Liverpool may surprise us

Chelsea top the Backlays English Premier League after a second hat trick in weeks from yet another midfielder. Edin Hazard his last time around and this week was Andre Schurle. The Blues are enjoying a purple patch and coach, Jose Mourinho still want us to believe that his team are a work in the process, a cake in the oven, a baby racing horse still suckling and being prepared for the race. He admits they will receive the league if handed to them in a platter. If you believe that, lucky you. I am not buying that one. If that is to be taken seriously, then Chelsea would win the next league title by Christmas.

That 3 goal salvo at Fulham was stained by conceding. The comfort on the summit of the table was made sweet courtesy of the flop by the fragile Arsenal's loss to Stoke City. Not that Stoke are easy taking and not that the Gunners are pushovers. Other teams will have their turn to throw away points like confetti too. The absence of Manchester City's league match left them three points and two matches adrift and have a superior goal difference. Until the outstanding matches are played and won, they count for nought.

It must be said that the Citizens enjoyed that league break with the League Cup victory over Sunderland who threatened to upset the tycoons. I was just commenting about ruing the lost chances and explain to a friend how City can turn a single goal deficit and pounce in quick succession. In no time, he was telling me of a 'couch potato' curse.

The story that has been doing rounds for seasons now, has been Liverpool. For the first time since around 2005, the story is a good one to tell. Earlier this season, they topped the table and many thought they were flattering to deceive. I think they are now second to stay. The Reds came to the party in the new 2013/2014 with basically a 'kidsnet'. Their line-up included few veterans of note Skrtl and Toure Kolo, a reject in Dan Sturridge and a 'rehabitatee' in Luis Suarez. A relatively unknown Bredan Rogers did not make it any predictable even though he had turned Swansea's play into an enviable carpet football many teams dream of, and having worked as an assistant to Jose Mourinho.

There is about 30 points to fight for this season, 36 for City. That means a potential finish of 93 for both. City's current surplus of 42 goals compared to Chelsea's 30 puts them a notch ahead. The recent form of both is a little of a contrast. Chelsea have been consistent and quite sharp in finishing while the blue side of Manchester flopped against mediocre opposition including that loss to the Blues.

How we come this far without factoring Arsenal in a league they dominated at the beginning of the season for the first time in years is very surprising. Their season might be inverted. They looked very strong and solid when they scored and kept clean sheets. They were championship contenders until Aaron Ramsey got injured. He is one man who was winning the tile for the Gunners. With him went a resurgent Theo Walcott. Somehow, they seem to be ending the season the way they begin it. They could win it but I would not put a dime on them. All I can see in them is their duel with Spurs and Everton for fourth. In that one, they can prevail.

Liverpool may actually surprise us. They have some steel to steal it, especially as the duel of City and Chelsea gets dirty. Tightening a screw or two at the back, they are in the mix with the other two expensively assembled giants. 

Something very wrong about Carlos Tevez

I am tempted to express my great disappointment about one of the finest footballers on the planet. Carlos Tevez was almost winning my heart soon after his departure from Manchester United to City. He represented something I believe a player should be.

Tevez always came to me as someone with a big heart and ambition. He reflected great workmanship and work-rate. The Argentinian captain scored fantastic goals and seemed an inspiration to many. He projected an intelligent outlook and was set for successes.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup did not do him much favours and he was an ordinary players despite his toil. The failure by his national team that included Lionel Messi under the guidance of Diego Maradona, took a lot out of him as it knocked his football down, they say. He cried of leaving football altogether, or even going back to Argentina.

Tevez was reported to be unhappy with the coach and he was quoted as missing his 2 daughters. Reports went further to say he had a depression problem to deal with. Whatever the reasons came by, each one of them ate away any respect I had for the talented man I now feel guilty to call talented.

Someone though, is not telling us the truth. Tevez cannot be missing his daughters. The guy earns so much money that he can either have them move in or they can visit him every weekend. The sheiks give him enough money that it cannot be an issue at any day. It could be the agent takes all the money and leaves him with peanuts, but I do not buy it. Still, the guy throws tantrums like confetti. For him to be under 28 and say he is tired of football, he must think we are as childish to believe it. 

Diego Maradona was seen at the Craven Cottage when Manchester City decided to run riot over Fulham. Could it be that Tevez is sabotaging Roberto Mancini to pave way for Diego? Someone must tell us the truth here. We saw how much performance the presence of Maradona drew out of both Tevez and country man, Zabaletta on the day.

Maybe, it could be that he married a wife who will neither get along the English and their European weather, or the Spanish lady is just allergic to the language and cannot stand the disgust of her children speaking and learning English. The Abu Dhabi billionaires can build an insulated house with the cheap reject crude oil to give warmth for the family 24/7. They can hire home school Spanish teachers for his children. This can benefit a lot of other Spanish footballers' children if they can pay for the services as well to reduce expenses.

At the end of the day, I am not the only one who now mistrusts Carlos Tevez. His potential employers will be wary of him. He is a far less professional than the world thought. For his exploits and talent, what a waste. If comes round and tells us he is now sorted out, you will believe him at your own risk. In the meantime, let's all seek the truth and if you find it, please feel free to share. For now, we leave it that we are conned.

Rooney Will Play For City. Wanna Bet? and Spurs have a surprise for Inter.

Wayne Rooney has been facing a tough moment of his life. Manchester United are not helping. He now wants out of Old Trafford after stepping on Sir Alex's toes but his potential destination is shifting location and very quickly. Real Madrid are at pains trying to explain how much they do not need Rooney. Well, it is the common language when such matters arise as Man U will tell you that Rooney is not for sale to anyone at anytime.

Rooney is trying to sort out his love life as his marital issues compound his lack of form that began just before the 2010 FIFA World Cup and his clash with the coach does not help matters. The United one man band is never the same player who won all individual accolades last season and the last thing he needed is being caught cheating on his wife with expensive whores or a sour relationship with the revered Sir Alex. At least, not when his form is rock bottom.

During his bad days in the office, Valencia broke a leg, and Berbetov blew very hot and extremely cold and Man U were like another team next door. Forget that Manchester claim they won't sell and that Real deny their interest. Frankly, Jose Mourinho was never a fan of Rooney, but watch this space. Real Madrid will be walking all over Barcelona after one Togolese striker joins Cristiano Ronaldo in January.

Nobody has to love, want or need Rooney. His time at Man U is done and someone must take him out of Old Trafford, not to play him, but to deny him getting a team where he will be more useful. The only one with enough lifting power to do that will be Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City. Arsenal would use his razor sharp skills but City will be Rooney's team of choice. This will be just to rub in the red and powdered chillis into Sir Alex's eyes and nose. Barcelona have nothing to offer him. Real has Ronaldo. Even then, they really do not need him.

Manchester City are already lining up for the Manchester's favourable son. This is how it works out. Just because the Abu Dhabi billionaires will want to throw it at their neighbours and have the money to burn, and knowing United will hate to build the monster that will dominate them, City will pass Emmanuel Adebayour to Real Madrid even if it means them paying his salary, and romp in Rooney. Believe you me, Rooney will be playing alongside Tevez come January and United will hate it.

Before we part, the Champions League is on this week and I will spare you the blah blah blah that may discourage you enjoying your teams' woeful performances. The Game of the Week will be the champions , Inter Milan hosting the rookies, Tottenham Spur. This is the moment of truth for Spurs and so far, their biggest match id over half a century. They have been facing warm up situations and tomorrow night, they come up against the real deal. To cut the long story short, Milan will not know what hit them. If you watch football with your eyes and an open mind and not with your heart and emotion, you know what I'm talking about. I hope to hear from you after the Champions League matches.

City are the Kings of Manchester as they beat spirited Blackpool

A Blackpool scintillating high tempo performance made the expensively assembled Manchester City look so ordinary in the first half, as they dictated the proceedings with a direct and centre probing fast-paced attacking football. They could have taken the lead at several points in the earlier moments of the match, not counting the goal ruled out for offside about 10 minutes after the half-time break.

The sweetest part of their game was the precise and incisive penetration through the middle and then the perfect cross delivery to the prime scoring areas. Their composure on the ball and well timed and weighted passes matched their 3rd-man-running moves that were complimented with shots on target that Joe Hart did well to smother. Lack of conversion was their let-down and they dearly paid for it with their lives, l.osing 2-3 eventually.

The miss of the Barclay's Premier League undoubtedly goes to DJ Campbell, who went on to rue the miss forever as Carlos Tevez turned nothing to goal in the 67th minute. Campbell was one-on-one with Hart, bringing down the ball and trying to slide it under the advancing keeper, and the ball missed the right up-right post.

The goal that was so much against the run of play was the tonic City needed, as Blackpool took a moment to take stock of their fortunes while James Milner had other ideas. The English midfielder crushed the cross-bar with a ferocious shot only for the ball to bounce off in favour of Blackpool.

City knew the goal would take them second on the log and suddenly, they played like a team that is actually second in the championship table. Wayne Bridge committed an unnecessary foul that was well by Adam and was headed in by Marlon Harewood with a glancing effort with 12 minutes to go.

It took the tenacity of top goal scorer, captain Tevez to steal the ball from the central defensive area, beat one man and then belt a deflected shot to take steam out of Blackpool. Tevez almost got a hat-trick with 4 minutes to go, crushing the cross-bar after a touch from the goalie, Gilks. Gilks had no answer for David Silva, when the Spanish from Valencia did a solo dance with the ball in the box beating 3 defenders and slotting the ball to the far post, beyond the reach of the goalkeeper, for a 3-1 advantage for City.

A fantastic set play came a little too late at injury time. Adam worked a corner low to Varney at the edge of the penalty box. The one touch side foot goalwards was rediected by Taylor-Fletcher from close range into the net. It proved too late but what a match it was. City may have gotten to the level where they believe in themselves and their class is still to show. Most of their fortunes come with blessings from neighbours, Manchester United, who are really doing them a good service for a change. United are drawing their matches with great precision and regularity.