Victor Anichebe grabbed a late equaliser for West Brom on a night when Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea barely looked like potential Barclays Premier League champions.

Chelsea were poised to move four points clear at the top of the table on the back of defender Branislav Ivanovic’s injury-time strike in the first half at The Hawthorns.
But substitute Anichebe flicked home his third goal of the season in the 87th minute to make it 1-1 and thwart the Blues, who had lost on their last two visits to this part of the West Midlands.
After all the hype in the wake of their stunning win at Manchester City and Eden Hazard-inspired thumping of Newcastle on Saturday, Mourinho’s side were undoubtedly off the boil against the Baggies.
Perhaps Mourinho does have a point after all, that his side are the “little horses” in this year’s championship race, as Arsenal and City will have the chance to take over at the summit on Wednesday.
Only Willian can claim to have had an impressive game as it was he who primarily pulled the strings, and who crucially set up the only goal of the first half just as Albion were on the brink of heading into the interval on the back of a creditable 0-0 scoreline.
From Willian’s corner into the near post, centre-back David Luiz was left unmarked to flick the ball on with his right foot to the far post where Ivanovic slotted home from three yards.
After the break Willian enjoyed a further three driven efforts, all of which were superbly saved by home goalkeeper Ben Foster.
At least the home side showed greater attacking intent in the second period as James Morrison fired wide, Thievy Bifouma flashed a shot through the six-yard box, while skipper Chris Brunt hammered a half -volley beyond the left-hand post.
With Anichebe on for Bifouma in the 73rd minute, the Nigerian glanced home Saido Berahino’s cross three minutes from time to lift Albion back out of the relegation zone.
Come the conclusion it was a fair result, and all credit to Albion who pressed and harried admirably throughout the entire game, even if they failed to record a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes.
It has been the desire of new head coach Pepe Mel to see his players give the opposition not a minute’s respite, and Chelsea were rarely allowed any time on the ball at any stage.
That was underlined by the minimal number of chances that came their way during the opening half prior to Ivanovic’s injury-time effort.
The key ones fell Willian’s way as he first saw a fierce 27th-minute drive flash just over the angle of bar and post.
Three minutes from the break he picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area before chesting it down and sending a half-volley dipping over the goal.
Then came Ivanovic’s goal – a blow for Albion, although they had conjured just one chance of note in the first period.
That came as Morgan Amalfitano, Berahino and Bifouma – making his first start since his recent loan move from Espanyol – combined to tee up Brunt for a searing shot two yards wide.
The first half was most notable for the boos that rang in the ears of Ramires – playing in place of Frank Lampard in the only change to the Chelsea team that beat Newcastle.
Ramires was the player who contentiously earned Chelsea a penalty in the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in October, when Albion were seconds away from a shock victory.
The Albion fans certainly had not forgotten that moment as Ramires’ every touch was greeted with jeers and catcalls.
At one point he went down under a challenge from Bifouma, which left him requiring treatment, and resulted in a chorus of ‘Let him die!’ and even louder boos when he returned to the pitch.
After the break Willian came the closest to extending Chelsea’s lead, but found Foster in fine form.
As the half wore on the home side finally found some impetus up front and began to create their opportunities prior to Anichebe coming up trumps to send the home fans into raptures.
Just nine days ago, Anichebe had again come off the bench to salvage a point for Albion in a 1-1 home draw with Liverpool.

According to Foxsports

Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski has revealed he has turned down a new deal and plans to leave the club this summer.

The 28-year-old’s current contract runs out this summer and, with Polish compatriot Wojciech Szczesny firmly installed as Arsene Wenger’s number one, he feels the time is right to leave.
Fabianski is keen to press his international claims, with Szczesny again standing in his way, and he feels the only way he can do that is to be a regular starter at club level.
He has only made four appearances for the Gunners so far this season, two apiece in the Capital One Cup and FA Cup.
“I want to be number one in the club and in the Polish national team. I have learned a lot at London during very positive and challenging periods,” Fabianski is quoted as saying in the Daily Star.
“With biggest respect to this great club, I didn’t accept the extension offer as I am looking forward to a new challenge in England or abroad.”
He may not be the only major departure from the Emirates Stadium this summer with Bacary Sagna also out of contract and reportedly receiving interest from Chelsea and Manchester City as well as a host of European clubs.
Wenger admitted before the 5-1 defeat by Liverpool on Saturday that the right-back could leave for free in the summer, with his desire for a long-term extension and a pay rise making it tough to agree new terms.
“When I say I expect, it’s more that I want (him to stay),” said Wenger. “I hope that in the end I am right. We are not close at the moment.
“He wants to keep his options open, because he is at the end of a contract. It is an important contract for him. He is 31 years old. I can understand.
“I’m not alright with that because I would like him to sign just now but I have to accept it. It is his freedom – the decision belongs to him.
“We are always in negotiations with him and we try always to be fair with him. I believe his future is here and any other decision would be wrong.”

According to Fox sports

Arda Turan has warned Real Madrid that Atletico Madrid will come out fighting in Tuesday’s second leg of the Copa del Rey.

Atletico’s hopes suffered a double blow last week as Madrid won the first leg of this tie 3-0 at the Bernabeu and they then had to watch their city rivals take over top spot in the Primera Division after suffering a shock 2-0 reverse to struggling Almeria.
Three goals may prove too big a margin for Atletico to overcome – even on home soil – this week, but Turan insisted he and his team-mates will give everything to get their season back on track.
“We did not deserve the result at the Bernabeu,” he said in Marca. “But we are Atletico and we never throw a game. We’ll give our all in the second leg.
“The season has been good but the most important thing is to finish in the strongest way possible.
“We will continue doing our best to achieve the club’s objectives.”
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will not be counting his chickens yet but does have at least one eye on the Copa final, confirming that Rafael Varane will come into defence to allow either Pepe or Sergio Ramos – each one booking away from a suspension in the competition – to sit the game out.
“Varane needs to play at the moment and one of them (Pepe or Ramos) will be rested,” he said.
The Italian has told his players to ignore the aggregate score and focus on achieving another good result.
“We have an important advantage, but we need to play with the same concentration and attitude to avoid problems,” he added.
“We should not change our philosophy and we must show intensity to have the ball. It’s best not to think that we have this advantage.
“It will be a difficult game because the opponent is very strong.”

According to Fox sports

Italy international Andrea Barzagli is close to agreeing a new contract with Juventus, according to his agent.

The 32-year-old defender has been a pivotal player for Juve since moving to the Turin giants from Wolfsburg in 2011.
Barzagli, whose current deal with Juve expires in the summer of 2015, is hoping to extend his contract for a further two years in the next few months.
“Barzagli is very close to signing a contract extension,” Barzagli’s agent Claudio Orlandini said to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We are having meetings with Juventus and there are no problems whatsoever.
“We expect the signature to take place in the next few months.”
Barzagli, who is set to be included in Italy’s World Cup squad this summer, has made 19 league appearances for the Serie A leaders this season.

According to Fox sports

Darren Bent’s last-gasp equaliser left Manchester United shattered after the champions thought they had saved themselves from another desperate day.

Trailing to Steve Sidwell’s first-half opener, United’s search for redemption lasted until the 79th minute before Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick struck within the space of 120 seconds to turn the match on its head.
Carrick’s goal brought Wayne Rooney to his knees in celebration and had manager David Moyes punching the air with relief.
But the celebrations were cut short in the fourth minute of stoppage time as David de Gea turned away Kieran Richardson’s shot, but sent the ball straight into the path of substitute Bent who nodded into an empty net to ensure a 2-2 draw.
Now it was former United assistant Rene Meulensteen’s turn to punch the air as his side, rock bottom of the Barclays Premier League and five points adrift of safety at kick-off, snatched a precious point.
For Moyes and United, now nine points away from a Champions League place, a hellish season just keeps getting worse. And, with a visit to Arsenal on Wednesday, there is no end to the trouble in sight.
Moyes admitted in the build-up that Meulensteen knew more about the home players than he did, something that can only be expected after spending six years as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant until last summer.
What was less obvious was the Dutchman’s method of taking advantage of that inside knowledge.
In axing Scott Parker and Brede Hangeland and placing his faith in 18-year-old debutant Muamer Tankovic and midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe, he was injecting his side with vitality so obviously lacking over an eight-game run that brought just a single win.
So while the visitors required a scrapper’s instinct to survive the inevitable bombardment, it meant they had the pace to exert pressure on their hosts when the counter-attacking opportunities came.
Lewis Holtby was the inspiration behind the visitors’ opener.
Allowed far too much room to advance down the left flank, Holtby was able to drop a superb cross into the heart of United’s penalty area.
Nemanja Vidic had been pulled out of possession and as neither Darren Fletcher nor Juan Mata had tracked Sidwell’s run, the midfielder was able to slide the ball past a stranded De Gea with a degree of comfort.
It was the first time Fulham had scored an opening goal since December – and they should have scored more.
Holtby created a golden chance for Richardson but the former Red Devils man blazed over.
Then Richardson scorched past Vidic, only for Wayne Rooney to intercept a cut-back that looked certain to set up Holtby.
In a season of shattering blows, Meulensteen looked set to inflict the heaviest of all.
United were creating chances. Maarten Stekelenburg superbly denied Carrick’s thunderbolt and powerful Vidic header. Van Persie failed to snaffle a half-chance at the near post.
Even John Arne Riise came close with a chested clearance to an Ashley Young cross that was far too close to Stekelenburg’s goal for comfort.
But that attacking instint that has terrorised so many opponents down the years was missing from the hosts’ game.
When Fletcher lifted the ball deep into the area for Van Persie to head into the six-yard box, no one had gambled and Fulham were able to clear with ease.
A rather desperate claim for handball by Van Persie against John Heitinga emphasised the concern starting to grip Old Trafford.
Adnan Januzaj’s introduction for Fletcher, followed by the arrivals of Javier Hernandez and Antonio Valencia, meant United had six offensive players trying to score against a team that had kept just four clean sheets all season.
Really, United could not fail to score.
It was noticeable the accompanyment to Van Persie tucking home Juan Mata’s cross at the far post was merely to lead a charge back to halfway, knowing the job was only half done.
When Carrick’s shot looped in off Parker a couple of minutes later it seemed something was finally going to go Moyes’ way.
The Scot should have known better.
Bent will rarely get an easier goal when it came in the fourth of five added minutes, and while the boos at full-time were half-hearted, there really is little positive that can be said of Moyes’ reign right now.

According to Foxsports

Barcelona made it a three-way tie on 57 points at the top of the Primera Division on Sunday night as they won 4-1 at Sevilla.

Having seen Real Madrid go top on Saturday, the Catalan side joined their bitter rivals and also Atletico Madrid thanks to a come-from-behind victory on a torrid night.
With heavy rain making passing football near-impossible, Barcelona found a way with Alexis Sanchez’s botched header, Lionel Messi’s brace and Cesc Fabregas’ late goal washing out Alberto Moreno’s opener.
Despite the comfort of the scoreline, Barca had to survive their post being hit when a goal down and also had to rely on Victor Valdes to make a number of impressive saves.
There was nothing he could do when Moreno opened the scoring with 15 minutes gone, though, with the Spain international’s shot getting a deflection and wrong-footing him.
It was so nearly two shortly after as Ivan Rakitic’s cross was flicked by Carlos Bacca, with the post saving the visitors.
The sides traded long-range efforts after that, before Rakitic shot just wide after a fine Sevilla move.
Barca then made the most of their good fortune as Alexis, in an offside position, turned his back on Messi’s cross but turned around to see he had diverted it into the net via his shoulder and neck.
And, as Barca are capable of, they made it two before the break as Messi finished off a thrilling counter-attack, taking in Pedro’s ball from the left and drilling a fine shot across a stunned Antonio Beto.
It made for a half-time break Sevilla had not expected but they could have been level after it, only for Machin Vitolo to slide the ball across Valdes’ goal after he had got clean through via some fine harrying of Gerard Pique.
Sensing the need for a third, Barca pressed and Alexis’ cross deserved better than no-one getting a touch, before Valdes really excelled himself.
He pushed away Bacca’s edge-of-the-box shot before springing up to deny Kevin Gameiro on the rebound.
The value of his save was then made clearer as Messi finished off another counter, receiving an Andres Iniesta pass in the tightest of situations and getting the ball out of his feet well enough to put a shot beyond Beto from 18 yards.
The goal deflated Sevilla and they were put to bed with four minutes left as Fabregas ran on to Alexis’ ball from the right and produced the coolest of chips to finish things off.

According to Foxsports

Hellas Verona substitute Juan Gomez Taleb’s last-gasp equaliser denied Serie A leaders Juventus all three points on Sunday.

Carlos Tevez put Juve ahead after just six minutes and added his second before the half-hour mark.
Hellas striker Luca Toni reduced the arrears early in the second half and just when Juve looked to be heading for their 20th win of the campaign, Gomez headed Romulo’s cross for a 2-2 draw.
The outcome in Verona has left the Turin giants nine points clear of second-place Roma, who were held to a goalless result at Lazio.
Roma have a game in hand.
Tevez scored early on with his first chance of the game. Hellas goalkeeper Rafael cleared Asamoah’s goal-bound attempt but only as far Tevez, who struck the ball from the heart of the area and into the back of the net.
Juve continued to push forward and made it 2-0 in the 21st minute.
Paul Pogba fed an unmarked Tevez in the box and the Argentinian’s six-yard shot beat Rafael.
Tevez wasted a good opportunity to make it 3-0 on the half-hour mark when he hit the ball high and wide after Fernando Llorente’s through ball.
The hosts showed more determination after the re-start and were rewarded in the 52nd minute when Toni headed Romulo’s free-kick past Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Osvaldo, who joined Juve on loan from Southampton last week, replaced Llorente and was unlucky not to score on his debut in the 69th minute.
He got behind Andrea Pirlo’s pass and fired a shot past Rafael but the ball crashed off the post. Osvaldo then had a goal disallowed for offside.
Toni nearly equalised 11 minutes from time with a close-range effort that was saved by Buffon before Gomez came to the rescue seconds from time.

According to Foxsports