21/04/2013 Match of the Day 2

All for trains in action today have dreams of returning to Europe's

premier competition -- four the teams. For two it is in the balance,

for one it is a long-term ambition and it all makes for a Match of the

Day 2 that is unmissable and the company of Alan Hansen and Robbie

Savage, quite the menu and our first course comes from Anfield.

He is back. The man who masterminded Liverpool's last

European Cup victory returns to Anfield for the first time. Instead

of plotting another Chelsea downfall, however, he will be

sitting in the away dug-out, aiming to hold Brendan Rodgers's progress.

The Blues are to lead away from the Europa League final and looking

good for a top-four finish at their midweek win at Fulham. Liverpool

will be hoping to get back to winning ways, drawing inspiration

from last year's 4-1 victory. Guy European champions again in a

sometimes stormy six years. Now he faces them in charge of the

departing the European champions for an always stormy six months.

Liverpool make one change from last week, with Stewart Downing taking

Daniel Sturridge's place. For Chelsea, at John Obi Mikel and

Oscar come in and the staff for Fernando Torres, not quite so

warmly welcomed back as Benitez. -- and a start. An extra special

meaning to those words today. Before the off, a moment to pay

tribute to the tireless Hillsborough campaign Ann Williams,

who sat the past awake on Thursday, and took shows support for the

people of Foster and -- to show support for the people of Boston,

who have links to the City of Liverpool.

back, but toe pokes it wide. -- Johnson and let it run. A lovely

bit of understanding between the fullback and Luis Suarez. Brendan

Rodgers's 50th game in charge of Liverpool, is 200th game as a

manager overall. He has come along different to get a shot on target,

nesting in it. Rafa might want to watch the game. Just a short wave,

he will have to continue with that Headed towards goal and Chelsea

take the lead! Oscar has headed them in front in front of the Kop.

Little personal marking Jules going on all over the box but nobody

picked up Oscar. And from seven yards out, he scores a very good

headed goal. Jamie Carragher followed him too late and that took

some technique, steering it in just where the goalkeeper could not do

anything about it. Into double figures, his 10th Chelsea goal but

only his second in the Premier spectacularly against Fulham --

David Luiz. And Pepe rain nearly lost it. Chelsea are claiming he

nearly did spirit over the line. -- spill it over the line. It is

their team. They are a little bit front, and this is the closest that

Liverpool have come to scoring -- two ands. A very satisfactory first

are to extend their run of four almost did the splits in keeping

that said with his left boot. Chelsea's penalty-area is under

siege. Sensational stuff from He has been brilliant ever since

coming on for the start of the second half. Look at this. Stewart

Downing, one, Suarez, two, and the third such was decisive. A little

look to see if he was onside. is being followed by Jordan

Henderson and he is trying to draw the referee's attention. Chelsea

shed handball. Handball it is, Chelsea had a penalty. Liverpool's

turn to be incensed by a decision. It was, though. They cannot argue,

it is Luis Suarez. His left hand is have their lead back, quite

literally handed to them by Luis Suarez. You can feel his anguish.

Eden Hazard was giving the goalkeeper the eyes, and he just

stepped up as though it was a routine day on the training field.

corner. It was a promising Liverpool break but it never really

got into top gear. What has happened next? Ivanovic is down and

Luis Suarez is being spoken to And Luis Suarez does, he does

exactly that. That is quite Ivanovic showed incredible

restraint. If they Mac had sunk his choppers into Chopra Harris, I

don't think he would still be A lovely touch from Sturridge,

Henderson kept his cool. Jonjo Bertrand. Literally straight into.

The Liverpool players are saying they should get it out wide to

Jonjo Shelvey. David Luiz is furious, having words with Jamie

Carragher. Jamie Carragher shouldn't be raising his hands. He

won't like it that David Luiz is rushing towards him. It is not

great from Sturridge, you have got to say. He was a bit late and a bit

over the ball. It is fair to say these two groups of players are not

is going to be three points for Chelsea. It is going to be a first

win for Chelsea in six Premier look at the watches, one on either

wrist. Maybe time for one more ball into the box. Luis Suarez! He does

it! Wouldn't you just know it? Quite, quite incredible. Right on

the whistle. Controlled header back to Sturridge. Then he set about

getting in just the right place, he is onside, it is a super header.

Hero, villain, back to hero again in one half of football. You just

cannot keep Luis Suarez out of any game for the second. Liverpool have

bitten back. If you think time had run out?

is one of the traits we are trying to instil in the team, we have

scored a lot of goals in the 70th- 80th minute, and we need to keep

going into extra time. It is incredible to see six minutes and

45 seconds. It is difficult to understand in any game. You cannot

see too many games with five or six minutes, it is difficult. I has it

been explained where the time came from? It does that matter could be

won not change things. Why do you always get goals so late? We have

the best fans in the world and when there is hope and belief in the Kop,

they help you suck the ball in. They get behind the team, every

decision, and you can feel it as a player. You lift yourself. That

game would have gone on another five or 10 minutes and we would

have been the winners. I am sure you will have been made aware of

the Luis Suarez and Ivanovic biting incident. I couldn't see it.Are

your players upset about it? were not talking about that, we

were disappointed with the late goal. I was not happy that every

time he is close, he pushes the defenders around and make the space

around himself, so this is what I was complaining to the referee,

because he does it every time and we conceded a goal like that at

home, that was my comment. Obviously now I know what happened

but I didn't see it at the time. doubt you have been made aware of

his tangle with Ivanovic. I have been made aware that I can't say

anything until I reviewed by self-. I have come in straight after the

game and looked at the opportunities, so we will review

that after the game. It looks bad, what can you say to a player if it

is proving he has tried to take a chunk out of his arm? There will be

something to be said, but once it has been reviewed and I have had a

look at it, we'll take it from was an acceptable and he has made

him aware of that. We have had quotes from everyone, including Luis

Suarez, he apologises for the inexcusable behaviour and said he

was deeply sorry for what happened. He has tried to contact Ivanovic and

says he would like to apologise to minutes, that's changed in one bite.

We were watching in disbelief at what he had done. He was having an

impact in the game, and for him to disgraceful. It should not happen.

It is as simple as that. For Clark, Liverpool against Chelsea, we expect

good things and bad things, but we expect good things and bad things,

but we're not expecting anything like this, absolutely appalling.

he did it we will never know. He has got previous, there is obviously a

massive flaw in the character. To watch these pictures that will be

going right around the world, it is horrific for Liverpool football

club, the history, tradition, and for the player himself. When he sees

these images, you know... The will be apoplectic. It is just

you cannot defend that, the evidence is so conclusive. It is shocking!

He's a brilliant player who has had a brilliant season, and the losers

of this will be Liverpool, but lots of clubs will be wanting to take

him. We will get to the flawed genius in a second, but we are

talking about previous, this was for Ajax in 2010, and this time he drew

blood. This was his last game for Ajax. Remarkable that, you know, he

has had previous, and that is probably worse than the one today.

To do it again is just basically beyond belief. Flawed genius is,

history throws them up all the time, and incidents like these are

remembered for ever, whether it is Cantona and his kung fu kick, the

spitting. It is Luis Suarez and the bite, a flawed genius, does he

naturally get more leeway? Absolutely, if you are a valuable

commodity to the football club, they will give you more leeway. That is

taken for granted, because there is no way... I mean, as I said before,

if Liverpool lose Suarez, you know, where will they go from there? How

can they replacing? At the club doing the right thing, the club

saying it is an acceptable for anyone in a Liverpool shirt to do

that, he is a discredit to himself. -- an acceptable. I think they have

done the right thing, come out and make that statement. Suarez has to

be dealt with by the FA, he will be dealt with internally. How many

games banned? What are we looking at question mark He has not harmed

anybody. There is previous before. Those scenes, you cannot get away

from it, absolutely appalling. The difference between this and most

other indiscretions is that nothing triggered it. There was a coming

together with Ivanovic, Liverpool against Chelsea, knocking margin

that one. -- nothing much in that he has a little flick at Suarez. But

every time Suarez plays, you expect this, defenders will try it. Again,

a coming together. But nothing malicious, nothing untoward. Again

year, they are at each other. And then walking off, there is a

sarcastic part on the head from Suarez, but you would never expect

what followed on. That is Suarez in any game. This is the good side,

look at that pass to Sturridge, he picked the ball out at that pace,

what an unbelievable talent. But this flaw in his game. Here, the

handball. What a day!But, I tell you what it will be, so many teams

will take him, even for indiscretions as bad as that. If he

was to go on the transfer list, in, but the finish is absolutely

phenomenal. And you would describe it as a hell of a day for Luis

Suarez. I want to clear something up quickly, Rafa Benitez said six

minutes 39 seconds, we did have a look through that, and when the ball

was held about 90 minutes, there was a substitution by Chelsea, they took

quite a while to get off the pitch, 41 seconds of inaction. That may be

widely played extra minute. Suarez should not be on the page, and the

goal has come... But in terms of the timing? The 40 seconds after the six

minutes, I think Chelsea were hard this is a knucklehead thing to do, a

baby of three, there is a document with it, especially here, and that

went around the world, the worldwide trends on Twitter, absolutely

bizarre, footballers that Suarez might want to eat! That trended more

than the incident. Full. Bacary Lasagne Full. Robbie will tell you

who decided to follow Luis Suarez on Twitter. Unbelievable, Mike Tyson.

You cannot make that up! Unbelievable! That is how big the

story is. If it were not for Suarez, we might be talking about

Sturridge. Liverpool in the first half were quite good, and this guy,

when he came on, he had a buzz about him, pace, power. He wants the ball,

he has got his arms in the air. He has good vision, he looked around,

great strike. He changed the game totally when he came on, a great

substitution, fabulous ball from Suarez, a delicate finish, he just

cushioned it beautifully. Chelsea might argue that both strikers

should not have been on the pitch. There is the challenge there. I

think that is a yellow card personally, I think the referee has

got that right. I think that is a yellow card. He is lucky to get away

with that. On another day, he is off. Not a huge amount to talk about

in that game, so we will move on! A real chance for Spurs to play

themselves right back into the top four mix, but standing in their way

at White Hart Lane was a red-hot Manchester City. April is not a

great time to be a Spurs fan, they have lost more matches this month

than any other Premier League club, they were third and month ago but

have now dropped out of the Champions League places and are even

a point worse off than at this stage last season, four points from their

last four games is not good enough. Manchester City have the FA Cup

Final to look forward to, but the title race is all but over.

Mathematically, they can still catch United, but they are 15 points

behind with a team to play for, and defeated a would give Fergie's side

the chance to win the league tomorrow. Your commentator is Steve

sprint, not a marathon, and a win for Manchester City would all but

guarantee them champions league football next season. Defeat for

Spurs, it might look like the Europa League, which would be a major

disappointment. Gareth Bale is worth anything up to �100 million

depending on which a Sunday paper you read, and he returns for

Tottenham today against one of the top four at the start of play. --

away from getting aid to in on that, decent play by Dempsey taking on

police chief. City with Tevez Nasri! Manchester City are in front

with their first attack of the game, goal by Manchester City. Walker on

the line for Tottenham Hotspur just could not reach it from Nasri, five

minutes, first attack, Tottenham zero, Manchester City 1. The first

four and a half minutes were pretty the shout of pain from Lee Mason. He

is not inclined to give anything. Oh, my goodness, that is high from

Nasri, over the top of the ball and very painful and very dangerous.

Samir Nasri is a bit lucky he is only walking off the pitch to get a

word in easier from David Platt, because he could have been walking

rushes from his goals and ate him up. It is, by a long way,

Tottenham's best chance, though, picked out brilliant by Dempsey, but

to be honest, the Joe Hart save City, it has come too late, eight

wins in nine if you take in the FA wide. Well, he might have doubled

Manchester City's ad vantage year, maybe he should have, but I think

you have to credit Vertonghen, who Manchester City fans, Roberto

to his right hand side, he got down affected by Scott Parker. It was,

and it is another corner. -- save. Stuck his hand out quickly

Dempsey. Manchester City would have been incensed to concede from an

unchallenged header from a corner, but they nearly did. He is looking

for signs that Spurs are going to this. Not a very good clearance by

Colin Walker and smashed back by it into the top corner from this

kind of range. Col the Rock was aware of that. -- Aleksandar

went over. Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany had a moment of indecision

between them and Dempsey nearly sniffed his way through. Tottenham

fans are appealing for anything and everything they think will bring

Dempsey put City in! -- Clint Dem card for his protests, but

discounts. Walker to Bale and Dempsey pokes Tottenham level. It

is 1-1 with 15 minutes to go. Tottenham have toiled and crafted

through this game and created very little, and even the end, the goal

Defoe goes for goal and scores! What a goal by Jermain Defoe! His

first since Boxing Day, it is huge simply cannot believe the

turnaround. Manchester City are behind. It is a good ball into

Defoe but he still has so much work to do. One step inside and a

brilliant curling shot beyond Joe Hart and the whole game has turned

on its head. A great shot of a great golf. -- goal. What a noise

Hotspur. It is Bale, it is brilliant, it is three! 3 Tottenham

Hotspur goals in seven minutes, Manchester City are blown apart by

Spurs. Wonderful goal. Just a delightful finish from Gareth Bale.

And that will probably win this game and leave Manchester United

one winds from the title. -- windmacro. Argue all you like about

to the footballer of the year should be, there is no doubt about

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 41 seconds

who Tottenham's should be, it is minutes and 20 seconds mean that

for Tottenham Hotspur and the Champions League places, it is game

on. It means that for Manchester City and the Premier League title,

it is game over. What a different mood in the

dressing room after that. Yes. A great game. We did ever so well to

come back into it. Our first half, we weren't playing with confidence

and credit to them, I think the boys understand that they have been

in that position before at half- time where we were losing and we

always have the desire to come back in two games, we have to It Against

numerous teams at White Hart Lane before. -- done it. I can't believe

we have lost this game, we had it under control and we played very

well full 80 minutes. And we had the chance to score. This is our

problem this year, when we have the chances, we don't score. Today is

the mirror of our season, because we played very well, Tottenham is a

very good team, but we had the chance to score a second goal and

to close the game. We knew if we got one goal, it would get us back

in the game and I thought the boy showed a lot of character and were

able to get those three points. We have to get those points and it is

in our hands. I think in the end, Manchester United deserved to win

this title. And you think that will happen tomorrow? I don't know, this

is not important for us. We have another five games and we need to

win these games. Manchester United and Aston Villa tomorrow, they will

be odds-on to win the league. 60 minutes into Liverpool and Chelsea,

famous last words, I said to Alan, there is no way that Liverpool and

Chelsea will have as many talking points as that again. But after the

game, you changed shirts but there was a moment in that game when you

thought it had happened in it. was so good for 65, 70 minutes and

two of the best players in the country and the world, Vincent

Kompany and Gareth Bale, Vincent Kompany was omnipotent for the

first 70 minutes and Bale was invisible, then it was reversed.

Bale came to life. The situation here, I am the centre box --

centre-half in the box and you are Bale. I want to take a position

where my weight is neutral, so I can go left or right. If my weight

is on my left side, I cannot go right and if it is on my right side,

how can it go left. When Gareth Bale crosses it, his weight is on

his right foot, so he cannot get left and Dempsey scores. All will

be revealed. As I say, we haven't seen Bale until this. He sparks

into life, the run is timed to perfection. The assistant kids in

Mosside and he is not offside. This is where I thought he had come to

life. -- the assistant gives him offside. Vincent Kompany gets into

a tangle with the goalkeeper here and they get away with it. And he

sort of half panics. Now, this is a great all in, but Vincent is on his

left foot, left foot, weight is neutral but then he goes on to his

right foot and the ball is played past him. He cannot get said. He is

trying, it is three yards and Dempsey is behind him, his weight

is neutral. And for this, he has got to take the forward down the

line. You cannot let him cut inside you. How many times have we seen

him cut in on his right foot and do this? Again, it is magnificent.

Bale, we track his run, it is phenomenal, the run, the pace and

the finish is sensational. It is a game that City should never have

lost but credit to Tottenham for coming back into it. And you have

to give credit to the manager, the substitution seemed they would gain

changing. Certainly a day for substitutions. -- Game changing.

Now I am the new Gareth Bale, it is professional of me to say that

Vincent Kompany wasn't the only one who had a wall. Roberto Mancini

will be desperately disappointed with the goals they conceded in

quick succession. They were in control, and manual either bile was

ineffective and the team were playing well. But this is the first

goal -- and by your was ineffective. But there are so many errors by

experienced players. Manchester City have eight players in the box.

Gael Clichy's effort to get to the ball is pathetic. He shouldn't be

going... He should be going out wide, they should be communication

with Aleksandar Kolarov. Gareth Barry should be going in for

Jermain Defoe. And Zabaleta should be covering the list hold be. None

of that happens, and it is a tap-in for Dempsey. The second goal, the

space is unoccupied in the pitch because Gareth Barry is tying his

shoelaces in open play. Zabaleta, forward thinking, as he has been

all season, he runs forward. Samir Nasri loses it and his reaction is

pathetic and Alan Said, Vincent Kompany has to live show Jermain

Defoe down the line. I have seen him do this so many times. Vincent

Kompany is the captain of his country and Manchester City and has

to do better. How bad is Gareth Barry at tying his shoelaces? Just

did you are watching, that is it, all done. He has had a good season,

Gareth Barry, but he should be tying his shoelaces when the ball

goes out of play. It is all nicely connected, this analysis, there

were not really the signs early on that Spurs were going to be in this

game. It seemed to be that the structure of the side was poor.

They had five in the middle of the park that were congregated.

Emmanuel Adebayor was on his own. City play-the-ball and to be fair,

it is good play, but the Tottenham midfield don't ever get near. There

aren't many challenges. And it is really easy. And at this stage, you

think City are going to finish the game off. Samir Nasri possibly

should have scored. We talked about the midfield, looked a congested

that is, there is no width at all. Bale playing through the middle.

Easy to defend against. It is the same sort of position, five of them

are really tight and it is just easy. Again, Emmanuel Adebayor is

on his own, City work the ball and Tottenham don't get close. At this

stage, it City score again, you think this could be anything. -- IF

Cities Corps. This sums it up, Assou-Ekotto, what he is he doing?

He is in the back of the net. Who is he marking? But six sensational

minutes and Spurs are right back in the top four Hunt. And it gives us

something to be excited about. half-time, we were both thinking

that Tottenham had gone. I think if they get beaten today at White Hart

Lane, the top four finish his all- over, but to be fair to them, Andre

Villas-Boas put on three substitutes and it changed the game

and it was a remarkable finish. there is more football on the way

odds on to claim the title, but if Aston Villa cause an upset, bad news

beginning with the other Champions League chasers, and we finish this

section with a side already heading and it is a red card coming out, is

it? Andre Mariner... Well, he suddenly pulled out the red, and it

is, Sidwell is sent off, he has only just returned from a three match ban

or a sending off against QPR. Well, it is high, the studs are showing.

Arsenal are in front. Walcott's free kick, Koscielny's header, but it is

He was trying to find Berbatov in the middle, I wonder if this might

have dropped in but for the fingertip of the goalkeeper. We are

in the 90th minute now. What is coming out here? It is a red card

for Olivier Giroud. He has gone over the top of the ball. Well, he does

raises hand in apology as soon as he has done it, but he knows he has

done it. This is Leighton Baines. It is not a

good pass, Larsson... Stephane Sessegnon has opened the scoring for

Paulo Di Canio again! And Leighton Baines' stray pass was quickly fed

to Stephane Sessegnon, his seventh of the season. And Paulo Di Canio

That very nearly caused a huge problem for Simone Mignolet, Everton

are peeling that was a backpass, and it is going to be a yellow card for

Mignolet. What an own goal this might have been! A dramatic free

kick now, hold onto your hats! This is a really good goalscoring

opportunity for a player of Lambert's ability. Great save, top

corner strike from Rickie Lambert, unable to add to his tally of 14 for

dropped in, and Adam Lallana scores! But the flag has been raised, and

the goal is disallowed. In comes the cross, the arm was into the

goalkeeper's chest, and as he spilled it, Lallana shovels it in.

It might well have just broke the arm of the Southampton man. Either

Mary's, Nathan Dyer, and he had a real opportunity here. Two minutes

brilliant stop! Excellent work by Steven Davis, and this is his

moment. Michel Vorm, with his left boot, preserves a point. Is in.

chase for the Champions League, we have deemed the whole show on it

until that incident! Let's have a look at the table more for people

who have not been able to see it so far. Manchester City are safe,

Arsenal are ahead, but both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have a game in

hand. In other words, if Chelsea and Spurs win that game in hand, Arsenal

would be in the weakest position. I absolutely hate doing this, let's

look at the fixtures and pretend we know what is going to happen!

dangerous! I have been saying all season that it would be Chelsea and

Tottenham. Arsenal have had this unbelievable run, Man United is

going to be tough, but the other three games, you look at that, you

look at Chelsea and say their biggest game is against Tottenham.

One of them is going to drop points. That is the game in hand. It is

very, very tight. What do you think, Robbie? I think Arsenal will

be fine, Chelsea have it tough, so I think Arsenal and Manchester City

will be in. That is exhibit A, why I absolutely hated, because we are not

the wiser! Action now from the other four games from yesterday, the chase

for Europe replaced by the age-old battle force a viable. -- for

That is a low and dangerous cross, it has gone in! Nolan has is arm

raised, but I don't think he touched it, I think it was Matt Jarvis'

goal, a wickedly low, deceptive cross. It went all the way in,

didn't it? No touch there, Jarvis' Kevin Nolan's 100 club career goal!

West Ham looked for Andy Carroll, his strength in the air helped it

on, and Nolan's finish was as smart and crisp as so many of them have

been over the years. Five minutes to go. Andy Carroll will chase after

it, he is on side, going away from Peter Crouch, 1-0, Stoke City! Peter

Crouch brought back into the team again today, repays that faith, and

it is a big goal. Sit. -- a big goal for Stoke City. What a time that

would have been to school your first goal for the club! -- score. Down

goes Crouch, he is looking for the penalty, and he gets it. As the

headache came in, it ricocheted off the post, and Clint Hill clearly

whistle for him not to take the cake, he was not happy that some

players were encroaching into the penalty area. A chance to double the

Stoke City lead, take two, same outcome! And this could be a

massive, massive result for Stoke City. And Queens Park Rangers are

sliding ever closer to the plunged into the roof of the net! It

is a huge goal for Norwich City. They need these three points to

relieve some of the tension. They would certainly like the security of

a second goal. In the 50th minute, Ryan Bennett slammed the ball into

the roof of the goal. Elliott Bennett, and it goes in, two in a

couple of minutes the two Bennett boys on target for Norwich! They may

not be related, but they are brothers in arms today. When Norwich

needed the goals, Ryan Bennett with the first, Elliott Bennett with the

second, a couple of minutes between them, and this game is surely adding

he has scored! Well, the script did not have that written within it. And

what was a party atmosphere as is flicked on by you and Gouffran!

Newcastle are in front after eight minutes. Yoan Gouffran with his

second goal in the Premier League, and it is the perfect start for

Newcastle. Papiss Cisse was involved, and it just clicked off

the head of Gouffran, a very clever header. An interesting change in

personnel and shape that Steve Long, the substitute, with one of

his first touch is, must have goalkeeper, the crossbar saves

Newcastle, then the side netting. This is the closest that West Brom

have come, Lukaku only a couple of yards out, crashing against the

for West Brom with his first ever goal for the club. It fell kindly

for him, but he dispatched it truly, and despite the efforts of

happened today, these are all the back pages from newspapers tomorrow,

it has made the front of some others as well. We hear that Suarez has

talked directly to Ivanovic, which might change the situation, what

happens next? The FA are unpredictable. Suarez should get a

lengthy ban, but they have got a problem, because Jermain Defoe got a

yellow card for that. authorities have a problem with the

President, Jermain Defoe got a yellow card, I think they will throw

the book at Suarez. Maybe four, five match ban. Yeah, five, six, seven,

eight, nine, ten, 11 ex commission Mark who knows in Terra Brown

teeth in more ways than one, Suarez took a bite out of Ivanovic and then

dished up a delightful equaliser against Chelsea in the closing

seconds. And from zeros to heroes, three goals in a little over six

minutes reignites Spurs pro top four charge and could hand United the

relegated tomorrow, but only if Aston Villa gatecrash the party at

on the edge of the seat, if goals by substitutes were taken out of the

substitute goals than 14 entire teams' totals. 50 years ago

substitute had not been introduced! Thank you for staying with us to the