Liverpool took the lead through Maxi in the 33rd minute after the visitors started off brightly. Chelsea tried their best but luck did not seem to favour them as Drogba came close to netting a free-kick. However, after Daniel Sturridge came on as a subsitute post half-time, he helped Chelsea equalise.

Old Team-mates battle it out

Both sides attacked and counter-attacked as well as had some defensive goof ups which led to the goals being scored. A draw seemed to the best result but Johnson had other ideas. He brilliantly controlled Adam’s cross and slotted the ball into the corner of Chelsea’s net.

The former Chelsea playmaker has been sidelined since sustaining a hamstring injury in the Reds’ 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers.

Cole has missed the club’s last four Barclays Premier League matches, including Saturday’s 3-0 win against former club West Ham United.

Joe Cole

With Steven Gerrard and Lucas currently unavailable, the return of Cole from injury comes as a welcome boost for manager Roy Hodgson.
He said:

“Joe should be back for Sunday. We were hoping he would be back to face West Ham, but it has taken that little bit longer.”

“Joe is not that far away really, so hopefully he will have recovered in time for Tottenham. Hamstring injuries are tricky and I’m afraid we can only rely on what the sports science people tell us, and if they say he needs more time we just have to wait.”

Having endured their worst start to a campaign since 1953/54 with six points from eight matches, Liverpool have now accrued 13 from their last six outings with Saturday’s 3-0 win at home to West Ham United.

Source: Premier League

Lee Bowyer’s opening-half goal – his first for nearly 12 months – earned Alex McLeish’s side a shock victory.

But their hero was Foster who bounced back from his error on England duty in midweek with a series of stunning saves.

Chelsea dominated proceedings for the entire 90 minutes but they could not find a way past the former Manchester United player.

It was a vastly improved performance by Chelsea compared to their 3-0 home defeat by Sunderland last weekend.

But they tasted defeat in back to back league matches for the first time since the end of the 2005-2006 campaign and they now only lead Manchester United on goal difference.

In addition to Foster, City centre-backs Scott Dann and Roger Johnson were outstanding.

Chelsea were quickly into their stride and Salomon Kalou missed an early chance to put them ahead.

Didier Drogba’s flick found Kalou with only Foster to beat but his shot went through the legs of the keeper and just past the post.

Foster made a fine save to keep Birmingham on level terms after Drogba was sent clear by Kalou.

It was the kind of chance Drogba would normally convert but Foster raced off his line to reduce the angle and saved low to his left.

Arsenal missed the chance to go top of the Barclays Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur fought back from 2-0 down to record a remarkable first victory at Emirates Stadium.

Samir Nasri and Marouane Chamakh had put the Gunners in complete control as they looked set to leapfrog Chelsea, who play Birmingham City later in the day.

However, Spurs – who had just one Premier League away victory over their old rivals, in May 1993 – regrouped for the second half following the introduction of fit-again England striker Jermain Defoe.

Gareth Bale pulled a goal back on 50 minutes, before a handball from captain Cesc Fabregas from a free-kick gave away a penalty, which Rafael van der Vaart converted.

Arsenal were then condemned to successive home league defeats for the first time in 13 years when Younes Kaboul headed in a dramatic late winner.

Samir Nasri and former team-mate William Gallas clashed within the opening few moments when Nasri raced clear, only to be halted by a fine saving tackle from the former Gunners defender.

It was a positive start for Arsenal, with Fabregas getting into the right side of the Spurs penalty area, but opted to shoot across goal rather than pull the ball back for Nasri.

Fabregas’ chip split the Tottenham defence, but Nasri’s touch into the penalty area was just too heavy, which should have allowed Gomes to come off his line to collect.

However, the Spurs keeper hesitated and failed to gather the ball on the penalty spot, which then bobbled wide.

The return of Wayne Rooney made it a perfect day for Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side took full advantage of their title rivals’ misfortunes.

United brushed aside Wigan Athletic, who self-destructed in the second half with two unnecessary red cards, but perhaps more importantly Rooney made his first appearance since the contract saga that saw the England striker threaten to leave before signing a new five-year deal.

The setbacks suffered by Arsenal and Chelsea made it imperative that United did not slip up too and they made no mistake as headers by Patrice Evra and Javier Hernandez ensured Ferguson’s men second spot in the Barclays Premier League table, behind Chelsea only on goal difference.

Rooney should have put the icing on the cake by scoring too but passed up a glorious opportunity.

For Wigan, red cards for Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega virtually ensured they would get nothing from the match.

Source: Premier League

The Red Devils trail four points to current leaders, Chelsea.

Red Devils Vs The Reds

United have five wins from the last six at home to Liverpool, and in 18 Premier League fixtures between the sides at Old Trafford, United have won 10 and lost four.

They had a frustrating midweek draw against Glasgow Rangers in the Champions League. Liverpool will be buzzing after a 4-1 success over Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League.

The Reds have won once in their last 11 away matches and scored just eight goals in their last 14.

The season opener for Liverpool ended with disappointment. Earlier in the match Joe Cole was sent off on his debut for the Reds for a clumsy challenge on Arsenal debutant Laurent Koscielny who was himself dismissed just before the end for a second yellow card.

Liverpool were given the lead by David Ngog just after half time. Arsenal had a lot of possession but created few chances. They would have surely been thankful to Reina, his mistake helped them equalise when Chamakh headed against the post which Reina spilled into his own net with just 15 seconds of normal time remaining.

Pepe Reina reacts after fumbling the ball into his own net.

Hodgson was disappointed with the draw and commented on the match:

“It was a bit disappointing to lose two points so close to the end, but it was a remarkable performance having to play the whole of the second half with 10 men. There was no intention from Joe Cole to foul the player, he threw himself in to try and block the ball.. but when players try to block the ball, the referee often sees it as a worse foul than it was.”

On the other hand Arsene Wenger was naturally pleased to grab a point and said:

“We had a lot of possession but Liverpool defended very well and we did not create many chances,” he said. “We kept going and did not give up and in the end came back to 1-1 which is a very good result at Liverpool.”

He is the head of Hong Kong-based investment company QSL Sports, which, according to its website, was founded to build on China’s success in staging the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is claimed QSL has the backing of one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the Far East while the website says the company’s aim is “to expand China’s sporting platform through enhancing professional athleticism among the youth and elevating the nation’s direct involvement in the industry at an international level.”

Liverpool photocollage at the Anfield Stadium shop
Any new owners of Liverpool will be buying in to a rich footballing history

The latest part of that mission, it now seems, is to be achieved by paying £325m to buy Liverpool Football Club.

As they awoke to the news of Huang’s interest on Monday morning, Liverpool’s long-suffering supporters may have thought that maybe, just maybe, this is the one.

But would anyone who has followed the Liverpool ownership saga closely over the last three-and-a-bit years dare predict that this is going to reach a straightforward conclusion?

It is understood Huang’s bid is one of several – perhaps five or six – which were submitted last week to Liverpool’s chairman Martin Broughton and Barclays Capital, who were appointed on 16 April to handle the sale of the club.

Although it seemed the process was drifting over the summer, Broughton and Barclays Capital are aiming to make a final decision on a preferred bidder by the end of next week – just before the start of the new Premier League season.

All of which poses the question of why Huang has gone public with his interest now. His advisers have been briefing that he is the only show in town but, while he is acknowledged as a serious candidate, the idea he is the only one in the race is strongly contradicted by representatives acting for Liverpool and Barclays Capital.

As ever, this situation is made complicated by the fact that there are so many parties involved.

There’s Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who haven’t seen eye to eye for years except in their desire to secure as big a profit as possible from the sale of the club.

Then there’s Broughton and Barclays Capital, whose primary interest is in achieving not only the best price but also the most sustainable new owner of the club.

Royal Bank of Scotland, who are owed somewhere around £250m and who have deferred their loan to Hicks and Gillett until October, are also anxious to have their money back and are driving the sale. However, they are also anxious not to do anything in the current climate that would make our state-owned banks even more unpopular.

Finally, there’s the club itself, represented by managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre. Their interest is in finding a buyer who will not only end the destabilising years of American ownership but find a way to fund a new stadium at Stanley Park and invest in a team which is out of the Champions League and in danger of losing its best players.

The biggest stumbling block to a swift deal at the moment is Hicks and Gillett. They paid £218m for the club in 2007 and, according to parties familiar with the sale process, invested a further £144m either as security on financing further loans, design and legal fees for the new stadium or on players and their salaries.

To break even on a sale the club would need to fetch a price of £362m. But given that most of the money they have invested in Liverpool has been from borrowings, it is debatable how much of that investment has come from their own funds. If Hicks and Gillett walk away with any profit, it will cause outrage among the club’s supporters and opponents of debt-financed football takeovers who argue they have seriously damaged Liverpool.

But this explains why they are holding out for a bigger price than the £325m on the table from Huang. It also explains why a Syrian businessman, Yahya Kirdi, emerged on the business pages of a Sunday newspaper yesterday as a possible buyer. He is said to be close to Gillett’s son and, while he has been confirmed as one of the five or six who lodged an interest last week, must be seen as a stalking horse to help drive up the price.

Given the series of possible investors who have been linked with buying into Liverpool in recent times – Dubai International Capital, the Rhone Group and the Al-Kharafi family from Kuwait to name just three – it would be wise to treat the latest developments with a degree of caution.

But it does seem that this affair is finally reaching the end game.

Source: BBC Sport

Cole is eager to play in center of midfield with Gerrard. Cole arrived on a free transfer from Chelsea.

Cole said:

“I hope I did play a part in making him stay. Every year the big clubs have come calling for him because he’s a fantastic player but we have got to look to the future now at this club. This year, Liverpool is about consolidating, then moving on. There are players here who would get into any team in the world. Stevie is one of them and he knows what I can do – we have played together for England for ten years.”

He also added:

“I am looking forward to playing with him for Liverpool and the relationship is going to be important. I will play anywhere, though I hope it is central with him, with one of us going forward and the other pivoting. I can’t talk about our tactics but the manager knows what I can do on the left and the right. But it will be nice to be close to Stevie. I had conversations with him and Jamie Carragher at the World Cup – more afterwards because I was concentrating on the tournament. Everything about Liverpool impressed me. I just want to be part of something. We are part of a club which can do something special. If you win a trophy here – one of the big ones – it would be immense.”

Cole signed for Liverpool looking over offers from Arsenal and Tottenham.

The 28-year-old England midfielder left Stamford Bridge in June after failing to agree a new contract with the Premier League champions.

He was linked to Arsenal and Tottenham but has opted for Liverpool, who failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Cole’s arrival follows winger Yossi Benayoun’s move from Anfield to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee in July.

Liverpool Manager Roy Hodgson and Joe Cole

The West Ham academy graduate becomes Liverpool’s second summer signing after Serbia forward Milan Jovanovic arrived on a three-year contract from Standard Liege.

Cole joined Chelsea from West Ham for £6.6m in 2003 and scored 40 goals in 282 appearances, winning three Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

In June he claimed unspecified “political rather than footballing reasons” had led to his departure, but he insisted manager Carlo Ancelotti was not the cause of those problems.

606: DEBATE
Cole is an inspired signing – furthermore it is a signing that Rafa could never have pulled off

Redfootball

“It is not financial and it is nothing to do with Carlo,” Cole said at the time. “I love Carlo. I think he is a top guy and a top manager.

“I loved my time at Chelsea, I love the fans but it is a story for another day and I will tell it but now is not the time.”

After recovering from 10 months out with a ruptured cruciate ligament, Cole grew frustrated at having to settle for a bit-part role in his final season at the club.

He was used mainly as a substitute and, when he did play, Ancelotti often deployed him in a wide position.

Cole, capped 56 times by his country, featured in two of England’s matches at the 2010 World Cup, though on both occasions he was introduced as a second-half substitute.

“Next season I want to have a fantastic season for England and whatever club I am at. The next contract will be a footballing decision,” he added earlier in June.

“I want to play in a more central position and I want a manager who has faith in me.”

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who nurtured Cole’s early career at West Ham, had talked of his desire to take the midfielder to White Hart Lane.

I’ve been an admirer of Joe’s for the last few years. He is a player that excites fans and he is a player that we desperately needed

Former Reds defender Alan Kennedy

Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League last season to earn a Champions League qualifying spot while Arsenal, also admirers of Cole, would have offered guaranteed Champions League football.

But he opted for Liverpool and new Reds manager Roy Hodgson will hope to bolster his squad further with a new left-back following the departures of Fabio Aurelio and Emiliano Insua.

Hodgson is also hoping to retain the services of captain Steven Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres, both of whom have been linked with moves away from Anfield.

And former Liverpool defender Alan Kennedy believes Cole’s arrival could go some way to persuading the duo to stay.

“I’m delighted for the club,” Kennedy told BBC Sport. “Roy Hodgson has persuaded one of the best English players in the game to come in and that will only be good news for the club and for the players the club are looking to hold on to.

“I’m sure Roy and Liverpool can get the best out of Joe again, and hopefully it will result in the club pushing back up the league and targeting silverware again.

“I’ve been an admirer of Joe’s for the last few years. He is a player that excites fans and he is a player that we desperately needed.

This shows we can still attract top name players

Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush

“We know Joe had a lot of options, especially from London, but he’s looked at Liverpool and maybe thought to himself that he is the guy who can resurrect the club after what was a terrible season last year.

“Credit for that has to go to Roy Hodgson, I believe – he is a very persuasive man and a man well respected in football, so that’s fantastic news.”

Another former Red, Ian Rush, believes the signing underlines Liverpool’s ability to still compete for the best players in the world despite not being able to offer Champions League football.

“Liverpool might not have been successful as we would have liked to have been recently but this shows we can still attract top name players, whether that’s an England international or a foreign international,” said the Welshman.

“This is the signing supporters wanted and it’s a big boost for them.

“You look at last season when we went into it not hoping but thinking we were going to win the league. This season people are thinking, ‘Are we going to finish in the top four?’

“I think this sends a sign out to Liverpool supporters that the club do mean business.”

Source: BBC Sport

According to the British media Benitez was paid around 3.0 million pounds ($4.42 million) although he had agreed on a five-year contract in March last year. The terms of that deal stated that the Spaniard was entitled to a severance package of approximately 16.0 million pounds, but with Liverpool almost facing debt, the club would have struggled to pay him off in full.

Rafael Benitez ex-Liverpool Manager

A compromise was reached and the 50-year-old can now look ahead at landing a job at Inter Milan, recently vacated by Jose Mourinho.

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton said in a statement on the club website (www.liverpoolfc.tv):

“Rafa will forever be part of Liverpool folklore after bringing home the Champions League following the epic final in Istanbul but after a disappointing season both parties felt a fresh start would be best for all concerned,”

Benitez added:

“It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC. I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts.”

This parting of ways wasn’t really surprising after they finished seventh in the Premier League this season, their lowest position since 1999.

Rafa had a successful season 2004-05 and after Liverpool finished second to Manchester United in 2008-09 only four points behind, The Reds were expected to put in a tough challenge this season. However, with the departure of Xavi Alonso and a huge string of injuries, the club fell way behind.

Liverpool also failed to advance from the group stages of the Champions League and even missed qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Nevertheless, the title will still be decided on the final day after Chelsea won 2-0 at Liverpool and Manchester United overcame Sunderland 1-0 on Sunday.  United are 1 point away from the League leaders- Chelsea.

Chelsea face Wigan Athletic at home and United match up with Stoke City in the last fight for the title. Chelsea have an upper hand with a better goal difference. For United to win the League they need Chelsea to lose or draw with Wigan.

Chelsea Coach- Ancelotti, commented after the Liverpool win:

“We deserved to win. We did a fantastic job because there was a lot of pressure on us in this game. Now the team is fit and in good physical condition, good mentality ahead of next week’s game. I always said the title would be decided at the end of the season.”