With West Ham in a spell of much better form of late their visit to Old Trafford had them in good spirits ahead of the match. Carolton Cole was back to add some menace to the attack but it wasn't enough just to be out there as Wayne Rooney proved with a goal in each half (38 & 55; both headers and both off precise centering balls from Valencia). Michael Owen added a late tally (80) for the final 3-0 score. Rooney's brace takes his total to 27 on the season and United goes back to a single point adrift of Chelsea at the top of the table. United announced on Wednesday that a cruciate ligament injury to Anderson has ended his season. The Brazilian had become a bit part player as a result of a run of injuries and now this one has only added to his woes.

Meanwhile, EPL leaders Chelsea were in Milan preparing for the big Champions League match with Inter and their former manager Jose Mourinho. Jose, under suspension in Serie A for making a fool of himself, and his Italian champions faced the Blues for the first time since he departed Stamford Bridge. The match had been promoted as THE MATCH of the round and it didn't quite live up to all the hype, which is all too common.

Inter ran out to an early lead thru Milito (3) who made Terry look silly on the play turning him far too easily. Chelsea sputtered on the attack repeatedly trying to force the ball up the middle and essentially refusing to stretch the defense with attacking play from the flanks. It took the Blues far too long to finally level matters via Malouda (51) and an error from Julio Caesar after a penalty shout was denied late in the opening half. Once they did, Cambiaso hit back almost immediately with the match winner (55). Then, Chelsea lost Cech on a uncontested take of a wide cross which could turn out to be the pivotal play of the 1st leg. Cech will miss a month of action adding to an already long injury list for the Blues.

Most pundits are saying it was a pulsating game and the edge is small for Inter. Frankly, it was a horrid performance played largely at the dictates of Inter (slow, plodding), not using the wide area especially in the attack and firing dozens of wasted balls (the Blues generated twice as many shots as Inter (18) but only 6 of them were on frame and most of them from distance). Chelsea's performance flattered Inter in my opinion and their refusal to use the wide areas on the attack made it all too easy for Inter. Chelsea essentially played the game the way Jose would have hoped they would.

Other CL games this week had Bordeaux visiting Greece and coming away with a 0-1 victory for the French champs. A Ciani header (44) was the difference but they needed to clear off the line twice in the latter stages and Olympiacos had a goal ruled out for a foul on the keeper to save the win.

Holders Barcelona visit to Stuttgart became a bit of a surprise as Barca needed to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with a fortunate goal from Ibrahimovic (52). His initial shot was saved and the rebound came right back to him in the slot and he poked it home. Cacau had put the home side in front with a powerful header in the 28th, his 5th goal in a week. Barca's effort to get back in the match led to their dominating the ball (72%) but they managed only the tally from Zlatan on his return from injury. Call it advantage Barca with the away goal as they now return home for the 2nd leg.

In the other CL match Sevilla travelled to Moscow to face CSKA and posted a 1-1 draw. The away goal could prove to be very important in this one too. For CSKA, not having played a competitive match in over two months, it was a fine effort in the bitter cold.

In Europa League Everton traveled to face Sporting Lisbon, Fulham was off to Shaktar Donestk and Liverpool was in Bucharest to face Unirea in 2nd leg action. Liverpool fell behind on a 19th minute headed goal but leveled ten minutes later via Mascherano from distance. Ryan Babel extended the lead in the 40th ahead of Gerrard's goal for the 1-3 victory as the Reds move on taking a 4-1 aggregate win. The Reds will face Lille in the next round.

And Fulham earned a 1-1 draw and 3-2 aggregate victory over last year's UEFA Cup winners (now called the Europa League) Shakhtar Donestk. Shakhtar was dominant on the night but couldn't overcome the advantage after Brede Hegeland's 33rd minute header. It is the first time in the history of the club for the Cottagers to advance to the final 16 of any European competition. Fulham gets Juventus in the next round as their reward.

Everton was eliminated with Sporting Lisbon's three second half goals winning the tie 4-2 (agg) after a surprisingly tame effort by the Toffees. Everton, in their best vein of form all season ahead of the match and taking a 2-1 lead into the 2nd leg were expected to do much better here. Tame is an understatement as Everton managed only 1 shot on goal for the entire match. They were outrun and outplayed all over the pitch. One of the few bright spots was the appearance of Jagielka who came on as an emergency sub for Senderos (52) in his first time on the pitch since last April.

Back in England in FA Cup replays Tottenham hammered Bolton 4-0 and Stoke City downed ten man Man City 3-1 (aet) with two goals in the extra time period. Adebayor was dismissed in the 83rd just after Bellamy leveled for City (81) only two minutes after Kitson scored for the Potters (79). The goals in extra time came from Shawcross off a Delap throw (95) and Tuncay finished it off with his strike in the 99th. Adebayor's red card draws a 4 match ban for his second dismissal for violent conduct this season.

Aston Villa topped Crystal Palace 3-1 on two late penalty conversions from John Carew (81 & 89) after an Agbonlahor opener was cancelled out by an Ambrose penalty conversion (73).

Reading rallied to win a match that seemed to be a victory for the Baggies sending the game into extra time on a Brian Howard strike in the final minute of stoppage time with a 2-2 draw. Five minutes into extra time Reading's Iceland under 21 Sigurdsson hit the match winner. A melee ensued after the final whistle of this hotly contested affair. The Baggies seemed well on their way to the final 8 on the strength of a brace from Koren before the late heroics from the Royals.

Spurs got two goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and own goals from Jaaskelinen and O'Brien to dismiss Bolton handily. The match also saw the first start for Stuart Holden who had no significant impact on the proceedings for the Wanderers.

Speaking of Holden the rest of his buddies on the second rank of the US National Team played a friendly with El Salvador winning late 2-1 on a Sasha Klejstan strike from inside the six yard box. Brian Ching had leveled in the 75th with a powerful diving header after falling behind in the 59th to a Corrales header. The reason they had to rally late was this match became another glaring example of a very disturbing tendency of this Bob Bradley US side. Their play is often dominated by not taking care of the ball that leads to wayward passes all over the pitch and these guys are even more guilty of it than the first choice 11. Passes with not enough pace, poor decisions and just plain give aways and more made watching this effort another very frustrating experience.

What makes it even more ominous is that it seems to be a trait they inherit from the first team. Opponents of the US have learned that with a little pressure on the ball they will give it up and they do just that far too often. The good sign was that despite their loose play they rallied for the win which is something they rarely do even against CONCACAF opponents. Will any of these guys travel to South Africa? A handful are sure to be there to fill in the 23 man roster but few of them seem likely to make a positive impression but that remains to be seen of course.

Portsmouth have become the first EPL club to be placed in “administration” (bankruptcy) after the parade of ownership groups that have all been unable to settle the financial woes. A 9 point deduction is part of the penalty imposed which surely guarantees relegation (if the club survives at all).

The key match of the weekend, Chelsea hosting Man City, has an almost universal attraction for fans and neutrals alike with all the fuss swirling around the two teams. The scandal aspect, between Terry and Bridge adds its own unique spice with Terry losing his captaincy of England, Bridge rejecting his call into the team and now they face each other on the pitch for the first time since the scandal broke. As well as that here is a depleted Chelsea side missing several key players (Essien, A. Cole, Cech and more) facing a City team in need of a victory to stay in the fight for 4th. As well as that mission, City will be attempting something they have not accomplished for over 50 years: defeat Chelsea twice in the same season, a feat they last managed in 1958.

And they'd do just that. Lampard opened the scoring in a drab first half that would turn after his 42nd minute strike. Just two minutes later Tevez would rise to the occasion and make John Terry look pedestrian in the process to level with his weak mis-hit shot that just caught Hilario going the wrong way and trickled in. Bellamy would prove his creaky knees could still support his pace when he put City on top (51) on a terrific counter-attack. Tevez would make it 1-3 from the spot (76) for a red card issued to Belletti for running down Barry from behind. Then Bellamy hit his second on another counter five minutes after Ballack was sent off for his second yellow (81) reducing Chelsea to 9 men. Lampard would make the final score 2-4 from the spot in stoppage time on another soft penalty call but the day was won by City's counters and execution. With the win City also snaps the Blues string of 37 straight appearances at Stamford Bridge without a loss.

Arsenal rallied with two goals in stoppage time to defeat ten man Stoke 1-3 to pull within three points of Chelsea. The win was soured by a Ryan Shawcross challenge that resulted in an horrific broken leg for one of the youngest Gunners, 19 year old Aaron Ramsey. Danny Pugh scored his first for Stoke (8) off a Delap throw and Shawcross glancing header that he nodded in at the back post. Bendtner got the Gunners back on even terms with a header of his own (32) and the game seemed headed for the draw despite Arsenal's overwhelming possession of the ball. Then came the horrific moment (66) when Ramsey was chopped down by Shawcross that will be the focus of the headlines. A Fabregas penalty (90) and two minutes into stoppage time another from Vermaelen closed the scoring.

The tightly wound bottom third of the table also had some key games on the schedule with Bolton (18th) hosting Wolves (16th) and Burnley (19) facing rock bottom Portsmouth at Turf Moor. Expect the bottom to be rearranged a bit with idle Hull City almost sure to be dragged into the zone.

Bolton escapes the zone with a 1-0 victory in the match that signaled the home debut and first start for American Stuart Holden who had a significant impact on the match with his centering balls and free kicks. Holden also had a good scoring chance of his own that was saved. A rare goal from Zat Knight (45) was the match winner.

Burnley too had a chance to lift themselves out of the zone but fell at home (a rarity) with a 1-2 loss to rock bottom side Portsmouth. The match winner came from the spot in the 76th from the boot of Hassan Yebda.

Birmingham defeated Wigan 1-0 on a controversial penalty (45) from McFadden earning them another season at EPL level with their 40th point of the campaign. At the same time Wigan now sits just a single point above the zone and in the midst of their worst run of form in years with no wins in the last 7 in the league.

Speaking of tightly wound, the four teams in the struggle for the final Champions League place were separated by only a single point ahead of the weekend. The win by City at Stamford Bridge not only tightens the race at the top, it will be pivotal in their challenge to crash the top four as well. Aston Villa was in the Carling Cup Final on Sunday while both Spurs and Liverpool were on their home ground where Tottenham hosted Everton and the Reds faced Blackburn Rovers. City's win at the Bridge put the pressure on Benitez and Redknapp to deliver a victory to keep pace. Would they falter or step up to the challenge?

Redknapp's Spurs passed the test with a 2-1 victory over Everton thanks to a terrible miss by Landon Donovan that preserved the win for Tottenham. Donovan had a marvelous opportunity fall to him at the back post and trying to squeeze it in saw his shot glaze the outside of the post. Unfortunately for Donovan it was one of the those that you'd think was harder to miss than to score. Spurs got first half goals from Pavlyuchenko (11) and Modric (28) and seemed to be in cruise control. As often happens the second half was very much a different ball game and Yakubu's strike put an edge on the contest (55) before Donovan's big miss.

Benitez and the Reds kept pace with their own 2-1 win over a stubborn and combative Rovers side. Gerrard put the Reds on top (20) only to see a Carragher handball allow Blackburn to level 20 minutes later with the conversion by Andrews. Torres, on his first start in over five weeks notched the match winner just before half time (44) to keep the Reds in contact with Man City and Spurs in the battle for 4th.

Sunderland's run of winless games was extended to 14 in a scoreless draw with Fulham at The Stadium of Light.

In the Carling Cup Final SAF's Red Devils win the first trophy of the season with a 2-1 victory over Villa on a Rooney header (74) off another cross from Valencia (Rooney's last three goals have come from crosses from Valencia). Rooney came on as a sub to keep the trophy in Manchester when Owen hobbled off (42). Villa took the lead via Milner (5) from the spot after Vidic hauled down Agbonlahor and Rooney's standin Michael Owen leveled matters (12) for the Red Devils.