Football news round-up 15-21 Mar

Sunday 21 March

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his side can win the title after they went top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over West Ham despite spending the entire second half with only 10 men after Thomas Vermaelen was sent off. A goal from Denilson, a penalty save from Manuel Almunia and a late converted penalty from Cesc Fabregas, his 18th goal of the season, sealed three points and Wenger said: “We have a good chance to do it this year. We want to win the trophy because we are all conscious we have won nothing yet. The hunger, the talent and I think the nerves are there." Title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United both play today, Sunday.
 
Arsenal expect to have striker Robin van Persie back at the club next week after undergoing treatment in Holland on his injured ankle which has already kept him out since November. Manager Arsene Wenger says the Dutchman will be out for at least another month.
 
Tottenham strengthened their grip on fourth place with a 2-1 victory at 10-man Stoke, who had Dean Whitehead sent off. Goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen, his first since signing on loan from Monaco, and Niko Kranjcar gave Spurs victory and now manager Harry Redknapp wants to keep Gudjohnsen at White Hart Lane. He said: “I want to keep him here next year. He's a real top player and he's got fantastic ability.”
 
Portsmouth, who only last week were docked nine points for going into administration, produced a morale-boosting 3-2 victory over Hull City thanks to a last-gasp goal from Kanu. His strike denied Iain Dowie a point in his first match in charge of Hull. Everton, meanwhile, made it seven home wins in a row in the Premier League as they beat Bolton 2-0 with goals from Mikel Arteta and Stephen Pienaar. And Aston Villa came from behind to draw 2-2 with Wolves, John Carew leveling with his second goal of the match in the 82nd minute. Darren Bent scored his 19th and 20th league goals of the campaign as Sunderland beat Birmingham City 3-1.
 
In the Championship, highlights included West Brom’s 3-2 victory over Preston that featured an outstanding performance from Scottish midfielder Graeme Dorrans, who scored with a stunning free-kick. The result leaves the Baggies just two points behind leaders Newcastle who were held 2-2 at Bristol City. Robert Earnshaw kept Nottingham Forest in contention, scoring the winner against Peterborough at the City Ground.
 
Rickie Lambert scored a hat-trick, sealed with a stunning long-distance lob, as Southampton won 3-0 at MK Dons in League One. It takes his tally to 30 for the season. Leaders Norwich were held 1-1 at Swindon after Gordon Greer equalised Grant Holt’s opener.
 
Rochdale came from 2-0 down at Accrington Stanley to strengthen their promotion push in League Two with a 4-2 away victory. Gary Jones scored twice to level before Chris O'Grady put Dale ahead, and sub Kallum Higginbotham added a stunning late fourth from the halfway line.
Rochdale now top the table by 11 points. Notts County are second following a 1-0 victory at Crewe, Mike Edwards the goalscorer.
 
In the Blue Square Premier, Luton grabbed the result of the day after winning 6-1 away at Ebbsfleet thanks to a hat-trick from Claude Gnapka.

Saturday 20 March

Arsenal have been drawn to face holders Barcelona in the Champions League quarter finals. The north London club will be looking to gain revenge after they were beaten 2-1 by the Spanish giants in the final back in 2006.

Manchester United have been drawn to face Bayern Munich in the last eight of the European Cup. United will have fond memories of beating the German side to win the competition back in 1999.

Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan will face CSKA Moscow while Lyon have been paired against French rivals Bordeaux in the other quarter finals.

Fulham’s reward for beating Juventus in the Europa League is a quarter final tie against German champions Wolfsburg.

Tottenham have suffered a major injury blow after striker Jermain Defoe was ruled out for a few weeks with hamstring injury. Manager Harry Redknapp said: "It's a grade-two tear but it will be a few weeks. He is struggling."

Tranmere were held to a goalless draw by Hartlepool at Prenton Park. Both clubs are near to the relegation zone in League One but failed to find the back of the net and had to settle for a point.

Sheffield United have signed Stoke keeper Steve Simonsen on a month-long loan deal. Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell said: "I wanted a recognised number one and Simonsen's done a good job at Stoke.”

Friday 19 March

Fulham completed one of the all-time great European comebacks after stunning Juventus to reach the quarter finals of the Europa League. Roy Hodgson's men overturned a 3-1 first leg defeat and thumped the mighty Italians 4-1 in an incredible match. Fulham looked dead-and-buried when David Trezequet made it 1-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate, but goals from Bobby Zamora, Zoltan Gera (2) and Clint Dempsey completed a remarkable comeback.

Elsewhere, Liverpool overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit to Lille to book their place in the quarter finals. Goals from Steven Gerrard and a double from Fernando Torres was enough as Rafael Benitez’s side won 3-1 on aggregate.

David Villa scored a hat-trick as Valencia drew 4-4 with Werder Bremen on the night - a result that was enough to take them through 5-5 on aggregate thanks to the away goals rule. Hamburg lost 4-3 away at Anderlecht but won 6-5 on aggregate, while Benfica saw off a spirited Marseille side to win 3-2 on aggregate and Standard Liege cruised past Panathinaikos to book their place in the next round.

On a thrilling night of Europa League action, Atletico Madrid drew 2-2 at Sporting Lisbon and therefore advanced on away goals.

Manchester United have secured their third major sponsorship deal in a week, with the Premier League champions signing a contract with South African telecoms giant MTN. The club have this week signed partnerships with Turkish Airlines and Telekom Malaysia.

On the field, there was more good news for United. England midfielder Owen Hargreaves played 45 minutes in a reserves match against Burnley, following an 18-month lay-off after double knee surgery. He said: "I have seen the inside of the gym for six hours every day and I am sick of it. I am so happy to be back."

Alex McLeish has opened talks regarding a new contract at Birmingham City. The 51-year-old’s current deal expires in 2011.

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is expected to be fit for the match against West Ham on Saturday. The Spanish midfielder has missed the matches with Porto and Hull City with a hamstring injury.

Tottenham are set to sign Brazilian midfielder Sandro, according to his club Internacional. Vitorio Piffero, president of the Brazilian club, said: “It should be done soon – probably before the weekend.”

Gary Johnson has left his managerial post at Bristol City by mutual consent, following a run of two wins from their past 12 games that has left the side seven points above the Championship relegation zone.

A spokesman for rap artist ‘P Diddy’ has confirmed the American, 40, is interested in buying Crystal Palace. The Championship club fell into administration on 26 January.

Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc reckons the presence of two French teams in the draw for the quarter final stages of the Champions League shows the quality of French league is improving. Lyon join Bordeaux in Friday’s draw and Blanc said: "It could well mean that French football has bridged some of the gap behind the big countries like Spain, England and even Italy.”

West Ham have named former Chelsea star Kevin Hitchcock as their new goalkeeping coach, following the departure of ex-goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko.

Thursday 18 March

Barcelona and Bordeaux have joined Manchester United and Arsenal in the last eight of the Champions League. Reigning champions Barcelona, inspired by Lionel Messi, swept aside Stuttgart 4-0 at the Nou Camp to claim a 5-1 aggregate victory, while Bordeaux’s 2-1 victory over Olimpiakos in France ensured they progressed 3-1 on aggregate. The draw for the last eight is on Friday.

Newcastle have restored their four-point lead at the top of the Championship after they beat Scunthorpe 3-0. The hosts were always in control and took all three points thanks to two goals from Andy Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands, who has now scored five goals in as many games.

In League One, Exeter secured their first victory since January as James Dunne scored in the last minute to beat Bristol Rovers 1-0. Exeter are now just one point off safety, while Rovers stay in ninth.

Hull City have confirmed Iain Dowie as their new manager. The former Crystal Palace, Coventry and QPR boss has signed a contract until the end of the season after replacing Phil Brown.

Chelsea security guard Steve Rowley has cleared England centre-back John Terry of blame after the defender reportedly ran him over after Inter’s Champions League victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. "It wasn't his fault at all, it was a complete accident,” said Rowley, who only suffered bruising and did not break his leg, as had been reported.

David Beckham is recovering well after surgery in Finland on his torn Achilles, his surgeon has announced. "He is recovering fine, he has been walking with crutches," said Sakari Orava. "He can move around a little bit more every day. (His recovery) is as expected."

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina says he will sign a new contract with the club within the next month. "It is really close and it (signing a new contract) is because they were good to me and I am grateful," said the Spaniard. “You will see something in a month or so. I am happy here and the club is happy with me so I have no problem at all. Talking to my family we believe there is no better place to be and that is why we will be here a bit longer, much longer."

Portsmouth have officially been docked nine points for entering administration last month. The south-coast club are now 17 points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League with just nine games left.

Wayne Bridge will be out for a month after undergoing surgery on a hernia.

Fulham midfielder Matthew Saunders has extended his loan deal with Lincoln City until the end of the season.

Wednesday 17 March

Arsenal and Manchester United will be the only two Premier League clubs in Friday’s Champions League quarter-final draw after Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge with Inter Milan to win 1-0 and defeat Chelsea 3-1 on aggregate.

CSKA Moscow are also through to the last eight following an impressive 2-1 win at Sevilla that secured a 3-2 aggregate victory.

England international James Milner kept Aston Villa in the race for the fourth Champions League qualification place as he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 Premier League victory at Wigan.

West Brom moved to within one point of Championship leaders Newcastle as two late goals enabled a 2-0 win at play-off contenders Swansea. Watford beat Ipswich 2-1 at Vicarage Road to ease their relegation worries, while Barnsley beat high-flying Nottingham Forest by the same scoreline, There were also wins for Doncaster, Plymouth, Cardiff City, Reading, Leicester City and Sheffield United.

England midfielder David Beckham has spoken for the first time following surgery on his torn Achilles tendon. He said: “I'm feeling positive and now concentrating on getting back to full fitness over the coming months.”

The Football League has signed a new three-year title sponsorship deal with npower. The deal replaces the arrangement with Coca-Cola and is reported to be worth £21 million.

Tottenham midfield duo David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas are set to hand the club a major boost when they return from injury against Stoke on Saturday. Meanwhile, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been ruled out of action for four weeks after suffering a torn calf muscle in the weekend defeat at his old club.

HM Revenue and Customs has dropped its challenge over Portsmouth’s move into administration. Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou said the club could now be out of administration inside two months.

Belgium youth international Mehdi Lazaar, who signed on a two-year scholarship deal in January, has finally been cleared to play for Burnley, according to a club spokesman.

West Ham central defender Bondz N'Gala has signed for Plymouth Argyle on loan for the rest of the season.

Bradford have signed Hull striker Ryan Kendall to replace Peter Thorne, who has had his contract terminated by mutual consent.

Tuesday 16 March

David Beckham has undergone surgery in Finland after rupturing his Achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan on Sunday night. The England midfielder has been ruled out of action for up to six months and will miss the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

Liverpool kept their Champions League ambitions alive with a 4-1 home win over Portsmouth on Monday night to move up to fifth in the Premier League. Fernando Torres netted twice while Ryan Babel and Alberto Aquilani also added their names to the scoresheet for Rafael Benitez’ side. Nadir Belhadj scored a late consolation for the visitors.

League Two promotion rivals Notts County and Bournemouth drew 2-2 at Meadow Lane. Substitute Jeff Goulding scored an injury-time equaliser for second-placed Bournemouth after Lee Hughes had twice put the home side ahead. Brett Pitman had levelled Hughes’ opener with a free-kick just after half-time.

England's Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures will be determined by a random draw after the countries in Group G failed to agree a schedule. Fabio Capello's side are drawn alongside Wales, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Switzerland.

Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties by Hull City and placed on gardening leave. Assistants Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of the first-team until further notice but Hull chairman Adam Pearson has said he hopes to announce a replacement in the coming days.

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho is fit to return from injury for his side's Champions League last 16 clash with Inter Milan on Tuesday night. The FA Cup holders head into the match 2-1 down after losing the first leg in Italy. Ross Turnbull will continue in goal due to injuries to Petr Cech and Hilario.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone has signed a new contract that will keep him with the club until 2015.

Bolton defender Gary Cahill is set to return to training this week, well ahead of schedule after being diagnosed as having a blood clot in his left arm at the start of February.

Middlesbrough midfielder Willo Flood will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a cruciate knee ligament in training.

Monday 15 March

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has revealed England winger Aaron Lennon is still some way off recovering from a groin injury as he battles to be fit in time for the World Cup. Redknapp said: “We just can't get him right. He's had a few goes and broken down. He's been back to the specialist. We're taking our time again. He works every day with the physios and hopefully he will be working back outside shortly but he's not ready to join the group again. He's quite a way off.”
 
Chelsea have moved quickly to deny reports Ashley Cole is likely to miss the World Cup following a set-back in his recovery from a broken ankle. A spokesman said: “The club's medical staff are delighted with Ashley's operation and the treatment he's received so far. Contrary to reports, he's recovering extremely well from his injury and he's bang on schedule."
 
Wayne Rooney scored twice to take his tally to 32 for the season as Man United went top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Fulham. Dimitar Berbatov also scored.
 
Adam Johnson scored a spectacular last-minute equaliser for Manchester City as they drew 1-1 at Sunderland. Kenwyne Jones put the home side ahead but winger Johnson curled home a superb leveller.
 
Liverpool have received a £118.5m investment bid from private equity firm Rhone Group, according to a report from the Press Association, although it has yet to be discussed by the club’s board.
 
United States international Landon Donovan has ended a loan spell at Everton and returned to LA Galaxy. Everton say they were unable to negotiate an extension to the deal.
 
Dundee United held Rangers to a 3-3 draw in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, coming from 3-1 down. Andis Shala, a Steven Whittaker own goal and Mihael Kovacevic’s 80th minute strike did the job for the Tangerines.