to chime in. What players out there did I miss?

Match Preview

Manchester United have looked sharp of late, to say the least, and perhaps most impressive is they’ve done it while dealing with an onslaught of injuries. United look to be getting some of those players back. Nani and Patrice Evra are both back in contention, but will start the game on the bench.

West Ham were sellers in the transfer window, dealing off Craig Bellamy to Manchester City and several other fringe players elsewhere. They brought in Radoslav Kovac, but one would bet he would start off the game on the bench. Carlton Cole has been a fixture for West Ham up top, with James Collins and Matthew Upson formed a solid partnership at the back of late.

Don’t forget, West Ham have won this fixture the last two years. Upton Park has been a tough place to play for United, but we shall see if the Hammers can crack the seemingly impenetrable Red Devils defense. Of Man U’s 12-game unbeaten run, seven games have been 1-0 wins and two have been scoreless draws, so United aren’t unbeatable.

We’ll have the lineups as soon as they’re available, followed by all the action.

Lineups

West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Cole, Di Michele.

Subs: Lastuvka, Spector, Kovac, Boa Morte, Sears, Savio, Tristan.

Manchester United: Van Der Sar, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez.

Subs: Foster, Eckersley, Fabio, Fletcher, Park, Nani, Welbeck

Goals

Manchester United: Ryan Giggs (’62)

Live Blog

90 + 3′ And there’s the whistle. Thirteen games unbeaten now for United as they move back atop the Premier League table.

90 + 3′ With all 11 players on the Man U half of the field, West Ham settles for a 35-yard try from James Collison. It’s a good strike, but goes wide and was never going to trouble Van der Sar. That should be it.

90 + 2′ Savio whips in a dangerous cross from the right side but it’s well dealt with.

90 + 1′ We’re one minute into the three added minutes, and United are really putting the clamps on. West Ham can hardly get a touch of the ball right now.

90′ Man U win a free kick from about 35 yards out and they’re in no hurry to take in. When they do, it’s Ronaldo who lashes one squarely into the head of Scott Parker.

89′ Parker tries to lay one off to Cole in the box but it’s cleared.

88′ Ronaldo goes fishing for a penalty, driving at Lucas Neill and going down, but no foul coming. Ronaldo is irate along with Sir Alex, who’s near the touchline. It looks like they have a reason to be displeased. Replays appear to show Neill taking Ronaldo’s leg out from under him.

87′ Tevez cuts into the box on the left side and has a shot, but there’s plenty of pressure on him and it goes over the bar. That will be the final moment for Tevez in this match. He comes off for Park Ji-Sung and gets a nice ovation. Meanwhile, Behrami comes off in favor of Diego Tristan for the Hammers.

85′ Even Bertbatov is back defending now, stealing a ball from Savio on the right side. I don’t remember him ever doing that for Tottenham.

84′ Savio has looked shaky since coming on. He gave one away earlier and does it again here, dishing an otherwise easy, 10-foot pass straight to a defender.

83′ Berbatov makes a nice run down the right side and curls in a dangerous cross aimed for Tevez, but he can’t quite handle it and it’s out for a goal kick.

81′ Well, this is what Man U has specialized of lately. Nick a second half goal and hold on for dear life. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo gives away a free kick on the right side, pouts about it and gets a stern talking to from the referee. The free kick is a poor one and United clear.

79′ The announcers are saying Edwin Van der Sar now has the British record for minutes without allowing a goal. Congrats to the big keeper, whose defense is keeping West Ham pretty well at bay for now.

77′ Sometimes I impress even myself. Savio comes on for West Ham. Mark Noble off.

74′ I wonder if a substitution could make a difference right now for either team? Both managers seems content with their squads for now. Perhaps the young winger Savio for West Ham? In the meantime, Lucas Neill has another shot, and like his previous efforts, this one is hopelessly high and wide.

72′ West Ham are really pushing up here and leaving plenty of space for the Man U counter. We’ll see if the Reds can take advantage of that.

71′ End to end now as Ronaldo cuts in from the left and takes a shot that deflects wide for a corner. Giggs’ cross is cleared.

70′ Once again West Ham find space on the flank, and once again center for Cole, whose shot is deflected out for a corner. Noble’s cross is cleared.

69′ Collins now finds room on the left side and centers for Cole, but his back is to goal and United recover in time.

67′ Well, West Ham have responded fairly well. Carlton Cole finds himself in space from about 25 yards and lets go a right-footed shot that has plenty of power but little direction. It sails wide right as the rain starts to pour down.

64′ Well what have West Ham got now? Man U’s streak without a goal is a daunting obstacle. Right away the Hammers earn a corner, but United clear easily.

62′ Goal Manchester United! Ryan Giggs! 1-0! And what a wondrous goal it is from Giggs. He gets the ball on the lefts side with acres of room, sends Carlton Cole flying by him with a stutter step, manuevers around another defender and sends a right-footed shot low along the ground through a maze of West Ham players into the far corner. What a great, great goal. Vintage Ryan Giggs.

59′ Vidic now gets a yellow, and a well deserved one, for tyring to rip Carlton Cole’s shirt off. Cole has a good laugh about it, but he almost ended up with no jersey after that bit of assault.

59′ And the West Ham skipper Lucas Neill gets a yellow card for a forearm shiver delivered squarely into Cristiano Ronaldo’s chest.

57′ Scott Parker’s wayward shot wastes a nice bit of buildup from West Ham that started when Behrami stripped Ronaldo on the other end.

56′ A shifty bit of plays by Rafael ends up with the 18-year-old getting body checked by Ilunga, and United win a free kick from about 30 yards out. Tevez gets his head to the cross, but it’s safely out.

54′ Di Michele tries to get on the end of a cross for West Ham and nearly does, but Vidic does just enough to disrupt him.

52′ Ronaldo tries it again from a ways out, this one deflected out for a throw. United have settled in here after a rough start to the half.

50′ Ronaldo tries from comically long range, but it’s deflected out for a corner. Nothing comes from it again for United.

49′ Some great possession to start the half for West Ham, and they are firmly on the front foot. Eventually, Lucas Neill finds some space and curls it with his left foot from about 20 yards. Van der Sar has to go to ground but makes the save fairly comfortably.

47′ Cole soars high for the cross and clashes into Van der Sar. Another whistle off a corner goes United’s way.

46′ The ball spill to Behrami on the edge of the box, and he hits it first time. It deflects out for a corner.

46′ Both teams back out on the field for the second half. Here we go.

Halftime Well, it’s been an intriguing half, save for those ugly white shirts Man U are donning. United have had most of the possession, with the Hammers opting to lay off a bit, get a bunch of players behind the ball, and absorb any and all pressure. West Ham have defended very well, but have also been able to get out on the attack a bit, with Carlton Cole creating a few half chances. He looks dangerous, and there’s no doubt Man U will have to keep an eye on him.

All in all, West Ham will be pretty pleased with that first half. It reminds me a bit of the Hammers draw at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Manchester United have more quality that the Gunners though, and they’ve shown during this unbeaten run an ability to eek out close games like this one.

45+1′ And there’s the halftime whistle here, 0-0 so far.

45′ Good bit of play for West Ham, as it’s eventually chipped into Cole, who plays it off his chest and swivels to shoot. His ball is blocked though by Vidic, I believe.

44′ Well, West Ham called for a foul off the corner for interfering with Van der Sar, but it looked a questionable call. No matter, United ball.

43′ Scott Parker goes careening down the field on a counterattack until he is sent flying by the immovable object that is Nemanja Vidic. Parker sure felt that tackle. Ball goes out eventually for a West Ham corner, though.

41′ Ronaldo getting a bit frustrated here. He appeals for a foul call from the official here, and, when he doesn’t get it, decides to take a seat on the pitch and pout for a few seconds while the play moves upfield.

40′ Ronaldo’s cross from the left rolls dangerously through the six-yard box and out for a corner, with Tevez and Berbatov both a few steps too late.

39′ This one getting muddled up in the midfield again, with both teams putting relentless pressure on the other. Hard to say which team has the upper hand here. United have had more possession, as expected, but West Ham has defended well.

36′ Tevez flying around again, as usual. Where the pint-sized Argentinian gets his energy, I’ll never know. If he would just get rid of that white bandanna-looking thing on his head, he’d be set.

34′ Ronaldo calls for a hand ball in the box after he undresses a few more West Ham defenders and tries his cross, but the ref’s whistle is silent, and the West Ham crowd give the flamboyant Portuguese a good jeering.

32′ United counterattack the other way, with Carrick lining up a long shot that is deflected. United seem eager to try their luck from long range, and West Ham appear content to let them.

30′ Greene forced into a fine save. Off a free kick, Giggs plays a low ball to Scholes, whose low shot deflects up high. Green gets a paw to it to push it over the bar, and then snags the ensuing corner.

29′ Scholes finds an inch of space and has a go, but it’s deflected and goes out for a corner. It’s wasted again, this time by a United foul in the box.

27′ On the other end, another corner for United. Ronaldo attacks the ball and meets in the air by the near post, but his powerful header goes wide.

26′ Collison weaves his way into the box dangerously and plays to Carlton Cole, but his back to to the goal, and United take advantage of Cole’s momentary stutter to whack it out.

25′ A neat little flick by Tevez to Berbatov sees Man U break momentarily, but Ronaldo’s eventual cross is cleared.

24′ The first 20 minutes have been a bit dull (optimists would call it “cagey”), but United are starting to apply a bit more pressure. They’ve forced five corners to this point, by my count.

22′ United wins two more corners, and two more poor deliveries by Giggs follow. The ancient winger hasn’t been able to find the mark quite yet.

21′ Berbatov pokes a chipped ball by Green, but the flag goes up. The Bulgarian was well offside. Easy call.

20′ Christiano Ronaldo finds an inch of space and crosses it in from the left. Out for a corner, but it’s cleared.

16′ A bad turnover springs Rio Ferdinand down the right, but the big Englishman looks slightly less than natural in space, and his low cross is dealt with easily.

13′ Another chance for West Ham carved out by Carlton Cole. He played in over the top and gets a half step on Ferdinand. Rather than power a shot though, he tries a little lob that Van der Sar gobbles up. Nice stretch for West Ham here.

12′ And a half-chance follows for West Ham. Off a corner, the ball falls to Lucas Neill in the box. He strikes a low shot, but Van der Sar goes down and collects easily.

10′ Not much doing here early. Both teams trading possession in midfield but still waiting for that first chance.

7′ Ronaldo turns two West Ham players inside-out down the left side and tries to center. Collins stretches to deflect it for a corner. Vintage Ronaldo there, even though nothing comes of the corner.

5′ Ball played over the top for Giggs who takes a mighty swing in an attempt to center. But the ball goes the wrong way and into the Upton Park crowd for a goal kick.

3′ Some decent possession for United until Rafael is whistled for a hand ball outside the box.

1′ And right away Carlton Cole does best Cristiano Ronaldo impression, taking about five or six stepovers before it goes out for a goal kick. Not quite as effective as his United counterpart, it seems.

1′ And we’re off. West Ham in possession as the Upton Park crowd roars.

0′ In the early game today, 10-man Arsenal drew 0-0 at Tottenham in the North London Derby. Emmanuel Eboue was sent off in the first half for two silly challenges. Safe to say he’s not gaining much ground with the Arsenal supporters that booed him earlier this year.

0′ No real surprises for either team as far as the lineups go. No changes from the West Ham team that drew at Arsenal last weekend, while United are still without Wayne Rooney.

Reaction

Business as usual for Manchester United. They played far from perfect but were typically stifling on the defensive end and got a fantastic winner from captain Ryan Giggs. Man U stretched it’s unbeaten run to 13, and they still haven’t allowed a goal in that span. Edwin van der Sar was hardly troubled in goal, with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic controlling West Ham striker Carlton Cole. United didn’t look particularly sharp on the offensive end, but all they needed was a moment of brilliance from Giggs. It was a deserved winner, in which the Welsh winger side-stepped a pair of Hammers defenders and guided a low, right-footed shot inbetween a haze of defenders and into the far corner. A fantastic goal for a squad that looks in cruise control right now.

Gianfranco Zola’s side have no reason to hang their heads. They played fairly well, got plenty of possession and, save for Giggs’ goal, defended well. West Ham just didn’t make enough chances with the possession they had, but that was as much Manchester United’s defensive dominence as it was West Ham’s inability to create.

Man of the Match

He wasn’t particularly sharp for most of the match, but I’ll give this one to Ryan Giggs for scoring a truly great goal to send the Red Devils back atop the league. Besides for that, Giggs wasn’t on point with most of his corners and free kicks – United had many of them, and Giggs failed to find the target on most. But in a tight game like this, all it takes is one flash of brilliance, and Giggs provided it. At 35, he’s still playing at a high level, and still a vital cog in the Man United machine. And on a day when Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov couldn’t come up with the final ball to create a goal, Giggs did.

Match Preview

As the season wanes, each game is starting to take on more and more importance for Arsenal, as they attempt to salvage their season with a top-four finish and a return to Champions League play. As it stands, the Gunners are in the midst of a streak of nine games unbeaten, even though Arsenal have still looked spotty for much of that span. Most recently, the Gunners salvaged a draw at midweek at Everton thanks to a Robin van Persie injury time equalizer. West Ham, meanwhile, have looked especially dangerous of late. Arsene Wenger went as far as to call the Hammers the most in form team in the Premier League at the moment, as Zola’s men have propelled themselves into the top half of the Premier League table.

Which side side will prevail at the Emirates today? Stay tuned for live updates.

Line Ups

West Ham: R. Green, L. Neill (C), J. Collins, M. Upson, N. H. Ilunga, V. Behrami, M. Noble, S. Parker, J. Collison, D. D. Michele, C. Cole

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure (C), Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Adebayor, Bendtner

Live Blog

Full time And there’s the whistle. Bitter disappointment for Arsenal, who can feel their chance at a top four slot slipping further and further away. Andrei Arshavin might be on the way, but you have to wonder if even that will be enough for the Gunners.

90 + 4′ Foul called on Arsenal in the scrum in the box. That should be enough for West Ham.

90 + 4′ Arsenal win a corner here. One last chance.

90 + 3′ Adebayor squares to van Persie in the box, and the Dutch forward tries to turn and have a shot, but he can’t find the magic touch this time, and it rolls harmlessly across the goal and out of touch. Could that be Arsenal’s last chance?

90 + 1′ Arsenal wins a free kick from about 40 yards out and van Persie takes it. Green comes out and punches it away though. Arsenal keeping the pressure on.

89′ Diaby is down in midfield clutching his leg, and it looks very serious. A stretcher comes out and he’s taken off. Song comes on. Four minutes of extra time to be added.

88′ The corner is well-defended, and it’s out for a goal kick. The Gunners bomb forward again.

87′ Great bit of play by Clichy to create some space down the left side, but van Persie called for offsides on the cross. At the other end, West Ham win a corner. This could be dangerous for Arsenal.

86′ Van Persie with an uncharacteristically poor corner, caught by Green.

85′ Vela is hacked down by Lucas Neill near midfield. Yellow card. Then a long ball from Diaby is cleared by Collins, but it’s another corner.

85′ West Ham settle into possession here for a bit. You can feel them start to taste a vital away point.

84′ Arsenal have a penchant for late goals, and they truly need one here. But West Ham look determined.

83′ Adebayor is called for a push on the corner. Meanwhile, Boa Morte comes on for Di Michele for West Ham.

82′ Van Persie whips it in from the left but it’s headed out. Corner.

81′ Clichy plays it in towards the back post for Adebayor and van Persie, but neither get a strong head to it and Green picks it up. Adebayor probably should have gotten a foul for scaling Matthew Upson.

80′ Arsenal get a questionable corner here. Clichy plays it for van Persie, and the ball appears to go over the touchline before van Persie gets there and knocks it off a defender and out. Nonetheless, a corner is given. No matter, Nasri’s ball is too high for anyone.

77′ Di Michele is caught offside and Almunia tries to play it quickly. Instead he makes a terrible giveaway right to Cole, who lashes one from 25 yards that Almunia is lucky to collect.

75′ Van Persie is playing a little deep right now, trying to get as much of the ball as possible. Vela cuts in dangerously around two West Ham defenders before going down theatrically. He gets booked for his dive – more frustration for Arsenal as the time starts to wane. This really is a must-win for the Gunners to keep pace with the top four. They need a goal, and fast.

74′ Nasri tries to play one in for Adebayor, but Green scrambles out and scoops it up.

72′ Vela has all day to cross it on the left side, and he finds Adebayor who gets a free header over Matthew Upson, but Green goes down well to make the save. I would have expected Adebayor to score on that one, to be honest, but perhaps I’m being hard on him.

70′ Immediately after coming on, van Persie seems to pick up a knock. He continues on though, as West Ham make a change. Savio for Noble.

68′ The Emirates crowd roars as Robin van Persie comes on for Nicklas Bendtner. He’s been a magician for the Gunners of late, can he find another goal here?

67′ Toure finds some space and has a shot from 20 yards out, but that is blocked again. In the meantime, it looks like Robin van Persie getting ready to come on for Arsenal.

66′ Not a bad long range effort from Denilson, who tries it from about 25 yards and sees it goes about two or three feet wide. Green just watched it – not sure he would have had much of a chance at it had it been inside the post.

65′ Another corner for Arsenal here, that’s got to be close to 10 now. Once again, it’s headed out, this time Cole doing the honors.

64′ Arsenal keeping the pressure on. Bendtner plays it in the middle for Vela, but the blue shirts arrive just in the nick of time to stop him from having an attempt on goal. How much longer can West Ham hold out?

63′ Oh, great counterattack by Arsenal. First, Carlton Cole cuts dangerously into the middle and plays to Collison, but his ball is wayward and springs the Gunners the other way. Bendtner plays to Sagna on the right side and his low ball finds Adebayor open near the right post, but his shot is just wide. Real good chance there.

62′ Adebayor tries some fancy footwork on the right side of the box, but can’t get anything to come off for him. It eventually goes out for a goal kick, and Adebayor stays down for a moment clutching his ankle.

60′ Nasri squares for Denilson, whose has a great angle for the shot in the middle of the box. His shot is blocked, and his follow up header is knocked away by the recently booked Collins for a corner. Great play from Arsenal here, even though off the corner, Denilson splays a cross way to far over everybody’s head.

58′ A cross by Diaby this time and it’s cleared by Collins. It’s been a difficult ten minutes here for West Ham, with Arsenal blazing out of the second half locker room. But the Hammers have come through it well defensively.

57′ Long shot here by West Ham, Di Michele I believe, but it’s blocked.

55′ Adebayor breaks down the right side momentarily, but he is cut off and eventually commits a foul.

52′More tries on goal from Arsenal by Nasri and Denilson. The latter sees his laser deflected off a West Ham head for a corner. The resulting ball is cleared, though.

51′ Great pressure from Arsenal here. Off a free kick, the ball falls dangerously in the box. Green gets caught out and Kolo Toure instinctively turns and flips one towards the open net, but Collins is there to head of the line. It would have been an absolutely sublime goal from Toure, who really executed a half-bicycle kick. Best chance of the game.

49′ Bad giveaway by Bendtner. He gets a chance to turn at the edge of the box, but his short pass goes right to a blue jersey.

48′ Some life from Adebayor. He makes a nice run in between a few defenders on the left side, but there’s just too many blue jerseys for him to get though them all. Eventually plays in a cross that is too long and goes out of bounds for a throw.

46′ We’re off here in the second half, and Arsenal quickly force a corner, West Ham clear it out, but the ball comes back in to Bendtner, who can’t do much with it.

Halftime Dare I say it’s been a typical half for Arsenal this season? Plenty of the ball but not too much in the way of chances. The Emirates Stadium crowd will feel that they’ve seen this before. On the bright side, Carlos Vela has been good since coming on. For West Ham, they’ll be content to keep loading up the box, defending well, and hoping to nick a goal at some point.

45 + 2′ And there’s the halftime whistle. A lot of possession for Arsenal this half, but they haven’t created a ton of chances to go with it.

45 + 2′ Collins gets a head on the corner, and the ball loops dangerous across the goal, but Clichy is on the line to clear the ball away. Not sure it was going in anyway, but still a dangerous moment for the Gunners.

45 + 1′ A bad giveaway by Clichy to Di Michele sees Arsenal concede a corner here.

45′ Two minutes to be added here at the end of the half.

44′ Nasri flips the ball between Neill’s legs, but Behrami, who’s had a very good half helping out in defense, is back to help intercept.

43′ Bendtner cuts into the middle and plays a ball across the box to Vela, but his first touch is too heavy and the chance passes again for Arsenal.

41′ Bad news for Arsenal here as Nasri now looks a bit gimpy. Vela is taken down near the touchline, but no call coming.

39′ Nasri whips two crosses in, the second after West Ham head out the first, but both are dealt with. The West Ham defense looks very strong in the middle and well-organized.

39′ Vela actually appears to be playing up front, with Bendtner moved out right. A nice bit of play between the two here sees Arsenal win a corner.

37′ And right away, Vela makes a nifty move and cuts into the box dangerously, but his square ball across is cut out.

36′ And that’s the end of Eboue’s day. It will be the dynamic young Mexican, Carlos Vela, coming on for him. Between Vela and Nasri, Arsenal will have quite a bit of pace and skill down the flanks.

35′ Everything seems to be going through Nasri at the moment for Arsenal. He plays in another cross here that is cleared. Meanwhile, Eboue is struggling, and looks like he may need to come off.

33′ Off the throw Ilunga wins a corner for West Ham, it’s easily cleared, though.

32′ Eboue moves into the middle but its well cut out by Parker, and West Ham move forward. Toure eventually comes out and clears the ball out of touch, but it’s a throw for West Ham deep in Arsenal territory. Eboue still down behind the play, and he limps off.

29′ Arsenal breaks here, with Eboue down the right side, but the Ivorian gives it away poorly. The Emirates crowd groans.

26′ A hint of frustration perhaps starting to build for Arsenal. They’ve had seven shots to none for West Ham, but haven’t created any real unforgettable chances.

24′ More possession here for Arsenal. The ball fall to Nasri, who tries to maneuver in tight space but has the ball poked away. It goes off him for a goal kick.

23′ The Hammers free kick is caught easily by Almunia. Arsenal with a lot of possession here but need to do more with it.

21′ West Ham get a big of possession here, and Behrami is hacked down by Diaby, who sees the first yellow card of the match – he will be forced to miss the derby matchup next week with Tottenham. Free kick for West Ham about 40 yards out.

20′ Nasri flips in another cross, and this one finds Bendtner almost unmarked, but his header goes wide. To be fair the big Dane would have needed to produce a lot to score here, there wasn’t a ton of pace on the cross.

18′ Nasri skins Lucas Neill on the left side and plays in a cross for Bendtner. That is deflected out for a corner, and Nasri’s inswinger is caught by Green. Nasri has way too much pace for Neill. That could be a dangerous matchup all day Arsenal might take advantage of.

16′ Eboue is everywhere (how many times have you heard that?), and he wins another free kick in a dangerous position. But Denilson’s service is very poor, and it flies over everyone and out for a goal kick.

14′ Eboue wins a free kick in the center of the park about 30 yards out. Toure has a run at it, but it is well-blocked.

13′ Arsenal win a corner here. Sagna gets a touch and it falls into the middle, but is cleared.

11′ Arsenal nearly beaten by the offside trap here, as a long ball is played for Cole behind the defense, but Almunia is able to come out and collect.

10′Good play from Sagna here for Arsenal, first he plays in Adebayor along the touchline, only to have the Togolese’s cross cut out.The ball comes back to Sagna though, who loops in a dangerous cross towards Adebayor that West Ham are barely able to deal with.

9′ And it’s Eboue again having a shot from a similar area. Easy to see why he doesn’t score many goals. This shot is on target, but has nothing on it and Green scoops up easily.

7′ Eboue finds himself in space and lashes a shot from about 25 yards out, but it goes horribly wide. Still, Arsenal will be quite happy with this start, as they look pretty dangerous so far.

5′ Eboue tries to slide when in for Bendtner, but the pass is just to wrong side of him. Pity for Arsenal, as an on target pass and he might have been able to turn there.

4′ Nasri swings in the corner for Diaby, who gets free and powers a header that takes a deflection of a defender and goes just over the bar. Great start for Arsenal here, even though their second corner is dealt with much easier.

3′ Clichy whips a ball in for Adebayor, who creates a bit of space but can’t do a lot with the cross. Corner for Arsenal, though.

2′ Arsenal starts off in possession, but Bendter gives it away near the box.

1′ And we’re off, Arsenal in their traditional red and white, West Ham in their all-sky blue outfits.

0′ Surprising to see Toure and Gallas paired together for Arsenal, after it’s become pretty well publicized that they don’t get along very well. Not to mention they’ve been completely ineffective as a partnership. Also no Van Persie for Arsenal. He’s been Arsenal’s best player by a mile lately – he’s scored or assisted in every Gunners league goal in 2009 so far.

0′ It looks like Man City have officially lost to 10-men stoke. And they looked so good against Newcastle mid-week. You can bet Mark Hughes is feeling the heat right now.

0′ One note for West Ham. The Hammers have made a transfer tradeoff of sorts. Out of sorts midfielder Julien Faubert will go on loan to Real Madrid for the rest of the year, while the Hammers have landed Czech Republic midfielder Radoslav Kovac on loan for the rest of the season from Spartak Moscow.

Reaction

This result will come as a bitter disappointment for Arsenal, who can feel their chance at a top four slot slipping. Andrei Arshavin might be on the way, and the Gunners certainly need him. They had a better than 60 percent share of the possession, had 22 shots (West Ham had three) and forced 14 corner kicks. But those stats flatter the Gunners a bit, and they just looked toothless at times. The saving grace for Arsenal comes with the news that Aston Villa drew against Wigan, meaning Arsenal don’t drop any points in the race for fourth.

West Ham were organized and defended well, and they get a well-deserved point. The Hammers are really turning into a team that is not fun to play, having gone unbeaten in their last six league fixtures. Zola should be commended for the job he’s done, and this team is a far cry from the one that lost to Arsenal 2-0 in October.

Man of the Match

It’s hard to single out anybody in the West Ham side, but I’ll go with James Collins. The Welsh central defender always seemed to be in the right place in the right time, including on the line to clear Kolo Toure’s goal-bound shot in the 55th minute. And whereas Matthew Upson got caught out of position or outmuscled, Collins was steady, strong in the air and quick to cut off balls played into the box. Credit should also go to the West Ham midfield, who helped out in defense well. Really, I can’t remember Hammers goalie Robert Green really having to make a tough save.

Match Preview

In the last match, Tim Cahill snatched a late equalizer and 1-1 draw for Everton, and some have speculated that could give the boys from Goodison a boost today. We’ll have to wait in see. One blow for Everton is the news that Mikel Arteta will not be in the squad. That could be a huge loss for a team that relies on Arteta so much for his creative impetus. Other than that there’s not too much to say. The Merseyside Derby sort of speaks for itself – throw records, form, etc. out the window. And as always, feel free to chime in with comments throughout the game.

Line Ups

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Anichebe, Castillo, Neville, Osman, Pienaar, Cahill

Subs: Nash, Yobo, Van der Meyde, Jacobsen, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Dossena, Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Gerrard, Torres

Subs: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Riera, Aurelio, Benayoun, Leiva Lucas, Ngog.

Goals

Liverpool: Gerrard (54′)

Everton: Lescott (27′)

Live Blog

90+3′ And there’s the whistle. The second Merseyside derby this week ends just as the first one did, in a 1-1 draw. These teams will play again in 10 days time, and this time Everton will have their crowd at Goodison Park behind them.

90+2′ Nothing doing for Liverpool here. Another long ball finds nobody and is collected by Howard.

90+1′ Arbeloa centers and Steven Gerrard gets his head on it, but a half-chance at best.

90′ 3 minutes to be added on here.

89′ Long ball goes out of play for Liverpool, which means another goal kick and another chance for Tim Howard to waste time, which he does.

88′ First Carragher and then Riera send in crosses for Liverpool, but there’s nobody there to greet them. Nobody in the box for Liverpool. How can they have so much pressure and not have more people in there?

86′ Riera tries to turn around Hibbert and forces a corner. But Gerrard swinger doesn’t have enough height and is headed out.

85′ Dossena hits a rocket from about 35 yards out and Howard makes a good save. He gets up and barks at his defenders, but after that gaffe on the Liverpool goal, he doesn’t have much room to talk.

84′ Nice bit of skill in the corner by Torres to get around Lescott, but two Everton players are immediately there to cover.

83′ Dossena hits in a cross from the left, but Lescott deals with it.

81′ End-to-end stuff here. First Everton look set to break, but I believe it’s Mascherano who makes a nice interception and springs Gerrard down the right side. He comes in and centers to Dirk Kuyt in space, but the Dutchman’s shot is weak and right at Howard. Good chance wasted for Liverpool.

80′ Everton called for a handball and Gerrard whips in the free kick, but it’s dealt with.

79′ You have to believe Everton are content to play for a draw at this point. They haven’t had a sniff of the goal this half.

76′ Tackles everywhere in the midfield right now. Osman is the victim of a heavy challenge, then Pinaar is booked for taking down Skyrtel.

75′ Both teams making subs here. Albert Riera coming on for Ryan Babel for Liverpool. For Everton, Segundo Castillo is off, and 17-year-old Jack Rodwell comes on. A lot of confidence being shown by David Moyes in the young man.

74′ Jagielka tries to play it in but Reina collects easily. Then Gerrard drives in down the left side and shoots from a bad angle, but Howard goes to ground and collects the ball.

73′ Kuyt tries to play in Babel, but Howard comes off his line and slide to grab it.

71′ Anichebe coming off now. Dan Gosling on for him.

70′ Anichebe looks set to break but Mascherano is there to make a play. He grabs possession and is taken down dubiously by Cahill, who is on a yellow card. Bennett calls a foul, but no card for Cahill. He needs to be more careful, though.

68′ Pinaar tracking back here and wins a throw for Everton. You have to believe all hands will be on deck for Everton defensively from here on out.

66′ Well, plenty of time left, but Everton sure don’t look much like scoring. Then again, they didn’t in the first half when they got their goal. All it takes is one slip by Liverpool.

64′ Alonso tries to play it long for Torres and almost finds him. But it’s just a little to long, and goes out for a goalkick.

63′ Hey, Everton get a little possession in their end! Small victories, it seems. It doesn’t last long, and Liverpool get the ball back.

61′ The Liverpool fans will feel vindicated by Howard’s error. They booed the keeper loudly at the end of the first half for wasting time. What goes around comes around for the American, it seems.

60′ I need a break! Kuyt wins another corner for Liverpool, and Gerrard’s swinger finds Alonso’s head, but it doesn’t come real close to troubling Howard.

57′ Howard redeems himself. Torres played a centered ball down to Gerrard, who lashes one from 15 yards out and Howard makes a great reaction save. Liverpool pounding on the door again here.

56′A good ball played in to Kuyt who flicks it on with his head, but Howard manages to hold onto this one. Then Dossena centers one that is shakily dealt with. In the meantime Skyrtel takes an elbow from Cahill, who is called for a foul.

55′ Well, the announcers are laying into Timmy Howard and I have to say it’s justified. Terrible goalkeeping. He almost dove over the ball and let Gerrard beat him near post.

54′ Goal Liverpool! Who else but Steven Gerrard! 1-1! An absolutely beautiful back heel on by Torres plays in Gerrard who beats Howard near post. And there’s the breakthrough Liverpool needed. Looked like a savable shot, but what a play by Torres. He took the original pass off his chest and flicked it on with his backheel to put Gerrard through. You won’t see a better piece of skill.

53′ This time it’s Kuyt’s turn to try and make something happen. He does a few nifty stepovers before cutting right and centering, but this time it’s Lescott there to clear it.

52′ Gerrard passes to Babel who streaks down the left side. He tries to center it low but Jagielka is there to clear.

51′ Gerrard swings the ball in but Howard takes easily and rolls the ball out.

51′ Torres taken down 40 yards out on the right side. Free kick Liverpool.

49′ Anichebe goes down here for Everton after clearing the ball. He’s down for a little while, but as soon as he gets off to the sideline, he’s back on his feet and back on the pitch.

46′ Second half underway. Liverpool promply get the ball and try to move forward, but more resistance from Everton.

Halftime Well, this is one of those cases where the halftime stats don’t properly tell the story of this game. Liverpool has a 60-40 possession advantage and a 4-2 edge both shots and corners. But in truth, the Reds have been very poor so far, possessing the ball but doing very little with it. The ball has been in the Everton end much of the game, but they’ve rarely been troubled, and I can’t remember Howard having to make a difficult save. You can feel the pressure continuing to mount of Liverpool, and until they get a goal, that pressure is just going to build higher and higher.

Man of the match so far is Phil Jagielka. He’s been everywhere in defense for Everton, and anytime a Liverpool player seems to get a bit of daylight towards goal, Jagielka is there to close it off.

45+2′ And there’s the halftime whistle, and you can see the aggravation on Liverpool faces. Alonso angrily thumps the ball after the referee blows the halftime whistle. Meanwhile, the crew on Setanta just revealing that Carragher was booked in the tunnel for mouthing off to Steve Bennett. Dire times for Liverpool!

45+1′ Liverpool keeps coming but Everton are airtight. Dossena had a crack but his screamer is blocker and eventually lofted out. You can see Liverpool’s frustration started to build.

45′ Torres maneuvers in free for a second on the right side and tries to slip it in to Gerrard, but the pass pinballs off a defender, off Gerrard and out for a goal kick. The Kop groans again, and the Everton fans – who are positioned on the side Liverpool are attacking – jeer their frustrated rivals once again.

43′ Mascherano is afforded some space and rips one from 30 yards out, but his boot thumps off Lescott’s noggin and out for a corner. No trouble for Everton on the corner. They clear.

41′ Babel is played in along the left-hand side, but Jagielka out to cut it off and it’s out for a throw.

37′ Gerrard lofts a dangerous ball in from the right side toward the back post for Torres, but Jagielka is there and does enough to prevent a free header.

34′ Pinaar goes down again and this time there’s a whistle. Yellow card for Xabi Alonso, who just stuck his foot out and got a trip in.

32′ More pressure from Liverpool, but they’re lacking a little edge. Torres earns a corner but it’s cleared away.

30′ Well this has all the makings of a great one now. The Anfield crowd urging Liverpool on as they surge forward. But they’ve yet to break down this Everton defense.

29′ Cahill earns another corner here for Everton. This time Everton are called for a foul before the ball can be whipped in.

27′ It’s a Goal for Everton! 1-0! Tim Cahill gets the original header off the corner, but it’s Joleon Lescott who gets the final touch for Everton. Awful marking on both players by Liverpool, how can they not mark Cahill? Skyrtel was on him, but lost sight of the Everton striker. In any event, Everton, who haven’t won at Anfield in 10 years, have a lead against the run of play.

27′ Anichebe bombs down the left side for Everton. He tries to center but it’s deflected out. Corner.

25′ Castillo’s day gets a bit worse as he’s hacked down from behind by Babel. The official warns Bable, but no card.

24′ Castillo gets some jeers from the Anfield crowd after he loses the ball. Pretty tough scenario for the young man. Not only is he Mikel Arteta’s replacement in the squad, but he’s charged in part with marking Steven Gerrard. Yikes!

23′ Even when Everton possess the ball, they don’t look very threatening. Liverpool very much in control of the game, however it must be said Everton have defended well to this point.

20′ Phil Neville is called for a foul along the right sideline after a collision with Xabi Alonso. Gerrard’s free kick is well dealt with, however.

18′ Everton finally possess the ball a little bit. Pinaaer tries to cut in from the left and goes down about 30 yards out, but no call forthcoming. Steve Bennett even warns the South African for diving.

16′ Some sloppy Everton defending sees the ball bounce to Ryan Babel on the left side of the box. The lanky winger cuts in and creates space but his shot is woeful, and goes all the way out for a throw on the other side.

15′ They keep coming back to the Pinaar penalty decision. The folks on the tube pointing out that Everton have been awarded one penalty in 70 years at Anfield. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence, though.

14′ Torres drag between Lescott’s legs, but the big man recovers in time and wins it back for Everton.

12′ Gerrard gets it on the left and cuts it back to Carragher, who finds himself in space in the box and has a go. A good effort, but it goes a bit wide of the post. Liverpool the better side here early.

11′ Torres wins a corner for Liverpool, but Gerrard’s inswinger from the left is cleared.

9′ We have our first yellow card of the match. And the lucky winner is Tim Cahill, whose called for a handball and then boots the ball away in frustration. Not sure if the card is for the hand ball or Cahill’s reaction after the whistle.

8′ Torres nods the ball forward to Gerrard, who tries to maneuver in but is shielded off and goes to ground weakly.

7′ Alonso lofts in a cross that is gobbled up easily by Howard.

5′ Everton clamoring for a penalty after Anichebe plays in Pinaar, who goes to ground after a bit of contact from Xabi Alonso. Good no call in my view from referee Steve Bennett. But the folks on Setanta seems to disagree, so what the heck do I know?

4′ Once again Liverpool down the right side. Gerrard plays to Kuyt whose cross goes awry and out of touch.

2′ Bright start from Liverpool. Torres breaks open on the right and whips in a cross that clanks off Babel and out of touch for a goalkick.

1′ Xabi Alonso lashes a low shot that skims across the goal and wide. Not too much trouble for Howard there.

1′ And we’re off! Liverpool in possession.

0′ Per FA Cup rules, there are twice as many Everton fans in attendance as there were in their meeting earlier in the week. Should only add to the atmosphere of what should be an already high-charged contest.

0′ The other result today of course a 0-0 draw between Arsenal and Cardiff City. A pretty fair result, in my opinion. Cardiff got the better of the Gunners in the first half, but Arsenal completely bossed the game in the second half. You’d have to think Arsenal will like its chances back at the Emirates.

0′ Interesting for Liverpool to see that Robbie Keane has been completely dropped from the squad. Just saw Rafa on Setanta saying he still feels Keane has a future with the club. We certainly shall see. Babel makes his way into the lineup for Liverpool, who look set to revert to they’re favored Champions League formation of a 4-2-3-1.

For Everton they’ll need somebody to create chances for them without Arteta. Certainly not easy shoes to fill. Cahill will be all alone up front, and he’ll need support from the likes of Pienaar and Anichebe.

Reaction

Well, I don’t think many fans will be too disappointed to see these two rivals duke it out again. They’ve provided two extremely entertaining matches in the span of a week, and I’m sure a third will be on tap in 10 days at Goodison Park. Liverpool really bossed the game and kept possession, but didn’t do much with the ball, save for Gerrard’s equalizer in the 54th minute. Everton looked quite comfortable in defense, and really for me, that was the story of this game. Jagielka and Lescott were both rock solid, their only blemish being Gerrard’s goal, which Howard clearly should have stopped. Liverpool will feel slightly disappointed not to have finished off Everton at home – they had Everton of their heels after the original goal. You wonder if the loss will rub off on Liverpool’s league form at all. Everton and their fans, meanwhile, will be brimming with confidence, with a home game against Arsenal scheduled for Wednesday.

Man of the Match

I have to go with Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott. They were very good in the center of defense for Everton, and afforded Liverpool, which dominated possession all night, very few chances. Jagielka was quick and opportunistic, always out to cut off passes or through balls, while Lescott was a force in the middle, strong in the air and always in the shooting lanes. Not to mention Lescott got Everton’s only goal, nudging along Tim Cahill’s header off a corner in the 27th minute. England manager Fabio Capello, who was in attendance, well certainly be impressed. With the exception of the few minutes after Gerrard’s goal, Everton looked solid at the back all night.

Match Preview

Of the Saturday fixtures in this FA Cup round, you’d have to say this one is probably the most tantalizing, even if both managers won’t admit it. And to be honest, both have bigger fish to fry. For Sir Alex Ferguson, he must worry about trying to get his squad healthy in order to make a run in the Premiership and Champions League. United lost the likes of Rafael, Anderson, Nani, Gary Neville and Johnny Evans pick up injuries in their Carling Cup semifinal win over Derby this week, and already will be without Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra. It’ll be interesting to see who Sir Alex tips to fill a depleted back four, with Darren Fletcher a likely candidate on the right side. Needless to say, United’s lineup will be a bit patchwork today.

For the Spurs and Harry Redknapp, they’ll be more concerned about preparing for the Carling Cup final – also against United – and what could be a relegation battle in the coming months. Redknapp himself has said the FA Cup won’t be too high on Spurs’ priority list this year. Expect several of Redknapp’s regulars to sit on the heels of a dramatic Carling Cup semifinal second leg against Burnley, in which Spurs blew a 4-1 aggregate lead only to be rescued in extra time by goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe. But you would guess, or at least hope, that a fixture like this would inspire Tottenham to perform. The last thing Spurs need is to get trounced by United before having to face them in the Carling Cup final.

Line Ups

Manchester United: Foster, O’Shea, Neville (c), Vidic, Fabio, Welbeck, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Giggs, Tosic, Fletcher, Possebon, Chester, Eckersley.

Tottenham Hotspur: Alnwick, Gunter, Assou-Ekotto, Corluka, Dawson (c), Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Bale, Modric, Pavlyuchenko.
Subs: Gomes, Gilberto, Giovani, Taarabt, Defoe, Rocha, Dervite.

Goals

Manchester United: Scholes (35′), Berbatov (37′)

Tottenham: Pavlyuchenko (5′)

Live Blog

90 + 4 Full Time. United win 2-1! But not before they get a scare. A long throw bounces around before Taarabat hammers a shot that appears to be blocked by Vidic. The Spurs players raise their hands and appeal for a handball, but no whistle is forthcoming. No replay of the block so I can’t say for sure, but my instincts say it was clean. Anyway, United hold on here in what was certainly an entertaining one!

90 + 3′ The ball is headed down and find its way to Gunter, but his shot is blocked by a wall of converging red jerseys.

90 + 2′ Tevez commits a foul here, free kick near mid-field for Spurs. He gets a yellow. Everybody going up now.

90 + 1′ Tottenham still looking for the final ball but nothing doing. Goal kick United.

88′ A giveaway by United in the midfield leads to some Spurs possession, but Taarabat can’t find the final ball, and his pass goes awry and rolls right into Foster’s hands. Time running out for Tottenham.

86′ Walbeck collides here with Chris Gunter, and it looks like he’ll have to come off now. Another injury for United! It’s a shame too, he’s impressed me on the right side today. Fast and dangerous with decent control. Certainly still raw but he looks like a player. Darren Fletcher will come on for him.

84′ Oh, a great chance wasted for Spurs. Assou-Ekotto makes a brilliant run in from the left side, undressing Scholes and cutting in before squaring it for Dos Santos. The former Barcelona prodigy can’t finish in traffic, though, and his attempt goes wide.

82′ No, it appears they can’t. A poor cross is cleared easily by United, and they resume their game of keep away.

82′ Defoe hounds Vidic and earns a corner kick here for Spurs. They need a breaktough, could this be it?

80′ Tottenham need a spark but they look tired right now. United whips the ball around for a solid minute without any trouble before Tevez tries to cut in and has it intercepted.

77′ Eckersley is at right fullback for United, and wins a free kick on the right side. The ball is whipped and falls to ground in the center of the box. First Scholes and then Carrick have whacks at it, but Scholes is blocked and Carrick’s shot sails well high and wide.

74′ Even if they win, you can’t help but feel United are snakebit right now. Already mired with injuries, and now they suffer potentially two more – Ronaldo and Fabio – in this game. I doubt Sir Alex will get much sympathy from the likes of Rafa or Arsene Wenger, though.

72′ A sub now for both teams. Jermain Defoe on for Tottenham and Ronaldo off for United. Ronaldo looks to be walking a little gingerly, perhaps. I’ll assume that’s the reason for his substitution. Zoran Toric on for United, while Bentley comes off for Spurs. That seems surprising to me. Bentley had looked pretty dangerous at times, and you would think Tottenham would want all the firepower they could find.

71′ Ronaldo nearly breaks free but Alnwick comes out to collect.

70′ Twenty minutes left now. Can Tottenham find an equalizer? They’ve been better this half, but still lack that final flash of skill. It eludes them here as Dos Santos breaks free down the left side – once again – but his lofted cross is far too long and rolls out of bounds.

68′ Substitution for Spurs, as Adel Taarabat comes on for Gareth Bale.

67′ Alnwick goes to ground to make a good save on Ronaldo, who cuts in from the right a fires a quick shot low. Ronaldo’s been dormant for stretches of this contest, but almost makes a big difference there.

65′ Some more solid play from Spurs sees the ball cut back to Bentley at the edge of the box, but his shot takes a deflection and drifts right into the hands of Foster.

64′ Ronaldo drifts toward the middle from the right side and looks like he’s about to hammer a shot, but instead opts to play it back. United promptly lose it from there.

62′ Tottenham fans are screaming for a foul after Walbeck takes down Corluka near the left touch line. None forthcoming, however it does appear Spurs are having some success playing the ball down the left side.

59′ And we get our first booking of the match, as Vidic sends Giovanni Dos Santos flying. It was a necessary foul after Vidic lost possession in midfield – had he not taken Dos Santos out, he might have had a break on goal.

57′ Nice bit of play from Spurs here sees the ball swung into the center. It finds its way to Bentley, who rips into it with his right foot and sends the ball just high and wide. A bit of a scare though for United.

54′ For anyone unfamiliar with Richard Eckersley, a quick browse of the Manchester United Web site reveals he is a 19-year-old defender who plays predominantly on the right side. He’ll have to play the left side for Fabio here.

53′ Fabio goes down with a knock here, and it looks like he’ll have to come off. Richard Eckersley to come on. Who? Anyway, another injury for United, who can’t seem to snag a break in that department.

52′ The Red Devils settle back into possession here, passing it around calmly. Eventually it finds Tevez on the edge of the 18, who plays it out right to a wide open Walbeck. His cross goes horribly wrong, though, and it’s a goalkick for Spurs.

49′ United counter and Ronaldo squares the ball into the middle before it deflects out for a corner. United tries to play it short but Tevez has it intercepted.

47′ Oh, that was close for Spurs. A long ball swung in from the right side finds Gareth Bale, who slips in free by the back post. Bale’s volley fails him, though, and it goes just wide for a goal kick. Some careless defending there by the red jerseys.

46′ And we’re off here in the second half, Tottenham in possession. One note, Giovanni Dos Santos has come on for Modric. Seems a bit of an odd sub unless Modric is hurt.

Haltime The stats tell a grim tale for Spurs. United with a nearly 60-40 advantage in possession and a 9-2 shot advantage. Tottenham’s only other shot on goal is a long range effort from Bentley that misses the target. On the other hand, the break couldn’t come at a better time for Spurs. They have a chance to regroup and refocus after a dizzying turn at the end of the half.

One thing’s for sure, though, Tottenham’s defense is in shambles right now. Between the three goals at Burnley and now two this half to United, it’s been a rough two games. Then again, that sort of defending is more the standard than the exception these days at the Lane. The traveling contingent will be even more disturbed by Berbatov’s tally, after having booed their former striker roundly throughout the half.

Haltime And there’s the whistle. What started so brightly for Tottenham has quickly faded, and they look tired and dejected going into the halftime break.

45′ United passing it around easily right now. They’re not even threatening so much with their possession, as much as keeping Spurs pinned back deep. When Tottenham does intercept and tries to move forward, it can’t seem to get any bodies forward.

43′ Modric cuts in the box for Tottenham, but there’s nobody in the middle to receive his pass and United easily clear.

39′ My, how quickly this game has turned. Two goals in the blink of an eye. And United keeping possession here as Spurs appear to be staggering a bit.

37′ That goal was all Carrick. An inch-perfect ball over the top and Berbatov makes no mistake. Give Berbatov credit too for a well-timed run.

36′ Another Goal for United! 2-1! Berbatov this time! I can’t type fast enough to keep up with the action. Michael Carrick plays a lovely floated ball over the top to Berbatov, who beats the offside trap and slots home past Alnwick. That goal will infuriate Spurs fans, as Berbatov comes back to haunt his old side.

34′ Goal Manchester United! 1-1! They convert on the corner. The ball is played low along the ground to Scholes, who thumps one from straightaway about 18 yards out. The ball takes a deflection off a Spurs defender, and travels through the legs of Tevez before it rockets into the back of the net. It looks to be Scholes’ goal, though.

33′ A typical bit of hustle play from Tevez earns United a corner.

32′ Again it’s Walbeck, this time scissoring into the Spurs box after a bad Tottenham giveaway in midfield. He can only slalom through so many defenders though before it’s shepherded out of touch for a goalkick.

30′ Welbeck is really looking dangerous out on that right side. Here he makes a nifty flick around a Spurs defender. The attack doesn’t go for much, but it’s neat to watch.

28′ Bentley earns a free kick from about 25 yards out, but his effort is blocked.

24′ United earn a corner but waste it here.

22′ United comes close again, This time it’s Ronaldo blazing one over the cross bar from a ways out. Tottenham on their heels here.

19′ Oh, Tevez nearly leveled it. His original shot is blocked, but he gathers it back and has another go from just outside the box. His ball thumps off the crossbar.

16′ Tottenham earn a free kick in a bit of a dangerous spot when Bentley is fouled. Huddlestone swings it in but United is there to clean it up.

13′ This is better for United. Tevez has a wild swing and a miss in the box off a nice head down from Ronaldo before Spurs clear it.

10′ A bit slow going for United here. They’ve managed a few long range shots but for most part Tottenham’s come out with a bit more energy.

7′ I sure hope Pavlyuchenko doesn’t go for a hat trick – I don’t know how many times I can go trying to spell that name out. It’ll be interesting to see now United respond now. Fabio makes a nice little move in but his efforts are wasted and the ball rolls out. Goalkick for Spurs.

5′ Goal Tottenham! It’s Pavlyuchenko! A brilliant header from the center of the box off a brilliant cross. I believe it was from Huddlestone. What a dream start for Tottenham.

4′ Ronaldo barrels in towards the box but has it poked away. You can’t help but think his class will have to shine through at some point given the lineups both teams are throwing out there.

1′ Neville looks to be playing in the middle for United. It’ll be a different role for him from his usual spot on the right side. Interesting lineup really for both teams. An especially intriguing change to see some of United’s young talent.

0′ And we’re off. United begin the game in possession.

0′ Some interesting results from the day’s earlier fixtures. Upset of the day goes to Swansea City, who beat current cup holders Portsmouth, 2-0. Other interesting results, Chelsea and Fulham both needed two late goals to beat Ipswich Town and Kettering Town, respectively.

Reaction

Well, if there were any fears that second-choice lineups for both teams would produce a dull match, that certainly wasn’t the case. Tottenham pulled ahead five minutes in on a lovely diving header from Pavlyuchenko, only to see United strike back twice in two minutes via goals from Scholes (35′) and Berbatov (37′). Spurs can hold their heads high. They fought back well after those two goals and played better in the second half. But they just lacked a bit of quality near the goal, and that cost them in the end. Give credit to United as well, who defended well despite finishing the game with a back four of Eckersley, Neville, Vidic and O’Shea. Spurs could hardly find a shooting lane in the final 10 minutes.

But once again, the victory comes at a price for United. Fabio, Christiano Ronaldo and Danny Walbeck all came off with knocks, though it’s impossible to tell right now if any of them are serious. But for a team already beset by injuries, United can’t help but feel like they can’t catch a break right now.

Man of the Match

Tough to say on this one. I thought Carlos Tevez was very good, and sort of marshalled things in the middle for United. But I’ll go with Michael Carrick, who assisted both United goals. He cut a low ball across the field off a corner to Scholes, who ball deflected in for United’s first goal, and played a beautiful ball over the top that put Berbatov clean through for the second. Props also to Gary Neville as well for captaining the side and playing central defence, instead of his usual right, for United.

All in all an entertaining match, but what do you think? Feel free to share any thoughts or reactions in the comments section. And be sure to check back for plenty more live blogging from the FA Cup, Premiership, Champions League and more.