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Graham Dorrans struck a late free kick to earn West Brom their first win of 2012 as they narrowly beat Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

The Potters thought they had claimed a point after Cameron Jerome equalised five minutes from time after James Morison had given Roy Hodgson’s men the lead just before the break. But Scotland midfielder Dorrans had other ideas firing home through a crowd of players in stoppage time to hand the Baggies their first three points of the New Year. The defeat will come a huge blow to Stokes chances of qualifying for the Europa League this season and boss Tony Pulis will be disappointed with Jon Walters after missed a penalty in the second half that could have changed the game in their favour. For West Brom boss Hodgson he will be delighted that his players managed to grind out a result, ease the clubs relegation fears and justify the decision to leave striking duo Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie on the bench.

After three defeats on the trot it was important that the visitors started brightly with Jerome Thomas testing Thomas Sorensen early on. The Danish keeper then produced a wonderful save to keep out Morison’s fizzing drive tipping the ball onto the underside of the bar. However his good work would be undone 10 minutes before half time as he failed to correct his position in time to keep out Morison’s strike that changed direction in the wind with Sorensen only managing to get a hand to the ball before the Scottish midfielder was denied again after the restart seeing his effort beat Stoke keeper only for the ball to bounce back off the bar. Having enjoyed very little in the first half the home side were presented with a chance to level things up with 20 minutes to go.

Gareth McAuley’s clumsy foul on Walters saw referee Anthony Taylor signal for a penalty only for the former Ipswich striker striker to see his spot kick saved brilliantly by Ben Foster. With the game slipping away Pulis threw Jerome on in place of Ryan Shotton and the change paid instant dividends as he met fellow substitute Jermaine Pennant’s free kick to bring Stoke level with only five minutes left. However that wasn’t the end of the scoring as Dorrans’ free kick from the left found it’s way through into the bottom corner of Sorensen’s goal to secure a deserved victory for the Baggies.

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Strugglers Blackpool have been buoyed by reports that skipper Charlie Adam could play against Newcastle on Saturday.The Blackpool midfielder limped off in the first half of last Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Wigan Athletic and had his foot in plaster this week.

Reports, however, have suggested Adam is likely to be fit for the match at Bloomfield Road.

The relegation-threatened club’s survival hopes are firmly pinned on the Scotland international, who has scored 10 goals this season but his contract expires at the end of the campaign.

Ian Holloway’s men will be eager to claim the three points against Newcastle given their remaining games include Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Following the defeat to Wigan, Blackpool dropped to the relegation zone for the first time this season, although they remain only a point off 17th-placed Wigan Athletic and five points behind Fulham who are 12th.

They have lost their last three games and have only won once in their last 13.

Midfielder David Vaughan is expected to return for the Tangerines having missed the last two games with a hip injury.

Newcastle took a small step towards securing their Premier League status on Tuesday as they held champions-elect Manchester United to a goalless draw at St James’ Park.

The Geordies are ninth on the table, with 40 points, and have only won one in their last six but have shown positive signs of staying in the top flight throughout the campaign.

While they are relatively safe from the drop, Alan Pardew is, too, hopeful a victory can build some momentum heading into the final month of action which includes games at Liverpool and Chelsea.

Pardew has admitted he has a selection headache on his hands, with second-string goalkeeper Tim Krul having played a pivotal role in keeping United scoreless and the return of first choice Steve Harper.

Key midfielders Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan, who were both overlooked for the Professional Footballers Association team of the season, will be spurred on by their non-selection.

Striker Shola Ameobi should be fit after starting against the Red Devils, while the on-loan Stephen Ireland, who came on as a substitute on Tuesday, will look to cement his first-team spot.

Wolves winger Matt Jarvis has put pen to paper on a new five-year contract at Molineux.

The 24-year-old wideman still had two years remaining on his existing deal but is now under contract until summer 2015.

Jarvis, who arrived from Gillingham in 2007, scored three goals in 34 Premier League appearances last season – his first in the top-flight.

"We've been talking to Matt and his representative for a long period of time," chief executive Jez Moxey told the club's official website.

"He was very keen to commit to us and we were very keen to commit to him.

"Matt is a highly talented player who fits in with our policy of developing good young players and aiming to keep them at Molineux.

"He started 30 games in the Premier League last season and did very well.

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"He had less than two years remaining on his contract and it was the right time to do something.

"There was a lot of speculation linking him to a possible England call-up for the recent qualifiers which shows the progress he has been making."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Chelsea are ready to bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell in the January transfer window, as Andre Villas Boas looks to strengthen his squad in a bid to challenge for the title.

The Goodison Park battler has impressed with performances for the Merseysiders over the last couple of seasons, and recently broke into the senior England squad after starring for the under-21’s.

Manchester United are long-term admirers of Rodwell and were rumoured to have made a bid to bring the midfielder to Old Trafford last summer, which Everton rebuffed.

However, The Telegraph state that the Stamford Bridge outfit will make a £20 million offer for Rodwell in January in an attempt to bolster their midfield.

Rodwell fits into Andre Villas Boas’ strategy of nurturing young talent and would also be available for inclusion in Chelsea’s Champions League fixtures due to not playing in Europe this season for Everton.

Everton are reluctant to sell their star player, but due to working on a tight budget because of their failure to find a new investor in the club, may be willing to part company with Rodwell for a large fee.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Tottenham had a torrid time at the Bernabeu. In a night that Spurs needed luck, they got none. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. Adebayor’s brace continued his remarkably good form against the North London club. In his time at Arsenal he scored in every game that the two clubs met. He is certainly a thorn in Tottenham’s side.

But he is not alone. Tottenham have the uncanny knack of getting the best out of opposition players. Be it through a player scoring regularly against Spurs, or a player choosing the Spurs match to return to form after a goal drought. For example, players like Hamilton Ricard and the now retired Dani of West Ham both managed to score against Tottenham despite being average at best. But they didn’t make it on my list.

The following list is made up of players who have either consistently scored goals against Tottenham, or players who have pulled ‘one-off’ performances out of the bag.

Click on Henry and Lauren below to see the Top TEN Spurs ‘Bogey Men’

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Liverpool have had a £2million bid for Middlesbrough's Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones rejected by the Championship side.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson is keen to sign a new shot-stopper to provide competition for current first-choice keeper Pepe Reina.

Jones missed this summer's World Cup finals as he had to leave the Socceroos squad after his son was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Meanwhile, Boro boss Gordon Strachan has confirmed that he is actively trying to sell unwanted trio Mido, Didier Digard and Marvin Emnes.

"They won't be playing here this year," confirmed the former Celtic boss."It's up to themselves (what the do now), I don't decide peoples' futures.

"I speak to them and say, 'Listen, you've got assets and things you're good at and I'm sure there are teams out in Europe who will need those assets'.

"As far as I'm concerned – and I've told them this – the group I'm working with isn't going to include them and life's like that sometimes.

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"You have to pick a squad of 25 now and we've picked our 25 now and they're not included.

"I hope they get a club that will suit their play and personalities because I don't like to see players not playing football."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has admitted that he is happy with the performances shown recently by his side, but he wants his players to transform their good showings into wins.

The Anfield outfit have drawn their last four games at home, and although the Scot was pleased with his team’s efforts last week against Manchester City, he was not content with a point.

“We are never going to be happy with a draw against anyone, we are happy with wins,” Dalglish told Mirror Football.

“We were delighted with the way we played but I think we set our standards a little bit higher than drawing against people.

“I think we deserve better than that, I think we are better than that, and it’s up to us to stand up and be counted and start winning games.

“We’ve done fantastically well and in most of the games we’ve played at home I think we should have come away with three points,” he stated.

The Reds travel to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night, and although they won heavily there last season, Dalglish knows Martin Jol’s men will offer a stern test.

“We know it’s going to be a very difficult game. We also know we went there and won 5-2 last year but we got our reward for that by getting three points,” he added.

“We’ll only get what we deserve from the game and the effort we put in on Monday night.

“Everything that comes out in a game is a reflection of what you’ve done in the lead up to it, whether it’s two or three days or two or three months.

“The players have always trained very well and we’ve been delighted with their approach on and off the pitch. You only get out of life what you put into it and I think the same applies to football,” he concluded.

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Liverpool go into the game in seventh place, but the Merseysiders can move up to fifth with a two-goal win.

By Gareth McKnight

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Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has played down claims from the club’s president that they will beat Real Madrid 5-0 in the Copa del Rey final.Barca president Sandro Rosell made the bold prediction in the lead-up to the April 20 final after the Catalan giants thumped their rivals 5-0 in a La Liga fixture back in November.

On that occasion, a David Villa double helped Barca to a famous victory but Guardiola says it won’t happen again and thinks that Rosell should have avoided making such a rash comment.

“I would have said 60-0,” said Guardiola with a wry smile.

“But he (Rosell) could have avoided making such a comment. I would not have said that. Everyone has their opinion. He said it in an act of solidarity, and this is how it should be seen, but it could have been avoided.”

“It is impossible to win 5-0 against Real Madrid in the final.”

Guardiola added that the comments were not in the tone of the club.

“The president has much more experience than me to give opinions,” he said.

“The tone of the club all along has been to not make a show when we win and congratulate our opponents when we lose. Players are exemplary in many ways inside and outside the stadium. This is Barca.”

Barcelona lead La Liga by five points and will be hoping to keep the distance between themselves and Real Madrid by winning away at Villarreal on Saturday.

With Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas not due to report back for pre-season training until Thursday, youngster Jack Wilshere reminded Gunners fans why he is considered as the Spaniard’s potential successor with a superb man of the match performance against Celtic in the Emirates Cup on Sunday.

18-year-old Wilshere lit up the heart of the Gunners midfield with an all-action, dynamic display and repeat performances throughout the campaign could see the youngster catapulted into the England set-up for the up-and-coming Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. Stevenage born Wilshere is expected to make a big impact in the Premier League this season, after impressing during a 14 game spell on loan at Bolton last season and that assessment looks spot on judging by his delightful pre-season performances.

Wilshere is considered as the natural heir to the Fabregas throne after becoming Arsenal’s youngest ever Premier League debutant at the age of 16 years and 256 days, a record previously held by Fabregas himself. Similar in style and stature to the former Barcelona youngster, Wilshere has been tipped to become an Arsenal legend in his own right. His path to regular Gunners first team action could be made somewhat easier should Fabregas demand a transfer to Catalonia this summer.

While the potential departure of Fabregas would be an obvious blow to the North Londoners, the prospect of Wilshere coupled with the emergence of Welshman Aaron Ramsey, due back from injury in November, is one to relish. Boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed he is set to unleash Wilshere this season, but has warned his rising star he must be patient in his bid for first-tem football.

“I believe he is stronger than last year, physically, and the few months he played at Bolton has given him something,” Wenger commented following his side’s 3-2 pre-season win over Celtic.

“He will be used at the club, of course. The problem at that age is to be patient. If you look at the number of good players we have in midfield, nobody can guarantee a position to anybody.”

While it seems the only issue to clear up regarding Fabregas’ inevitable return to Barca is whether it happens this season or next, Wenger is desperate for his talismanic skipper to remain at the Emirates for one more year. This would give Wilshere the chance to adapt his game further before taking on the central midfield mantle permanently. Wenger is fully confident Wilshere will eventually become the star of his Gunners midfield but believes he needs another season of development. Should Fabregas demand a transfer, Wenger will attempt to delay the move for another year before cashing in on the 23-year old. This is not a formality however, with both clubs poles apart on their valuation of the player and the Catalans struggling financially.

Frenchman Wenger also has another hot prospect in Ramsey, whom he signed from Cardiff in 2008. The 19-year-old has already made 27 appearances for the first team and has 11 Welsh caps under his belt. Despite breaking his leg in February, Ramsey signed a new long-term contract at the club in July and is expected to feature regularly upon his return.

Wenger will lament the fact that after years of developing Fabregas the midfield maestro appears set on a return to his homeland. Wenger’s idealistic philosophy and youth strategy has yet to deliver a trophy and the club’s last piece of silverware remains the 2005 FA Cup triumph. Should Fabregas leave then his side will take another step backwards and it could take years before Ramsey reaches the same world class level of the Spanish wizard, if at all.

However just as Fabregas took over from the aging Patrick Vieira, Wilshere can make the step up and help ease the burden should their captain depart. Helping deliver a trophy this season and aiding the development of his successor would be the perfect way for Fabregas to sign off his Arsenal career. But whatever happens, Arsenal fans will take comfort from knowing they have Wilshere and Ramsey waiting in the wings if Fabregas finally makes his long awaited move to the Nou Camp.

With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

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Marseille right-back Bouna Sarr impressed for his team despite their 3-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final on Wednesday night, and his performance didn’t go unnoticed by Arsenal fans on Twitter, who urged their club to sign the Frenchman.

The 26-year-old may have been part of a defence that conceded on three occasions against Diego Simeone’s men, but he showed throughout what a good defender he can be – especially with his tackle success – while he also caused Atletico left-back Lucas Hernandez plenty of problems in the final third, too.

Meanwhile, it has been a tough season for Gunners right-back Hector Bellerin, who has often been criticised by his own fans on Twitter for his below-par displays.

He hasn’t been as good defensively as he perhaps should have been, and prospective Arsene Wenger successor Mikel Arteta may decide that he needs to be replaced this summer.

We asked Arsenal fans to vote on our poll to see whether they would want their club to sign Sarr to replace the Spaniard, and a huge 71% said they would.

The French defender could come at a cost however, considering he only recently extended his contract with the Ligue 1 giants until 2022.

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