Match Preview

New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink faces a baptism of fire when he takes flagging Chelsea to Aston Villa, the team which top the Premiership form table with 16 points from the last 18 available.  Villa are unbeaten at home in nine matches and have not lost to Chelsea in the league since 1999, chalking up three wins and six draws.

Martin O’Neill’s side are unbeaten in 13 Premiership matches, second only to Liverpool on 14, while Chelsea have lost two of their last 10. Both sides may have one eye on next week’s European fixtures, with Villa taking a 1-1 first leg draw with CSKA Moscow to Russia, while Chelsea tackle Juventus in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

Villa could be without both Emile Heskey and James Milner who are struggling for fitness. Heskey aggravated an achilles problem while on England duty and Milner has a problem with his thigh. Chelsea are suffering a defensive crisis, with Alex and Ricardo Carvalho doubtful for the match and Ashley Cole serving a ban. England prospect Michael Mancienne could come in to partner John Terry at the heart of Chelsea’s back four or Hiddink could opt for Branislav Ivanovic.

Line Ups

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Davies, Knight, Luke Young, Milner, Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Heskey, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Gardner.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Ferreira, Mikel, Ballack, Lampard, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba.
Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Quaresma, Deco, Belletti, Mancienne, Stoch.

Goals

Chelsea: Anelka (19′)

Live Blog

90+1′ Deco toys with Knight on the left touchline and cuts the ball back to the awaiting Ballack. The German strikes it first time and sends a stinging effort straight for the top corner which Friedel tips over the crossbar. When Chelsea do things like this they are unbeatable, but most of the time they don’t bother.

90′ Four minutes of stoppage time are added. Belletti comes on to replace Drogba for the last few minites.

89′ Terry bodychecks Agbonlahor and gives away a needless free kick, for which he is booked. Barry curls it in towards the far post and it looked as though Carew may get on the end of it. He didn’t and the chance is gone.

85′ Chelsea’s timewasting continues and at last Mark Halsey sees sense and books Bosingwa who thought it right to take a nap before delivering his throw in. Ironic cheers echo around the ground.

84′ Bosingwa plays a one-two with Drogba on the edge of the Villa box and attempts to sidefoot an effort past Friedel from a tight angle. It’s a comfortable save for the big American who parries it away.

81′ Carew makes his first contribution since coming on. Unfortunately his header from a corner is weak and goes miserably wide.

80′ Boos ring out around Villa Park as Chelsea look to waste as much time as possible. They eventually take a throw in and work the ball to Deco. The Portuguese snaps at a shot from the edge of the area and screws it well wide.

78′ At last, some action. Ferreira brings down Agbonlahor who is just too quick for him. Barry curls in the free kick towards the far post but no Villa players bother to challenge for it, allowing Cech to calmly pluck the ball out of the air.

75′ The introduction of Carew hasn’t helped Villa’s cause yet. In fact, nothing is happening. Chelsea look comfortable while Villa look resigned to defeat. Come on! Make some effort, there are still 15 minutes left yet!

70′ O’Neill makes an attacking substitution by bringing on midweek goal scorer John Carew for defender Curtis Davies. Cue lots of long balls up to him and fellow work horse Heskey.

68′ Just as the match was getting very scrappy, Villa get a great chance to equalise. Agbonlahor nodded the ball down to Barry who found himself in acres of space just outside the box. He welts an effort towards goal which forces a diving save from Cech.

63′ Chelsea break quickly and a headed clearance finds Lampard lurking on the edge of the box. His effort is blocked and is deflected behind for a corner.

60′ Ashley Young races down the left and sends a cross towards the near post. Cech catches it with ease and neither Heskey nor Agbonlahor were anywhere near to challenge for the ball. The match has gone off the boil a little.

55′ The much-maligned Deco comes on to replace a largely ineffective Kalou.

53′ Agbonlahor is giving Alex a torrid time down the left. He brushes aside the Brazilian defender and bares down on goal. He attempts to curl the ball in but Cech parries it away brilliantly for a corner. Milner looks to half volley in from six yards but desperate Chelsea defending block the effort behind for another corner.

52′ Carlos Cuellar is the first player to be booked following a late tackle on Anelka.

49′ Terry sees another good headed effort saved off the line. A Chelsea corner is met perfectly from a standing position by Terry and the ball looked to be heading straight for the top corner with Friedel well beaten, until Petrov headed the ball off the line.

48′ Agbonlahor easily beats Alex for pace but he gets his cross all wrong. It’s a shame because Heskey was waiting in the box for some decent service.

46′ Chelsea get the second half underway. No changes have been made to either side.

Half Time. Chelsea looked as though they could run away with it after some sublime play by Lampard and Drogba resulted in the opening goal. However, full credit to Villa who managed to weather the storm and had some very good chances of their own in the latter stages of the half and came very close to levelling the score. Chelsea deserve their lead at the break but Villa are not out of this by a long shot.

45+1′ Chelsea work the ball down the right with Drogba and Lampard. Drogba delivers a good ball into the box which Ballack is close to making contact with a stooping header.

41′ It’s the home side who are finishing the first half strongly. Alex pulls Ashley Young’s shirt and gives away a free kick which Young delivers brilliantly into the box. Davies is inches away from getting his head on it and again Chelsea survive.

38′ Villa get another good chance and again Ashley Young is involved. The flying winger sends in a dangerous cross towards Agbonlahor who almost gets on the end of it. Chelsea’s defence were nowhere in sight but the ball disappointingly bounces out for a goal kick.

33′ Heskey goes down very easily from a non-challenge by Alex just in front of the D. Ashley Young curls an effort towards the top corner and he is very unfortunate to see it clatter off the underside of the crossbar. Peter Cech was well beaten and Villa could have easily been back on level terms.

31′ Another super chance for Chelsea who are having it all their own way. Lampard swings in a corner and Terry is given license for a free header at goal from six yards out. Friedel reaches out a hand to palm the ball behind for another corner.

28′ Chelsea should be 2-0 up. Drogba breaks free of Cullear and he heads for the byline. He doesn’t see either Lampard or Anelka who are both free in the middle and with Friedel left with no option but to try and close the striker down, a simple cutback would have given either of them an open goal. However, he passes it straight to Knight and the ball bobbles up into Friedel’s grateful arms. Lampard is visibly annoyed with the chance that was wasted.

26′ Lampard again finds himself in acres of space. He attempts a one-two with Drogba on the edge of the Villa box but it comes to nothing. Villa are unsurprisingly able to break quickly on the counter attack, such is the pace in their team but Chelsea are marshalling them well in defence.

24′ Mikel gets away with a warning for a “striker’s challenge” on Heskey on the touchline. Petrov swipes hopefully at the ball just inside the Chelsea box but it’s well wide.

19′ Goal! Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1. Absolutely stunning by Chelsea. Frank Lampard showed magnetic ball control and left Davies and Petrov for dead before playing Nicolas Anelka into the penalty box. The striker wasted no time and dinked the ball over the advancing Friedel to break the deadlock. The finish wasn’t half bad, but what about the set up by Lampard? Wonderful stuff by Chelsea who are well worth the lead.

14′ Lampard thunders a free kick straight into the wall but Chelsea manage to work the ball into the box. Kalou goes and spoils a half decent move by clambering all over Davies and giving away a free kick.

12′ It’s the away side doing all the pressing. Kalou slipped the ball through to Anelka on the left but the Frenchman could not deliver an accurate cross into the box. Villa are not looking very assured at the back.

9′ Chelsea are being given free reign at Villa Park. Nobody closes down Lampard who is allowed to advance and he sees a long range effort go just over the bar. Friedel looked to have it covered, though.

8′ Villa are making a meal of seemingly harmless situations. A long ball was not dealt with and Knight had to launch the ball over the bar from 25 yards out with Kalou lurking.

3′ Chances at both ends. Drogba fires a tame shot at Friedel from inside the box and moments later Cech spills a cross in the six yard box which Agbonlahor tees up for Heskey only for him to send the ball into Row Z.

1′ It’s Villa who kick off. A victory here could end Chelsea’s interest in the Premiership and establish Martin O’Neill’s side as genuine title contenders. Exciting times indeed at Villa Park.

0′ We’re just a few minutes away from one of the Premiership-defining games of the season. New Chelsea boss Hiddink looks to buck the trend by partnering Anelka and Drogba in attack for only the second time this season. Surely it didn’t take a drastic change of manager to decide to play the best two strikers at the club up front together?

Reaction

An excellent result for Guus Hiddink on his first game in charge. Chelsea went to a very good Aston Villa side and ended their recent unbeaten home run. The Blues dominated the match for large parts of the game and were unlucky not to score more than one goal. The goal which settled the match was magnificent, with creator Lampard showing just why is one of the best midfielders in the Premiership, if not the world. Villa were unlucky not to equalise through Ashley Young’s free kick, but overall Martin O’Neill’s side lacked the cutting edge which was required in such an important match. The result sees Chelsea leapfrog their opponents into third place and perhaps ends Villa’s fading hopes of winning the Premiership this season.

Man of the Match

While Nicolas Anelka got the winner, the goal was all about Frank Lampard. After dominating the midfield, he showed great skill to shift the ball from one foot to the other and take Davies and Petrov out of the game. The ball played into Anelka was inch-perfect and the finish sublime. Lampard was a threat from set-pieces all afternoon and he delivered two excellent corners to John Terry in the box, with the defender unlucky not to score from either of them. Lampard could have also got on the scoresheet himself, if Drogba had spotted him unmarked in the box during the first half and he would have had an open goal to aim for.

Match Preview

The match at Goodison Park sees two of the most in-form Premiership teams clash in cup-tie circumstances. Everton have not lost at home, in the league or cup, since Villa beat them 3-2 on 7 December. A similar scoreline would provide an excellent afternoon’s entertainment.

Everton are aiming to each the last eight of the competition for the first time since 2002 but will have to do it without the injured Marouane Fellaini, the suspended Steven Pienaar and cup-tied Jo. Manager David Moyes may have to pin his hopes on the perenially injured Louis Saha. Villa are in better shape, but have Gareth Barry suspended so the captain’s role could be filled by Steve Sidwell.

Villa are unbeaten in five Premiership matches against Everton with three wins and two draws and this is the first time the pair have met in the FA Cup since Villa won 2-1 at Goodison Park at the quarter final stage in February 2000.

Line Ups

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Gosling, Neville, Arteta, Rodwell, Cahill, Anichebe.
Subs: Nash, Yobo, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Jacobsen, Baxter, Wallace.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Gardner, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor, Carew.
Subs: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Albrighton, Lowry.

Goals

Everton: Rodwell (4′), Arteta (pen 24′), Cahill (76′)

Aston Villa: Milner (pen 8′)

Live Blog

90+2′ The magnificent Arteta also receives his standing ovation and is replaced by Castillo for the dying seconds.

90′ Villa have just two minutes to find two goals. It’s not going to happen. Everton, for all their injury problems, have been by far the superior side this afternoon.

88′ Teenager Rodwell earns himself a booking for obstructing Young in the middle of the park, preventing a Villa break. Anichebe gets substituted to a standing ovation and is replaced by Joseph Yobo as manager Moyes looks to avoid any late mistakes.

86′ Gosling down the left tears away from a labouring Knight but can only prod the ball into the relieved arms of Friedel, rather than setting someone up with an open goal.

84′ Substitution for Villa – striker Nathan Delfouneso comes on for Sidwell as O’Neill desperately tries to boost his attacking options.

83′ The superb Arteta wastes a dead ball for the first time this match when he blasts a free kick well wide from 25 yards out. He should have crossed it into the box, but being two goals to the good you can forgive him for being greedy.

78′ Villa need two late goals if they are going to avoid being dumped out of this grand competition. They managed two at Goodison Park last December and more of the same is needed. However, the third goal looks like it’s knocked the stuffing out of them.

76′ Goal! Everton 3 Aston Villa 1. The Toffees break quickly and Anichebe sends a ball into the Villa box. A comedic central defence pairing of Davies and Knight both miss the ball completely and allow it to drop straight into the path of the unmarked Tim Cahill. The Aussie doesn’t strike the ball cleanly but it bounces over the onrushing Friedel and into the goal. A dreadful error by two expensive, and overrated defenders has handed Everton a place in the quarter finals.

74′ Cahill is lucky to avoid another yellow card after hauling down Petrov just outside the D. Gardner, who is described as “being able to hit a ball”, strikes the free kick straight at the wall.

72′ And again. Carew is providing the hold-up play Villa have lacked all game. He nods down a long ball into the path of Young who smashes the ball over the bar from just outside the box. That’s three chances in as many minutes for Villa who have wasted them all. Some composure is needed from Martin O’Neill’s players who look like they are beginning to panic.

71′ The chances are coming thick and fast for Villa now. Milner floats in a delightful ball and Sidwell heads it down into the groiund and wide. He had more time than he imagined and could have brought the ball down rather than attempt a first time header.

69′ Agbonlahor lashes wildly at a loose ball in the box after a clutch of blue shirts fail to clear a flick on by Carew. It was half a chance but well, well wide from the striker who has had a poor game so far.

67′ Cahill gets a free header from six yards out following a cross from Baines but it’s straight at Friedel. Villa are improving after a slow start to the half, with Milner and Young getting into the game more. There is still plenty of time for them to get an equaliser.

61′ Howard pulls off a terrific save to keep Everton in front. Milner whips in a good ball and Carew flick the ball towards goal, forcing a diving save from Howard who turns the ball behind for a corner. An excellent piece of skill from Carew who has looked lethargic for most of the game.

56′ Milner adds his name to Phil Dowd’s growing naughty list after a foul on Baines, who did brilliantly to win the ball off Agbonlahor near the corner flag.

54′ Another half chance for Everton. Davies looked to foul Anichebe on the edge of the box but play continued. Rodwell fired the loose ball towards goal, but he scuffed it wide.

52′ Neville and Arteta cut through Villa’s resistance with two passes, releasing Anichebe on the right. His cross is sent behind for a corner. Arteta delivers it but Phil Dowd blows for a free kick as a posse of blue shirts prevent Friedel from getting anywhere near the ball.

50′ It’s Everton who have started as the better side this half. Both Arteta and Gosling have had opportunities to go forward but no chances have been created yet. Villa look ponderous and are not really trying to make anything happen. What has Martin O’Neill said to them at half time?

46′ No changes for either side during the break and it’s Villa who get us underway.

Half Time. It’s been a great cup tie so far to watch but Villa can count themselves lucky they are only a goal behind and have all their players on the field. Petrov would have been sent off for deliberate hand ball in the opening few minutes if Rodwell had not scored the rebound while Gardner could have easily given away another penalty late on in the first half. Villa are still in the game nd Agbonlahor was guilty of a glaring miss from just a few yards out. The first half has been breathless. I hope the second half is just as good.

45′ Two added minutes in what has been an incident-packed first half. It’s Villa who retain possession as they look to go into half time on level terms. Milner attempts to get in a cross but it’s thumped clear by Lescott.

43′ Some half hearted appeals for another Everton penalty when Gosling was held off by Gardner in the box. Phil Dowd makes the “no penalty” gesture with his arms but Gardner made no effort to win the ball. He’s already given two penalties this game, perhaps he thinks that’s enough? It will be interesting to see what the players get away with in the second half.

40′ Anichebe again shows his strength by outmuscling Carew and surging towards the Villa goal. His eventual shot is another tame one and fails to trouble Friedel. If this boy could shoot he’d offer a real goal threat for David Moyes.

36′ Arteta delivers a pinpoint corner but the meaty head of Jagielka can only direct the ball over the bar for a goal kick.

33′ Villa should be on level terms. Young swings in a sublime cross from the left hand side towards Agbonlahor who easily gets to the ball before Baines. He manages to clip the ball with the top of his head and it goes behind for a goal kick. A player of his quality should have done a lot better from four yards. Carew or Heskey in the same position would have buried it.

31′ Anichebe shakes off the challenge of Knight, turns and shoots towards goal, but it’s a weak effort which rolls out for a goal kick.

30′ Villa get two corners in quick succession. Howard punches away the first one theatrically but Milner’s second finds Davies at the far post who heads it straight at the keeper. That was a great chance to equalise.

25′ Sidwell got a yellow card for his troubles and Petrov follows him into the referee’s notebook a minute later for a challenge on Rodwell. The replay shows Petrov clearly won the ball but perhaps Phil Dowd is feeling a bit trigger happy after what has been a frenetic first half.

24′ Goal! Everton 2 Aston Villa 1. It’s another penalty! Anichebe runs confidently into the Villa penalty area and is scythed down from behind by Sidwell. Mikel Arteta steps up and strokes it home into the bottom right hand corner. Friedel dived the other way.

20′ Curtis Davies’ involvement in the match may be coming to a premature end after a seemingly harmless challenge with Cahill. The word on the bench is he will be given a few more minutes to see if he can shake it off.

16′ Everton have another penalty shout when Gardner looked to push Cahill as he rose to meet a free kick from Arteta. Instead of getting the spot kick he wanted, he received a booking from the referee for dissent. Villa have really pushed their luck in the opening half and are lucky to be on level terms in both scoreline and players on the pitch.

14′ Anichebe gets a half chance to put the Toffees back in front when Cahill swings in a cross but he glances it wide from inside the box.

8′ Goal! Everton 1 Aston Villa 1. It’s a repreive for Villa when James Milner strikes the penalty low into the right hand side. It’s not the best but manages to squirm underneath the body of Howard and into the back of the net. What a start to the match and perhaps I’ll get a chance to get my breath back.

7′ After a couple more Everton corners, Villa break quickly and Hibbert takes down the marauding Agbonlahor in the box. It’s a penalty to Martin O’Neill’s side and a yellow card for the defender.

4′ Goal! Everton 1 Aston Villa 0. A second corner is swung in and Cahill’s header is kept out on the line by Petrov’s hand. However, young Jack Rodwell is the liveliest to the rebound and hammers it into the roof of the net. The goal made refereee Phil Dowd’s job that much easier because any other result would have seen a red card for Petrov and penalty for the Toffees.

1′ The league meeting needed just 34 seconds for Villa to break the deadlock and Everton get a corner within the opening moments of this tie. Baines swings it in, Friedel flaps at it but manages to scramble it away.

0′ Us neutrals will hope for a repeat of the 3-2 thriller which took place at Goodison Park last December. Everton equalised the score to 2-2 in stoppage time, only for Ashley Young to race up the other end and bang in a winner. Tremendous television fare and more of the same would be nice to watch this afternoon.

0′ Everton will have their work cut out to defend their recent unbeaten record. They have almost an entire midfield and strikeforce out injured and there are starting places for FA Cup extra-time hero Dan Gosling and 17-year-old Jack Rodwell.

Reaction

Everton were by far the better side throughout the match and thoroughly deserve to progress to the quarter finals of the FA Cup. The two teenagers in the side, Gosling and Rodwell, played with great maturity and the team snuffed out what looked before kick-off to be a strong Villa side. The ommissions of Barry and Heskey proved telling for Villa, who were simply not up to it this afternoon.

Man of the Match

It has to be Mikel Arteta, who was a constant threat from dead ball situations. I know this is becoming a bit of a cliche, but it’s true. Every time he stepped up to take a corner or a free kick you thought something would happen. He pulled the strings in the middle of the park for the Toffees and his goal, albeit a penalty, capped a wonderful all-round performance.

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?

Here, Daily Soccer Blog looks at 50 of those transfers – the bizarre, the boring and the breathtaking and looks at how their arrivals will affect the clubs who bought them.

Counting down…

50. Julian Gray

Teams Involved – Coventry City to Fulham
Fee – Undisclosed

Former Arsenal trainee Gray can operate as a left winger or as a makeshift left back, but has not seen any first team action this season while on loan at Fulham. Gray was instrumental during Crystal Palace’s promotion during the 2003/04 season and even found time to have a loan spell at Cardiff City that season. After making 125 appearances for the Eagles, he joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in June 2004, making 60 appearances, before moving to Coventry City in July 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Despite not playing a single game for Fulham while on loan, Roy Hodgson saw fit to sign Gray on a permanent deal. Perhaps he was desperate for some deadline-day buzz, or perhaps he feels Gray can add something to the squad. Either way, it’s hardly an exciting move amid a frenzied day of transfer action.

49. Ariza Makukula

Teams Involved – Benfica to Bolton Wanderers
Fee – Loan

Ariza Makukula has certainly done the rounds and Bolton are the tenth club he has represented during his career which began at Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes a decade ago. The Congolese-born Portugal international enjoyed the most prolific spells of his career at UD Salamanca in 2001/02, where he scored 21 goals and on loan at Maritimo from Sevilla in 2007/08, netting 10 goals in just 13 appearances. Aside from that, goals have been hard to come by for a striker deemed good enough to represent Portugal and who scored on his debut in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan on 17 October 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Makukula could provide a stop-gap for Bolton who are not known for their prolific scoring abilities but it’s unlikely he is going to set the Premiership goal scoring charts alight. He’s started three matches for the Trotters so far and has been substituted in each one of them, scoring no goals in the process. He’s on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent £4.5 million move – Bolton fans must be ecstatic at the prospect.

48. Peter Lovenkrands

Teams Involved – Schalke 04 to Newcastle United
Fee – Free

Out of the frying pan is a term which could describe Peter Lovenkrands’ transfer to Newcastle United. After playing just nine minutes of first team football this season for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga and not starting a match for them since February 2008, he was released and joined the Magpies until the end of the season. Lovenkrands is best known for his six year spell at Rangers, where he scored 54 goals in 182 appearances and was instrumental in the Gers reaching the last 16 of the Champions League during the 2005-06 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. At 28-years-of-age, Lovenkrands should be at his peak, but after two years in Germany ravaged by injury and poor form, it looks as though his better days are behind him. Newcastle are a club in turmoil, with uncertainty and in-fighting the order of the day. Lovenkrands was probably seen as a cheap option to try and score some much-needed goals but the problem is, he hasn’t scored in two seasons.

47. Marlon King

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough
Fee – Loan

Marlon King joined his second club on loan of the season when he cut short his spell at Hull City to join struggling Middlesbrough. King scored five goals in 20 Premiership appearances for the Tigers, with his last goal coming on 6 December in a 2-1 victory, ironically against Middlesbrough. King only joined Wigan Athletic a year ago for around £3 million from Watford, but it is unlikely he has a future at the JJB Stadium.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Middlesbrough are in real danger of relegation this season and Gareth Southgate appears to be pinning their survival hopes on King, a nomadic striker who rarely scores goals – this season’s Marcus Bent, if you like. King is known for his recent problems, including a speeding ban and arrest for alleged assault, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him good. If not, Middlesbrough could be in a lot of trouble come the end of the season.

46. Youssouf Mulumbu

Teams Involved – Paris St. Germain to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Youssouf Mulumbu is a Zaire-born Congo DR international who joined the Hawthorns outfit on loan for the rest of the season from Paris St Germain. The midfielder made 13 appearances for Paris St. Germain since making his debut in 2006 and also made 23 appearances, scoring one goal on loan at Amiens during the 2007/08 campaign. Baggies manager Tony Mowbray sees Mulumbu as one for the future and doesn’t expect the eight-times capped player to make an instant impact in the first team.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Mulumbu’s arrival gives boss Mowbray further options in midfield he doesn’t see him as immediate first team material. He’s the sort of signing you get the feeling won’t really make a massive impact at a struggling club like the Baggies. If he’s up for the fight, he could prove vital during the latter stages of the season but if not, he’s just another player to send packing at the end of May.

45. Pele

Teams Involved – FC Porto to Portsmouth
Fee – Loan

No… not that one! Instead, “Pele” is a relative unknown who has played only a handful of games for three clubs during the past three years. After failing to make an impact at Vitoria Guimaraes, a modest club in Portugal’s top division, he signed for Serie A giants Inter Milan in the summer of 2007. He broke into the first team, mainly due to an horrific midfield injury crisis but was shipped out to Porto a year later as a makeweight in the deal which took Ricardo Quaresma to the San Siro. Pele has hardly had a sniff of first team football this season and joined Portsmouth on loan to try and resurrect his faltering career.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. You have to be either very good, or very confident in your own ability to get away with a moniker like “Pele”, but so far Vitor Hugo Gomes Passos hasn’t really done anything to prove he is worthy of the name. He is still young, at 21-years-old, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt and it will be interesting to see if makes any sort of impact in the Premiership after being largely frozen out at Porto.

44. Gael Givet

Teams Involved – Marseille to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Loan

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce may have pulled off a coup in clinching the signing of Marseille defender Gael Givet. During his time at Monaco, Givet played in the 2004 Champions League final for Monaco, a team he made 178 league appearances for in seven years. Givet joined Marseille ahead of the 2007/08 campaign and featured regularly but fell out with manager Erik Gerets before the start of this season and has not played at all. He has won 13 international caps for France and can play at left back or central defence.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Givet is a vastly experienced defender who has played at the highest club level. However, there may be issues with his temperament, hence his loan move to Blackburn and since he has not played much football this season, it could take a while for him to regain full match fitness.

43. Manucho

Teams Involved – Manchester United to Hull City
Fee – Loan

Not much is known about Manucho, the Angolan striker who signed for Manchester United during last year’s transfer window. The 25-year-old was swiftly sent out on loan to Panathinaikos while awaiting a UK work permit and he scored four goals in seven appearances for the Greek club. After making just one first team appearance for United this season, as a substitute against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup, he joined Hull on loan until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Manucho’s transfer to Hull is difficult to assess because there’s not really much to go on. However, Phil Brown worked wonders with an on loan Manchester United striker last season, Frazier Campbell, who fired in 15 goals as the Tigers won promotion from the Championship. If Manucho can have the same sort of impact, there will be no danger of Hull being dragged into the relegation mire after making such a great start to the season.

42. Juan Carlos Menseguez

Teams Involved – San Lorenzo to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Attacking midfielder was weaned on football from an early age and joined River Plate when he was just five years old. He never made a senior appearance for the Argentine giants because he was sold to Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum in 2003. He made 110 appearances for Bochum, scoring five goals and then returned to his homeland in 2007 when he signed for 10-times league winners San Lorenzo. Menseguez made 34 appearances, scoring six goals for the club before joining the Baggies on loan with a view to a permanent move in January.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Aside from one or two notable exceptions, such as Carlos Tevez and Julio Arca, Argentinian players are a bit hit-or-miss in the Premiership. Perhaps Mowbray thinks he may have unearthed another Mauro Zarate, who rose to prominence last season with Birmingham City, though he could just as easily be another Esteban Fuertes.

41. Marc-Antoine Fortune

Teams Involved – Nancy to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

With the Baggies propping up the rest of the league, Marc-Antoine Fortune arrived at the Hawthorns on loan until the end of the season, with manager Tony Mowbray also having the option to make his move permanent. Fortune made his debut during West Brom’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough, in which he received a standing ovation when finally replaced by Craig Beattie. He may have scored a debut goal, as he deflected in an effort from Robert Koren but thusfar the goal has been credited to the Slovenian international.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Fortune has not exactly been prolific during his career and has mustered around one goal every four to five matches. This is not the sort of ratio a struggling team at the foot of the table can rely on to avoid relegation and while Fortune may be a decent enough player, he is unlikely to pull up any trees in the Premiership.

40. Savio Nsereko

Teams Involved – Brescia to West Ham United
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £10 million)

Relative unknown Savio Nsereko is a Ugandan-born German Under-19 international who has spent the last three-and-a-half years plying his trade in Italy with Serie B club Brescia. He is a direct replacement for Craig Bellamy, who left for Manchester City, but his fee is believed to be higher than the club record £7.5 million paid to Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007. Nsereko, who came on as a substitute in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Hull, was also rumoured to be attracting interest from Juventus and Roma.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. One of the strangest transfers of the season until you discover who was involved in the deal. The Sporting Director of West Ham is Gianluca Nani, who just happens to be the son-in-law of Brescia club president Luigi Corioni. In the words of one tabloid journalist: “Savio Nsereko had better be good”.

39. Jo

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Everton
Fee – Loan

Manchester City’s club record transfer, at an eye-watering £19 million, Jo, has been farmed out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. One tabloid columnist described him as the only Brazilian unable to trap a bag of cement and he has made just 13 senior appearances for City since joining from CSKA Moscow last summer. In Russia, he was a revelation, scoring 44 goals in 77 appearances but has not found the net in England since scoring in City’s 6-0 drubbing of Portsmouth last September.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Jo has been one of the most expensive flops in Premiership history and will attempt to resurrect his tattered career at Everton. With the likes of Louis Saha and James Vaughan injured, Toffees fans will be used to strikers who don’t score any goals. Only time will tell if he is the right man to fill the void left by the injured Yakubu, which has forced midfielder Tim Cahill to play up front in recent weeks.

38. Pascal Chimbonda

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Tottenham Hotspur
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £3 million)

Defender Pascal Chimbonda was one of three former Tottenham Hotspur players, sold by manager Juande Ramos, who returned to the club during the January transfer window. He only joined Sunderland last summer but failed to settle in the North East and has a second chance at Spurs where he spent two seasons previously. Arguably, Chimbonda played his best Premiership football at Wigan Athletic during the 2005/06 season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year, where he was voted best right back in the league ahead of Gary Neville, Paul Ferreira and Steve Finnan. He has one cap for France and also represented Guadeloupe in 2003.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Chimbonda seems to have lost his way since he burst into the Premiership with Wigan three-and-a-half years ago. However, Harry Redknapp was keen to bring the player back to White Hart Lane and it is up to Chimbonda to repay the faith shown in him.

37. El-Hadji Diouf

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce linked up with striker Diouf for the second time when he brought him to Ewood Park from Sunderland. The pair worked together previously at Bolton Wanderers where Diouf spent three seasons, scoring 12 goals in 87 league appearances. He also spent a spell on loan at Bolton during the 2004/05 season, where he scored nine goals in 27 appearances. Diouf rose to prominence during the 2002 World Cup and scored the winning goal for Senegal against France. His performances persuaded Liverpool to part with £10 million to sign him from Lens but lthis season he failed to score in 14 appearances for Sunderland.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Rovers find themselves in the relegation mire and all new arrivals at the club need to be positive. Allardyce knows exactly what he is getting with Diouf and if he can encourage the player to repeat the performances of his Bolton days then he will be an excellent addition to the Rovers quad.

36. Tal Ben Haim

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Tal Ben Haim’s career has stuttered over the past two seasons. He arrived in English football in 2004 with Bolton Wanderers and went on to make 88 Premiership appearances for the Trotters over three seasons. His impressive displays in defence did not go unnoticed and he joined Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2007. However, he was largely frozen out under manager Avram Grant and was shipped out to Manchester City for around £5 million last summer. Despite making his debut against EB/Streymur in City’s UEFA Cup qualifying campaign at the end of July he made only nine Premiership appearances and his search for regular, first team football has now seen him move to Sunderland in January.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. The defender has not played much football in the last two seasons during unsuccessful spells at Chelsea and Manchester City. However, he has a lot of Premiership experience from his time at Bolton Wanderers and links up again with Ricky Sbragia, who was first-team coach during Ben Haim’s stint at the Reebok Stadium. He will know what is required of him playing in a team which is striving to avoid relegation and will add needed depth to the Black Cats’ squad.

35. Calum Davenport

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Since making 83 appearances for Coventry City and winning the Young Player of the Year accolade at the end of the 2002/03 season, Davenport has move from club to club in an attempt to prove he can cut it in the Premiership. He left the Sky Blues for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2004, but after two-and-a-half frustrating years at White Hart Lane, he joined West Ham United, where he previously spent time on loan. However, after making just 14 appearances in two years at Upton Park and also being farmed out to Watford during this time, he joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Davenport is still hunting for a Premiership team where he can command a regular, first-team place and Sunderland will be his seventh English club. After failing to impress Gianfranco Zola this season, he will give Ricky Sbragia further defensive options as the Black Cats batten down the hatches between now and the end of the campaign.

34. Nadir Belhadj

Teams Involved – Lens to Portsmouth
Fee – £4.4 million

After playing at Fratton Park on loan since August, Algerian international Nadir Belhadj joined Portsmouth on a permanent deal from Lens.He sparkled during Pompey’s run in the UEFA Cup against Vitoria and more notably AC Milan, where he was awarded Man of the Match. His long range goal against Sunderland also gave new manager Tony Adams his first victory in charge of the club.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Belhadj is a quality player who can operate at both left wing and left back, although there are question marks over his temperament. He was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in Pompey’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, but was fortunate not to receive a straight red for a hacking Craig Gardner to the ground. During times of crisis, you need your best players to keep a cool head and Tony Adams will have to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance.

33. Matthew Etherington

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Stoke City
Fee – £2 million

Manager Tony Pulis has been active during the transfer window as he attempts to haul his side out of the relegation zone and the arrival of left winger Matthew Etherington from cash-strapped West Ham could prove to be a good piece of business. Etherington made almost 200 appearances for West Ham during a five-and-a-half year spell at Upton Park and won “Hammer of the Year” in his debut season at the club. It was his cross which lead to the winning goal in the 2004/05 Play Off final, in which the Hammers beat Preston North End to return to the Premiership.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Etherington seems to fit the bill at the Britannia Stadium and is reknowned for his crossing ability. A team known for its physical play, Etherington will be expected to sling balls into the box at every opportunity as the Potters battle for their lives in the top flight for the remainder of the season.

32. Henri Camara

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Stoke City
Fee – Loan

Journeyman striker Camara makes Stoke City his sixth British club after moving to the Britannia Stadium on loan until the end of the season. When given a chance, Camara usually performs well, as 20 goals in 69 appearances for Wigan testifies, but he has found himself largely out of favour at the JJB Stadium. He had a productive loan spell at Celtic during the 2004/05 season, where he scored eight goals in 18 appearances but was used sparingly when on loan at West Ham last season. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and will look to earn a permanent move to the Potters.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. It was a little surprising to see Camara join struggling Stoke, having made a decent contribution to Wigan’s season with six goals, including the winner against Everton last November. He should fit in well to Stoke’s style of play and his pace and directness makes him an ideal replacement for the injured Ricardo Fuller.

31. Radoslav Kovac

Teams Involved – Spartak Moscow to West Ham United
Fee – Loan

Czech international midfielder has spent the last three-and-ahalf seasons at Spartak Moscow, making 80 league appearances for the Russian side which limped to an eighth placed finish this season. Having also spent time at Sparta Prague and Sigma Olomouc in his homeland,  the versatile Kovac is ready to take on the challenge of playing in England. The Hammers fended off interest from Celtic for the 29-year-old, who has won 25 caps for his country and who played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Following the departures of Hayden Mullins and Julian Faubert, the Hammers needed some competition in midfield and Kovac brings a wealth of experience. A defensive-minded player, Kovac will help to solidify the Hammers midfield as they look to maintain their position in the top 10.

30. Kamil Zayatte

Teams Involved – Young Boys to Hull City
Fee – £2.5 million

Defender Zayatte has been on a season-long loan at Hull City since August 2008 after having trial spells with both Everton and Newcastle United last summer. The Guinea international has featured heavily this season and manager Phil Brown has opted to make his move to the KC Stadium permanent in a deal worth £2.5 million. He scored his first goal for the club during a 3-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion during Hull’s strong start to the Premiership campaign.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Zayatte has proven to be a solid performer for Hull during their first season in the Premiership and formed a good partnership with fellow centre back Michael Turner. His permanent arrival equals the amount paid for Anthony Gardner, ironically the player Zayatte is keeping out of the team.

29. Charles N’Zogbia

Teams Involved – Newcastle United to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £6.5 million)

French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia is probably the most relieved player of the transfer window, after engineering a move away from Newcastle, a club he couldn’t wait to see the back of. Fed up with the club’s ambitions and angered by manager Joe Kinnear’s mispronounciation of his name as insomnia, N’Zogbia stated he would never play for the Magpies again under the current management. After making 118 appearances for the Newcastle since 2004, in which he scored nine goals, N’Zogbia joined improving Wigan Athletic on deadline day.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. N’Zogbia finally managed to get the move away from Newcastle United he wanted but whether he will be satisfied at a club like Wigan, after he was previously linked with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Lyon, remains to be seen. N’Zogbia needs to get his dead down and stop complaining and if he does, then Wigan manager Steve Bruce will have a decent player to call upon.

28. Olivier Dacourt

Teams Involved – Inter Milan to Fulham
Fee – Loan

Roy Hodgson moved quickly to replace Jimmy Bullard by signing veteran defensive midfielder Oliver Dacourt on loan until the end of the season. Dacourt was an important player during Leeds United’s time as genuine Premiership challengers and then spent three years at Roma. He then signed a two-year deal at Inter Milan, where he was originally going to be used as a backup player. However, a severe injury to Patrick Vieria saw Dacourt become a key player in Inter’s winning of Serie A in the 2006/07 season but missed half of the following season with a torn cruciate ligament. Jose Mourinho didn’t see Dacourt as part of his plans this season so he returned to the Premiership, where he also spent time at Everton 10 years ago.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Dacourt is coming to the end of his career but has the opportunity of one last crack at the Premiership wioth Fulham. He is vastly experienced and played some of the best football of his career during the successful Leeds United years before moving to Italy. With the influnential Bullard gone to pastures new, “The General” could prove an important player during the remainder of Fulham’s season.

27. Kevin Nolan

Teams Involved – Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United
Fee – £4 million

Kevin Nolan brought a 12-year stay at Bolton to an end in January, where he scored 50 goals in 345 first team appearances, to join Newcastle United on a four-and-a-half year contract. The midfielder had featured in each of Bolton’s 23 league matches this season, scoring one goal. Alongside Nicky Butt, he will add some authority to the Magpies midfield, which has lost Joey Barton to a long-term injury. He made an instant impact at his new club, clearing a goalbound effort off the line during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with rivals Sunderland on 1 February.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. A few seasons ago, Nolan was one of the most promising midfielders in the country. His tenacity and goal scoring ability alerted the attention of Liverpool, but a big-money move never transpired. He now joins a troubled club in Newcastle and will have to perform to the best of his abilities to avoid playing in the Championship with his new club next season.

26. Ben Watson

Teams Involved – Crystal Palace to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Former England Under-21 internation Ben Watson has been linked with several clubs over the past few months and looked set to join Middlesbrough in January. However, Wigan matched Boro’s offer and secured the midfielder’s services for the next three-and-a-half years. Watson totted up almost 200 appearances for Crystal Palace, including 21 in the Premiership in the 2004/05 season when the Eagles were relegated on the last day of the season.

Transfer Rating – 7/10. Full credit must be given to Wigan manager Steve Bruce who has moved quickly in the transfer market to replace his departed stars with quality players on a budget. Watson was named Crystal Palace’s Young Player of the Year in 2007 and he is bound to prove a worthy addition to the Latics squad.

WANT TO FIND OUT WHO IS THE TOP JANUARY TRANSFER? CLICK HERE TO COUNTDOWN TRANSFERS 25 TO 1!

Match Preview

Wigan will be looking to avenge an embarassing 4-0 thrashing at home to Villa earlier this season. However, the Birmingham club is on a roll this season and should even be a stronger side now that Emile Heskey has settled in by scoring on his club debut last week. Ironically, this match will feature the England striker making his home debut with Villa playing the club he just left. Norwegian Striker John Carew will also strenghten Villa as he’s recovered fom three months on the shelf with a back injury. However, Marlon Harewood is out with a foor injury and Ashley young is suspended. Captain Martin Laursen is also injured as is Nigel Reo Coker.

Wigan’s keeper Chris Kirkland could be back after missing the midweek draw with Liverpool with a back injury, but winger Antonio Valencia is still on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and newcomer Ben Watson is doubtful. Titus Bramble returns from suspension though.

Villa has won four and drew one in their last five games and are unbeaten in the last 11 league games. Wigan has won two, lost two and drew one in their last five, but are winless in the last three.

Line Ups

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, Luke young, Gardner, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Heskey, Agbonlahor

Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Osbourne

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa, De Ridder, Cattermole, Scharner, Brown, Koumas, Mido,

Subs: Pollitt, Edman, Watson, Rodallega, Cywka, Kapo, Camara

Live Blog

90+4′ The whistle blows and brings a hectic second half to an end and the final result is 0-0.

90+3′ Melchiot works it into the box and crosses for Watson, but Zat Knight is there to clear to safety.

90+1′ Three minutes are added and it’s a free kick for Wigan from 30 yards. Rodallega hammers it into the wall and then thumps the rebound wide.

90′ Davies finds Agbonlahor in the box and it results in panic for Wigan until it’s eventually cleared by Brown.

87′ Wigan finally get some possession in Villa’s end and it results in a free kick from just inside the left corner of the pitch. The kick goes over Mido’s head though.

85′ Free kick from 25 yards for Villa as Bramble takes Carew down and Brown is shown a yellow for dissent. Milner thumps the ball off of the wall though on the free kick.

83′ Kirkland comes out bravely from a backheader by Carew, but it’s called offside.

81′ Luke Young finds Agbonlahor inside the box and his left footer is hammered, but deflected over the bar from 12 yards.

78′ Things have calmed down for a few minutes now.

76′ Substitution for Wigan as Ben Watson comes on for Paul Scharner.

75′ It’s a rare free kick from inside the box, from about 10 yards out. It’s pushed wide to Carew who’s shot is saved and another goalmouth scramble ensues and Kirkland makes a brilliant diving by punching the ball out. It was a pinball sequence with the ball being cleared from the line twice.

74′ A corner from Wigan on the right side is headed away easily. Barry breaks down the right wing and his cross is pushed back to Kirkland from Brown and it’s called as a back pass.

73′ Carew takes a left footer from just inside the box that Kirkland goes down to make a fine save on.

72′ A free kick from Milner 10 yards out of the box ends up in front of the net and somehow the ball stays out in a mad scramble.

70′ Luke Young crosses from the left wing into the box for Agbonlahor who chests it down, turns and shoots high from 12 yards out.

69′ Bramble goes on the attack and hammers the ball over the net from 20 yards.

67′ A quarter of the game to go and Villa are starting to press a little more.

66′ Barry feeds Carew in the box, but his bicycle kick is mis timed.

65′ Another free kick, this time from 35 yards and it’s played out to Milner on the wing, but Wigan are able to clear it downfield.

64′ Free kick for Barry from 30 yards out and Heskey heads it harmlessly back to Wigan.

62′ Substitution for Villa as Craig Gardner departs for striker John Carew. Martin O’Neill is looking to keep the attack up now with added firepower up front.

60′ Curtis Davies of Villa gets the first yellow card as he crunches Michael Brown in a tackle.

59′ Gardner gets a free header, but it’s right into the arms of Kirkland. Wigan counter attack and Mido drives a shot that’s easily caught by Friedel.

58′ That was quite a bit of pressure there for a few minutes and Villa should have taken the lead. It may come back to haunt them in the end.

57′ Gardner breaks into the box and his shot deflects out for a corner which is cleared by Wigan for a second corner. This time Wigan finally get it clear to relieve the pressure.

55′ Figueroa takes down Gardner for a free kick about 10 yards outside of the box. Barry picks out Zat Knight in the box and Knight’s header rebounds off the post.

53′ There’s a lot more pace and spirit to this half already and it looks like both teams know all three  points are there for the taking.

51′ Agbonlahor breaks down the left side but his weak shot is aimed straight at Kirkland.

50′ Milner crosses from the left wing and Figueroa makes a mess of it with calls for handball from the fans. Again no penalty though, and rightly so.

48′ Gardner controls the ball in the box and there’s a question if he’s clipped by Jason Koumas, but no penalty is called.

46′ The second half starts with Wigan bringing on striker Hugo Rodallega for midfielder Daniel De Ridder.

Half Time. It has been a little disappointing so far with not much in the way of goalmouth action. There were some good saves though on the few shots that made it to the net, especially Friedel’s just before half time. You get the feeling that one goal could win this match and at the moment it looks like it’s up for grabs with possession being 50-50 in the first half. James Milner and Gareth Barry had good halves for Villa, while Titus Bramble had a decent showing for Wigan.

45+1′ What a save by Friedel! Figueroa is all alone in the box and Michael Brown picks him out for a free header, but the Villa keeper makes an acrobat save to keep it scoreless as the half time whistle goes.

45′ A corner for Wigan is headed out by Heskey.

42′ Nice ball from Barry to Luke Young just outside the box, but he can’t beat the defender.

39′ Barry crosses from the left wing and it’s a free header for Heskey, but he get’s no power on it and Kirkland has an easy time catching it.

38′ Villa are playing quite a few long balls today with about a 50% success rate so far.

36′ Scharner brings down Agbonlahor about 30 yards out. The free kick’s headed away by Scharner though.

33′ Barry brings down De Ridder just outside of the front right corner of the box. The free kick is headed away right to Cattermole, who proceeds to blast it over the net from 30 yards out.

32′ Milner skips away from Brown down the left wing, but can’t get any further.

31′ Heskey plays a fine ball through to Barry, but Barry isn’t ready for it.

28′ Another shot for Wigan and Friedel’s forced into a fine save this time as Melchiot sends De Ridder through and his right footer is met by a the rushing keeper.

27′ Paul Scharner finally takes a shot on net for Wigan but it’s well wide.

26′ Agbonlahor heads it down toward the post from a corner and it’s almost over the line, but a foul is called on Villa.

24′ Milner crosses from the left and Cattermole clears. Milner gets the ball back and crosses again and Agbonlahor gets his header on target and forces Kirkland into a fine save.

23′ It looks like Capello’s starting to doze off in his seat, can’t really say I blame him.

22′ Well a quarter of the game’s gone and I don’t think Villa keeper Friedel has had to touch the ball yet.

20′ Heskey rises for a header on the end of a long free kick from Villa’s own half, but it’s high in the air and Kirkland has no problem catching it.

19′ Milner whips it into the box only to have Titus Bramble intercept.

17′ Villa are taking their time and passing the ball around nicely, but it’s all in the middle of the park at the moment.

15′ Hand ball by Scharner and the free kick from the halfway line comes to nothing.

13′ Wigan are on the back foot and haven’t really controlled the ball in Villa’s half yet.

11′ Bramble kicks it out for a Villa corner which Barry delivers straight into the arms of keeper Kirkland.

8′ Barry streaks down the left side for Villa and unleashes a shot just outside of the box that is deflected wide, but is wrongly given as a goal kick.

7′ Figueroa takes down Gardner and he’s lucky to escape a yellow card. The free kick is whipped in from the right side, but the ball passes everybody and goes out of play.

5′ Corner for Villa from the left side, but Curtis Davies can’t keep his header down and it’s over the net.

5′ Boyce looks like he’s going to have his handsfull with Agbonlahor today.

4′ Agbonlahor crosses from the left wing past Heskey for  Gardner but he blasts it high and wide

3′ Villa are wearing black armbands in memoery of two former players.

1′ We’re underway with play in the midlle third of the park for the moment.

0′ Ryan Taylor is out for Wigan as it’s rumoured he could be swapped to Newcastle for Charles N’ Zogbia. I hope I pronounced that right.

o’ England manager Fabio Capello is in the stands, but he’s blown off course if he’s looking for Beckham.

0′ I don’t see Zaki in the lineup for Wigan and that’s gotta hurt. I also don’t understand why newcomer Hugo Rodallega isn’t starting up front with Mido. It’s a little bit on the negative side to me from Wigan.

0′ Rob Styles will be the referee today and Villa’s American keeper will be playing in his 176th consecutive premier game.

Reaction

Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa blew the opportunity to draw level with Man Utd, for a few hours at least. However, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Well, in the second half anyway. Villa had numerous chances to bury Wigan in the last 45 minutes, but somehow the ball miraculously never found the back of the net. I would credit luck for this and not Wigan’s defending. If Villa are going to seriously make a push for the title they will have to make sure they get all three points in games like these. It’s basically two points lost not one gained for Villa at this juncture of the season.

Man of the Match

James Milner had a good first half for Villa as did Gareth Barry. However, Milner’s performance tailed off in the last 45 minutes while Barry continued to shine. Figueroa ended up playing a solid game for Wigan and made a couple of important clearances from the goal line while helping out goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. Titus Bramble also played well. But for Man of the Match, I’d definitely go with Gareth Barry for his consistent display and his fine passing today. He picked men out in the box numerous times with some excellent balls.

Match Preview

Both managers could throw new players into the mix this evening, with Emile Heskey set to make his Aston Villa debut following a £3.5 million switch from Wigan Athletic, while Hayden Mullins could start for Portsmouth after moving from West Ham United.

It is Aston Villa who are in the better form, they sit fourth in the Premiership and are just three points behind leaders Manchester United.  Villa are looking for a fourth straight league win, while Portsmouth hover just three points above the relegation zone. Under new manager Tony Adams they are struggling, winning just twice in 13 league matches and have taken just two points from the last available 18.

Portsmouth could be without the creative Niko Krancjar while Ashley Young serves the second of his three match ban for Villa. Luke Young is once again available for selection for Martin O’Neill after completing his one match ban.

Line Ups

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Mullins, Belhadj, Crouch, Kanu.
Subs: Begovic, Nugent, Kaboul, Pamarot, Utaka, Mvuemba, Armand Traore.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Gardner, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor, Heskey.
Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Harewood, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Osbourne.

Goals

Aston Villa: Heskey (21′)

Live Blog

90+3′ The hard-working Mullins has Portsmouth’s last chance of an equaliser but his effort from 20 yards rolls out tamely for a goal kick and the referee blows the final whistle.

90+1′ Portsmouth are pressing for an equaliser but cannot get a quality ball into the box. Pennant, Kaboul and Crouch all try but fail.

90′ Villa look like they are going to return to the Midlands with maximum points. The fourth official announces three minutes of added time.

87′ John Utaka’s daily intake of cod liver oil pays off as he races past Petrov and finds himself into the box. Instead of shooting when he had the chance he tried to take an extra touch, allowing Friedel to collect the ball easily.

86′ Milner adds his name to the referees notebook after a clumsy tackle brought down Pennant. Glen Johnson tries an ambitious volley from 20 yards but it sails way over Friedel’s goal.

84′ The stats show Portsmouth have had 14 attempts on goal and nine on target, but it’s Villa who are winning with their solitary effort on target.

82′ An ironic cheer goes up after the assistant acknowledges an offside decision after Barry attempted to play through Milner. Heskey’s had enough for one evening and is substituted after a goal scoring debut. He is replaced by Shorey, who as his name suggests, attempts to shore up the Villa team with Martin O’Neill seemingly happy with a one goal lead.

79′ Petrov gets a yellow card after a diving tackle on the lively Pennant just seconds after Sidwell was played through but looked a mile offside. Not for the first time this evening Villa look to be getting favourable decisions from the assistant.

77′ Portsmouth are turning the screw despite being a man light. Pennant plays Utaka into the box but Davies tackles him to give Pompey corner number 17 of the evening.

75′ Utaka shows great acceleration for an old man, waiting in the box for the ball to bounce in front of him but his effort his blocked for a corner.

74′ Kanu is replaced by John Utaka. Kanu is allegedly 32 and Utaka is 27. I’m not convinced by either of their youthful claims. Curtis Davies heads over from a corner.

70′ Belhadj has a tantrum over which team had won a throw in. In all fairness, it was Pompey’s ball but the hot-headed Algerian gets a red card for his troubles. Some purists would argue he should have gone in the first half for the foul on Gardner.

68′ Portsmouth rack up the corners – they now have 14 but are not doing anything with them. Hreidarsson wastes the latest one by heading it harmlessly over the bar.

66′ Kanu takes the easy option from a long throw by David James and allows Cuellar to foul him. Well, I say foul, there was hardly any contact. Hreidarsson sends the ball in but Davies heads it behind for a corner.

64′ Milner sends in a cross but centre back Distin does what he has done all night, headed it away to safety.

62′ Portsmouth revert to doing what they do best, smashing the ball high and wide from distance. Sean Davis has a go this time and gets a corner for his troubles. Peter Crouch head’s it wide.

60′ Pennant’s enthusiasm in this game is great to see but his momentum takes him into the penalty area and he is bowled over despite not having the ball. There are some half-hearted appeals for a penalty, but only from the home supporters… and the optimistic Tony Adams.

58′ Peter Crouch wastes a gilt-edged chance to equalise. Pennant drags the ball across the face of goal but Crouch just stabs a foot at it from six yards out and sees it go over the bar. How on earth do some of these players transfer for so much money?

57′ Kanu chests the ball down beautifully for Belhadj who strikes the ball wide from just outside the box. Another decent chance goes to waste for Pompey.

54′ A counter attack from Aston Villa peters out to nothing but that is the danger for Portsmouth. They have played a lot better in the early stages of this half but you feel they could just as easily lose it as they could equalise. Distin then has to cut out an Agbonlahor cross into the box.

51′ A spell of Portsmouth pressure results in a corner – their eighth of the game. It curls in but is cleared behind by Milner who was alert on the near post because Friedel certainly wasn’t.

48′ Gardner is felled by Mullins, Barry sends the free kick into the Pompey box but it’s headed away by Distin. The counter sees Pennant smashing the ball fiercly from inside the box but Friedel palms it away comfortably.

46′ Portsmouth almost start the second half with 10 men because Sol Campbell’s replacement, Younes Kaboul, is late coming onto the pitch. He’s not exactly a favourite at Fratton Park at the best of times. Pennant has an early chance, drilling the ball low from inside the box but it’s easily saved by Friedel.

Half Time. Villa have been worth their lead and Emile Heskey, who scored just three times in 21 appearances for Wigan this season, made it one from one midway through the first half. Portsmouth resorted to lumping the ball forward for much of the half with absolutely no effect, despite Belhadj and Pennant looking decent when given the chance to play. Pompey had a couple of half chances, mainly from distance but Villa should have put this match to bed when Agbonlahor put an easy chance wide five minutes before the break.

45′ Chance for Portsmouth. Cuellar fails to deal with a high ball into the box and the freshly booked Belhadj volleys it high and wide.

44′ First booking of the game goes to Belhadj, who lost out to Gardner and just hacked him down from behind. At what point does a player think they are not going to get a yellow card, or worse, by doing this?

43′ Villa are finishing the half strongly. Campbell shut out a Heskey-bound cross from Agbonlahor and Pompey had to clear a ball into the box from Luke Young seconds later.

40′ Agbonlahor missed a glorious chance to put this game beyond Pompey. James’ goal kick cannoned of Davis and sent Agbonlahor clear but he rolled the ball wide from six yards out. He had the entire goal to aim for but tried to tuck it into the near post. Wrong decision.

39′ Milner wins another corner. It’s poorly dealt with and Heskey, turns, slips but manages to get a shot in from six yards. He puts it wide.

38′ Heskey looks like he’s rolling back the years. He links up well with Milner who sees a shot from inside the box deflected out for a corner.

37′ Portsmouth crank up the pressure and even the lumbering Sol Campbell comes up for a corner. If Villa break quickly he’ll never get back in time.

35′ Belhadj and Pennant combine for the former Liverpool winger to cross into the box, only for the goal-desperate Mullins to volley over from 12 yards.

34′ Portsmouth try to press and Glen Johnson wins a corner. Belhadj whips it in but it’s cleared by the head of Villa goal scorer Heskey.

30′ Cuellar crosses in a decent ball which is only headed away as far as Barry, who then curls the ball over the bar from just outside the box.

26′ Hreidarsson trips Craig Gardner on the edge of the Portsmouth box. The resulting free kick falls to Davies who attempts an audacious overhead kick in the area. It’s rubbish. Get back in defence Davies, you’re no Martin Laursen in the opposition area.

24′ Peter Crouch tries to reply quickly for Portsmouth but his shot from 20 yards is easily gathered by Brad Friedel.

21′ Goal! Portsmouth 0 Aston Villa 1. A goal kick is flicked on once and then again by Agbonlahor to Emile Heskey, who races through and fires home a debut goal low past David James.

19′ Considering it’s Villa who have the target man in Heskey, it’s Pompey who are trying to sling balls into the box with Belhadj and Pennant. It’s just a shame they are not very good at doing so.

17′ Hayden Mullins smells some debut glory for Portsmouth with an effort from 20 yards but it takes a wicked deflection out for a corner, which results in nothing.

16′ Petrov picks up a loose ball 20 yards out but curls the ball high and wide.

14′ Distin is sticking to Agbonlahor like glue and winning the ball off him at every opportunity.

13′ Agbonlahor loses out to Distin for the second time in five minutes – I thought this boy had pace?

12′ Barry whips in a cross to the obvious target that is Emile Heskey, though the ball is too high and goes out for a Portsmouth goal kick.

10′ Curtis Davies, a £10 million acquisition, miskicks on the edge of his own area but gets away with it.

7′ Pennant whips a ball into the box for the first time but Cuellar deals with it easily. Surely Pompey are not resorting to the long ball game this early on?

5′ Villa have started the better of the two and have pegged Pompey into their own half without really threatening on goal.

3′ Sean Davis fouls Gareth Barry, who delivers a free kick into the box which is headed away easily.

1′ The match gets underway with Villa and new signing Heskey kicking off.

0′ Adams makes four changes to the Portsmouth team which lost against Swansea in the FA Cup on the weekend. Luke Young returns after suspension for Villa, Steve Sidwell drops to the bench and Nigel Reo-Coker misses out completely.

0′ Transfer window signings Hayden Mullins and Jermaine Pennant line up for Portsmouth but Pele has not even made the subs bench. Aston Villa give a debut to Emile Heskey, who completed a £3.5 million move from Wigan last Friday.

0′ Portsmouth are unbeaten in five matches against Aston Villa, recording two wins and three draws since they were beaten 1-0 at Villa Park in March 2006. Tony Adams’ team are hovering precariously above the relegation zone and could do with a positive result this evening.

Reaction

Villa move up to third in the table and go joint on 47 points with Manchester United, well, for about 15 minutes until United’s resounding victory over West Brom is confirmed. Villa rode their luck at times but ground out a victory against Portsmouth who never gave up. Tony Adams’ side were vastly improved in the second half but the fact remains they have now taken just two points from the last 21. Mullins and Pennant appear to be good signings, with the latter looking exceptionally lively as Portsmouth chased an equaliser and Adams must believe the results will improve. If Belhadj kept his cool and not forced his team mates to play out the final 20 minutes without him, then they may have got the equaliser they tried so hard for. However, there is no denying Portsmouth lacked that final bit of quality and a better standard of opposition would not have drawn a blank against Martin O’Neill’s team with the number of chances Pompey created.

Man of the Match

For all Portsmouth’s huff-and-puff, the award has to go to the scorer of the winning goal, Emile Heskey. He has arrived at Villa Park to do a job and he did just that this evening. Heskey, as usual, put in a great hard-working performance and this was topped off with a well-taken goal. Heskey brings not only power, but pace to a team already blessed with players of devastating acceleration. The critics can no longer dismiss Villa as genuine Champions League contenders and they may even finish better than the fourth place they have been half-heartedly touted for now Heskey has joined the ranks.