Oh, How England Needs a Big Night In The Champions League Tonight

IF ever there was a time English clubs could do with a Champions League boost, it’s right here, right now. How grim was all that last night?

Arsenal and Chelsea go in to their opening games this evening knowing there has rarely been a worse first night for the English Premier League, usually so dominant in Europe.

There were signs last season that the EPL’s grip was loosening and with United held 0-0 by Scottish champions Rangers at Old Trafford and Spurs relinquishing a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Werder Bremen’s Weserstadion, it was not a night to remember.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps mindful of his roots in Glasgow, pronounced himself merely “disappointed” with a truly dreadful deadlock while Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was “frustrated” after what he called “a perfect opening 43 minutes”.

Though FC Twente, the Dutch champions managed by Englishman Steve McClaren last season, held holders Inter Milan 2-2, the Spanish big guns fired with some gusto – Lionel Messi scored a cracker in Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Greeks Panathinaikos while Valencia crushed Turkey’s Bursasport 4-0.

Further Anglo gloom was added by the awful ankle injury suffered by Antonio Valencia. Oh, and the much-hyped return to action of Wayne Rooney was hardly worth staying up for either. He appeared to hurt his own left ankle and did little on the field – other than pull his shirt over his head when he saw the extent of Valencia’s injury.

The £16m Ecuadorian has a fractured and dislocated ankle – much like those suffered by Arsenal’s Eduardo and Wasps rugby player Danny Cipriani in recent years – which left his boot at right angles to his shin. He’ll be out for the rest of the season. At least.

In the light of Valencia’s injury, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who welcomes Portugal’s unfancied Braga to the Emirates Stadium tonight, chose an apt time to talk about Abou Diaby’s injury. He suffered a heavy challenge from Bolton’s Paul Robinson on Saturday.

Robinson wasn’t booked – in fact Arsenal didn’t even get a free kick. Diaby must wait for the swelling to subside before a diagnosis can be made but Wenger raged: "It's the ankle on which he had surgery. We don't know how long he will be out. The tackle was very bad. I cannot protect the players; only the FA can do that.

"I love the English game but people are more interested in controversy than protecting the players. Why should I create another story? You asked me how the tackle was and it was bad.

“But I don't know if my views are taken seriously. Diaby has been injured from an unfair tackle. I've watched it 10 times and it is an unfair tackle.”

Yes, we get it Arsene. It can get nasty out there. Now get on with winning a trophy. It’s overdue.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti took a more typical approach to his side’s trip to Slovakian Double winners MSK Zilina. He made the now traditional Blues prediction: "This club deserves to win the Champions League. But to win, you have to deserve it not for the past, but we have to do it for the present.”

With Didier Drogba suspended as he always is at the start of a new European dawn, 21-year-old Daniel Sturridge, 21, will start up front.

Ancelotti named his side early, saying: "I've never seen a player as quick as Sturridge. He has improved a lot in the past year. He has improved his character, his professional behaviour. He has matured.

"We want to involve more young players compared to last season. Gael Kakuta played on Saturday, and on Wednesday we will play Daniel Sturridge from the beginning."

The English champions certainly have the talent and depth to do better than their three English rivals. But whether they can match Barcelona, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid – who face Ajax tonight – or Bayern Munich – who host Roma – is another matter completely.

Tonight’s schedule in full:

AC Milan v Auxerre, GpG, 19:45

Arsenal v Braga, GpH, 19:45

Bayern Munich v Roma, GpE, 19:45

CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca v Basle, GpE, 19:45

Marseille v Spartak Moscow, GpF, 19:45

MSK Zilina v Chelsea, GpF, 19:45

Real Madrid v Ajax, GpG, 19:45

Shakhtar Donetsk v Partizan Belgrade, GpH, 19:45

Let's not rain on Chelsea's parade... pieces of eight and a Golden Boot for Didier Drogba

THERE are those who would rain on Chelsea's parade. As they swept to the Premier League title in style yesterday, some would suggest they live in cloud cuckoo land, where the golden eggs are owned by a Russian high-flier called Roman Abramovich.

But until Chelsea's sweetest of sugar daddies decides to fly the nest at Stamford Bridge, we can do nothing but applaud the millionaires of west London.

Their barely credible 8-0 triumph left Manchester United fans - who desperately needed a slip-up against wallopees Wigan - whistling loudly in defiance of their foreign owners, the Glazers as they swept to a 4-0 win over Stoke.

There was no sign of a "green and gold until the club is sold" protest at Stamford Bridge, where Abramovich's debt builds in the background, not in the bright red mortgage department.

Italian Carlo Ancelotti, a champion in his first season, said: "The most important thing is that we enjoyed it. The worst moment was losing to Inter Milan in the Champions League but we had a good reaction.

"Jose Mourinho did fantastic work here, two titles conscutive, but I hope to do the same thing. Now we must win the FA Cup, the double. I hope my players recover quickly!"

John Terry, carrying the trophy and a jubilant Solomon Kalou, said: "It's been a hard three years watching Manchester United lift this. It's been an up-and-down year. We went to Wigan and got beat quite comfortably."

He refused to be drawn on the affair which cost him the England captaincy, and grinned: "Carlo Ancelotti leaves it to us to play our own game. Amazing. This is what it's all about. Forget everything else. We deserved this."

While the nation struggles to comes to terms with a political power struggle after last week's inconclusive general election, the party in Blue grasped leadership emphatically on the last day of League action this winter.

And of course, they've got the FA Cup final against rock-bottom, bankrupt Portsmouth to come at Wembley next week. Aaron Mokoena and crew must be dreading that one after seeing another goal fest at the Bridge. Chelsea's first domestic double is on.

After an unseemly spat over who would take the first penalty - Frank Lampard instructed Didier Drogba it was his job until the title was sealed (above) - the Ivory Coast star struck a second half hat-trick to confirm his status as the Golden Boot wearer, taking his tally to 29. That left him three head of Wayne Rooney, who was substituted, goalless, at Old Trafford in a 4-0 win over Stoke City.

Chelsea started the day on 95 goals for the season, two behind United's Premier League record of 97. As they cruised past the century to a new high of 103, Arsenal were securing third place with a 4-0 win over Fulham, who were probably contemplating their Europa League final against Atletic Madrid at Hamburg.

Spurs, still celebrating their first ever Champions League qualification, had already sealed fourth despite relinquishing a 2-0 lead to go down 4-2 against relegated Burnley. What a shame, blotting manager of the season Harry Redknapp's revival.

For Liverpool, there was to be no reputation-salving end-of-season performance against doomed Hull, just another gormless 0-0 draw against inferior opposition.

West Ham, who finished just above the relegation zone, held crest-fallen Manchester City to a 1-1 draw, Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 at Blackburn, Bolton edged Birmingham 2-1, Wolves saw off Sunderland 2-1 and Everton handed Portsmouth a 1-0 defeat before their Wembley finale.

And so it ends, a season of controversy and conflict, with the nation lifted by the presence of injured England stars like Ashley Cole - who scored Chelsea's eighth - Aaron Lennon and Rooney before the World Cup next month.

But let me leave you with this thought. If the economic collapse which destroyed Greece is really about to sweep through Europe and the big money leaks out of the game, who will be left standing?

With Liverpool seeking new owners, Manchester United seeking to get rid of the Glazers and Chelsea relying on the charity of a Russian while Spurs spend way beyond their means, perhaps the side in third place deserve a final mention.

Arsenal, lowest nett spenders in the top five by a considerable margin since the Premier League began in 1992, may be the last club standing. They live within their means and the stubborn Arsene Wenger will hear nothing of profligacy.

By this time next season, Arsenal might be the only top club to evade the fate Portsmouth suffered this season. But that, I guess, would be raining on Chelsea's parade. And I wouldn't dream of doing that.

Chelsea All But Claim Title As Liverpool Let Manchester Utd Down. Badly

THEY think it's all over. Barring a miracle, it is now. Chelsea have won the Premier League title, ripping the trophy from Manchester United with an all-too-easy 2-0 win over limp Liverpool at Anfield. So much for Sir Alex Ferguson's great psychological attempt to win up the Reds this week.

Next Sunday, Wigan head to Stamford Bridge as extras in Carlo Ancelotti's coronation. Of course, if the lowly Latics were to get a result, the race would open up again. But that's about as likely as the world's No1 snooker player being filmed taking money in the Ukraine to lose frames.

Which is exactly what happened this morning, according to the New of the World. But I digress. It isn't going to happen.

Manchester United go to their old captain Steve Bruce's Sunderland later today, where another comfortable win is expected. They've got Stoke in their final game next Sunday, but even a second easy win will do them no good.

The days when lowly sides with nowt to play for grabbed unexpected points at this crucial stage of the season appear to be behind us. Back in 1995, Liverpool beat Blackburn on the final day in front of a silent Anfield. That opened things up for hated rivals United, but they failed to take advantage against an equally determined West Ham.

Sir Alex, striving to rouse the Reds after their Europa Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid last Thursday, talked about "the proud traditions of Liverpool." And told Rafa Benitez is was his job "to rouse the players for one last effort". Benitez appears to have other matters on his mind. Like his next job.

Sadly, Liverpool's proud tradition now appears to be merely to annoy United rather than take them on at their own game. The Champions League and fourth place is now beyond them. Rafa is apparently off to Juventus, post-operative Fernando Torres watched what could be his last Liverpool game from the sidelines, and Steve Gerrard - also rumoured to want-away - blundered with an horrendous back pass for Didier Drogba's opening goal.

Sad, sad times for Liverpool, great days for Chelsea, who can now do more than contemplate their first ever domestic double... with Portsmouth to come in the FA Cup final on 15 May, they can taste it.

As a contest, Liverpool v Chelsea disappointed on all fronts. It wasn't as if Chelsea started like Champions-elect. While the Championship's final games were being played around the nation, with Crystal Palace condemning Sheffield Wednesday to relegation amid frightening scenes, this was a damp squib. Liverpool did exactly what their "Anything But United" fans wanted.

Vaguely competitive for the first half-hour, it was two minutes past three when Gerrard, under huge pressure off the field, made his wonder blunder. Reminiscent of his backpass to Thierry Henry when England played France a few years ago, he simply picked out Drogba and the damage was done.

Referee Alan Wiley turned down to huge Chelsea penalty appeals - the second one, listless Lucas bringing down Salomon Kalou - really got the Blue blood pumping.

But all that meant nothing when Frank Lampard scored his 21st League goal of the season in the second half, sliding in on Nicolas Anelka's cross ten minutes into the second half.

Chelsea will be flying home while United play Sunderland, so they won't know if they've won the title until they land in London. Drogba said afterwards: "We've waited for this moment for a long time, but we will probably have to win our last game.

"Gerrard made a big mistake, but he didn't do it on purpose. It was a big win for us."

Gerrard's close friend Jamie Carragher, analysing for Sky, said: "He's done it a few times in his career. It's lazy play from Gerrard. I know what the conspiracy theorists will be saying. But I just don't think this Liverpool team is good enough.

"Rafa looks like a manager who doesn't want to be there anymore. You live and die by your signings and he hasn't made quite enough good signings in his five years. To not even finish fourth is a big thing.

"The two crown jewels, Torres and Gerrard, will be looking at this. I don't know if they'll be there at the end of the summer. That would be a disaster, Liverpool fans deserve better than that."

Lampard, voted Man of the Match, said: "I won't say we've got one hand on the trophy, but this was a huge win for us. We couldn't drop points or United would have taken advantage.

"The Liverpool fans got behind their team, but it was nice when they clapped us off at the end, that could be about United."

Boss Ancelotti. headed for the title in his first season, said: "Fantastic result, we are very happy. But we may have to wait until the last game. We have to think about the last game.

"This was a difficult step against Liverpool at Anfield, but we did tactically very well. We are waiting, we are in a very good situation."

Pulled back by assistant Ray Wilkins after the big penalty decision, he said: "I lost my control, but after that it was good. I kept good control of my emotions.

"To win the Premier League in my first season would make me very happy. We have worked for 10 months, my players always maintain a good atmosphere in training. But we always said this Premier League will be decided in the last game and I think that will be so."

Sir Alex, talking before the Sunderland game, said: "It's hard to expect them to win against Chelsea. It's not the result we wanted. But there's nothing we can do about it.

"My players will get the vibes from the Sunderland fans. You can't always win everything. But if we win today, we can take it to the final game. But that was an opportunity. Going to Anfield is usually a hard game. But not today."