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Stoke City turned on the goals as they beat Bolton 5-0 on Sunday to reach their first ever FA Cup final.Usually renowned for scoring more from long Rory Delap throw-ins and well-worked set-pieces, Stoke struck three impressive goals from open play within the first 30 minutes to all but guarantee progression into the 130th FA Cup final.

They then wrapped up the heady scoreline against their English Premier League rivals with two more goals in the second half, including a superb individual effort from Jon Walters.

Stoke City fans in attendance were already creating a carnival atmosphere before Matthew Etherington stunned Bolton with a long-range effort.

The winger capitalised on some sloppy play that saw Owen Coyle’s team lose possession in its own final third to rifle into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

It took just six minutes for Stoke to double their lead and leave Bolton with a seemingly impossible task.

Central defender Robert Huth let fly with a volley from just outside the penalty area and again Wanderers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was left rooted to the spot as his net bulged.

Tony Pulis’ side completed their dream start with 15 minutes of the first half still to play.

Jermaine Pennant surged down the right wing before playing the ball into striker Kenwyne Jones, who controlled the pass well and dispatched his effort in front of the Bolton fans to compound their misery.

If Bolton were getting sick of seeing spectacular Stoke goals, the second half offered them little respite.

Former Ipswich attacker Jon Walters had spent 68 minutes working tirelessly for his team-mates, but he got his personal reward when he took the ball from deep, ran confidently at the Bolton defence and curled a powerful strike beyond Jaaskelainen.

His day improved when he claimed a brace after finishing from close range on 81 minutes.

Bolton had channelled their Cup campaign in memory of club legend and two-time FA Cup finalist and 1958 winner Nat Lofthouse, who spent his entire career with the club and passed away in January.

That dream ended within 30 minutes at Wembley on Saturday, but that of Stoke – who will take on Manchester City in the final on June 14 – could just be getting started.

Everton have stated that they are working with police to find the identity of fans who threw objects onto the Goodison Park pitch on Saturday, and have pledged action against the culprits.

Liverpool players Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy were the subject of the abuse, with coins and plastic bottles being thrown at them during the Merseyside derby at the weekend.

The Premier League club have stated that the indiscipline is not acceptable, and anyone found guilty will be dealt with in an unerring manner.

“We are fully aware of the incidents which occurred during Saturday’s derby game,” Everton director of communications Ian Ross told the club’s official website.

“We are currently working with Merseyside Police on collating and analysing all available CCTV footage of the incidents.

“If we can identify any supporter who threw anything – and we mean anything – on to the pitch on Saturday we will take immediate firm and far-reaching action.

“This behaviour is totally unacceptable and will be rightly condemned by all right-thinking Evertonians – and that is 99.9 per cent of our fan base,” he concluded.

Jack Rodwell was sent off in the first half of the match in controversial fashion, and Everton have appealed the dismissal, with a decision to be made in coming days.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Juventus have done as expected and appointed former player Antonio Conte to replace departed manager Luigi Delneri.Conte re-joins Juventus fresh from leading Siena to promotion from Serie B, and is charged with immediately reviving the fortunes of the Turin club after their seventh-placed finish this season.

Their inability to clinch a spot in European competition inevitably led to change at the helm, with Conte heavily tipped to replace Delneri since Juventus announced on May 21 that the former Sampdoria coach would depart.

Former Italy midfielder Conte made 295 appearances for Juventus during a 12-year stint, retiring in 2004 to pursue a career in coaching.

“Antonio Conte has returned to Juventus. This time to lead them not from the pitch, but from the bench,” a statement on the club’s website confirmed on Tuesday.

“He is the new coach. Conte has signed a two-year contract that will tie him to the Bianconeri until June 30, 2013.”

A Champions League winner as a player, Conte is the third arrival at Juventus since the end of the Serie A season.

Veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo has been signed from AC Milan, while Swiss defender Reto Ziegler moves from relegated Sampdoria.

But it is Conte’s arrival that has been hailed as the most integral by president Andrea Agnelli: “We want to win, and we want to do it with Conte. He is the first piece of the jigsaw to return successful.”

QPR will be hoping they can repeat London rival’s Fulham feat and take three points away from a Liverpool side still chasing a place in the Premier League top four.

The Reds will be spoiling after their late defeat on the Thames that denied them the chance to leapfrog fifth placed Newcastle and move to within two points of Chelsea who currently occupy the final Champions League place. An unbeaten run of eight games preceded the loss against Fulham with Kenny Dalglish desperate to bring European football back to Anfield. However supporters will be unhappy that their side were unable to come away victorious from the capital in game they will have designated as being very winnable. Four points from their previous two games against Chelsea and Manchester City had seen confidence levels soar on Merseyside only for them to be brought back down to earth on Monday night. It wasn’t the ideal way for Liverpool to begin a period, which could define their season. Dalglish hasn’t been afraid to get his chequebook out when it matters and should his side struggle over the festive period he could delve into the transfer market once more come January. His spending spree back in January saw him spend over £50 million on strikers Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll. Whilst the Uruguayan has gone on to be a huge success and one of the most feared forwards in the top flight the same can’t be said for Carroll. The pony tailed Geordie has failed to live up to his £35 million price tag and another lacklustre display at Fulham on Monday night did little to inspire belief in the stands. A positive performance against QPR on Saturday would go along way to building his morale ahead of energy sapping run of fixtures.

Neil Warnock’s side have enjoyed a thoroughly pleasing start to the season and have left the pundits, who predicted them to struggle, bewildered by their comfortable mid-table position. Despite their relatively lofty position a recent slump that has seen them win one from their last five games has given supporters cause to be concerned ahead of the festive period. Whilst that solitary victory was an impressive away win at Stoke games against Manchester United, Swansea and Arsenal await them in December. It’s a tough run of fixtures by anyone’s standards and performances will need to improve drastically if the R’s are going to pick up points that could prove vital at the season’s climax. A run of negative results could prove catastrophic going into the New Year with a series of defeats something Warnock will be looking to avoid during a month that can prove to be physically and mentally draining. Travelling to Merseyside to face Liverpool isn’t the ideal way to kick things off especially with the Red’s currently unbeaten in seven at home. The experience of Joey Barton, Luke Young and Shaun Wright-Phillips will be vital and could prove to be the difference as to whether Rangers go back to Loftus Road with some points under their belt.

Liverpool – 7th

Last Five: Drew 1-1 v Manchester City, Won 2-1 v Chelsea (A), Drew 0-0 v Swansea (H), Won 2-0 v West Brom (A), Drew 1-1 v Norwich (H)

Potential Starting X11: 25. P. Reina [C] 2. G. Johnson 5. D. Agger 37. M. Skrtel 3. J. Enrique 19. S. Downing 26. C. Adam 14. J. Henderson 18. D. Kuyt 7. L. Suarez* 39. C. Bellamy

Injury News: Dalglish has no new injury concerns with Lucas out for the long term with a knee injury whilst captain Steven Gerrard is also sidelined.

Key Player: Luis Suarez

Despite seeing the goals dry up Suarez is still an integral part of the way Liverpool attack and he was unlucky to be on the losing side on Monday night. His terrier like approach is always a handful for defenders with his tenacious nature mixing well with that of strike partner Craig Bellamy. Whilst he is also capable of acts of individual brilliance it’s his unselfish running and work rate that has endeared him to the Anfield faithful and they’ll be expecting more of the same against QPR on Saturday.

Match Fact: This will be the first time Liverpool have met QPR in the Premier League since 1996. In the eight encounters prior to Saturday’s game the Reds ran out winners on six occasions.

QPR – 12th

Last Five: Drew 1-1 v West Brom (H), Lost 2-1 v Norwich (A), Won 3-2 v Stoke (A), Lost 3-2 v Man City (H), Lost 3-1 v Tottenham (A)

Potential Starting X11: 24. R. Cerny 18. L. Young 35. A. Ferdinand 6. D. Gabbidon 3. C. Hill 11. A. Faurlin 4. S. Derry 7. J. Barton[C] 10. J. Mackie 32. S. Wright-Phillips 22. H. Helguson*

Injury News: Warnock is still without key players Paddy Kenny, Matt Connolly, DJ Campbell, Kieron Dyer and Rob Hulse who will all be in the Loftus Road treatment room over Christmas.

Key Player: Heidar Helguson

Despite being fourth choice at the start of the season Helguson’s goal scoring exploits have seen him become one of the first names on Warnock’s teamsheet. Six goals in eight games has catapulted him back into the starting line up and his fearless approach up front has won him countless plaudits this season. With summer signing Jay Bothroyd struggling to find the net it’s been the Icelandic forward who has shouldered the burden of finding the net and his fearless approach up front should unsettle a Liverpool back four that has been in fine form of late.

Match Fact: Rangers have never beaten Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League and have secured victory only once against the Reds – a 2-1 win back in October 1994.

Last Time at Anfield

Premier League 30 August 1995

Liverpool 1-0 QPR

Ruddock (29)

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Attendance: 37,548

Referee: Steve Dunn

PREDICTION

Despite being unbeaten at home this season Liverpool should throw caution to the wind as QPR descend upon Merseyside. Monday’s defeat at Fulham was a stark reminded that they aren’t quite yet the finished article under Dalglish but are making steps towards getting back to their best. Ranger’s will go to Anfield knowing they can handles themselves accordingly on the road having beaten Stoke at the Britannia Stadium two weeks ago. Both sides work hard but are having problems converting chances into goals at the moment, which means it’s going to be hard to separate the two.

Score: 1-1

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Spain stole a dramatic 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier courtesy of record-breaking David Villa.Villa scored a late brace to increase his tally to 46 international goals, making him Spain’s all-time top goal-scorer ahead of Raul (44).

His milestone was undoubtedly lost on the Czech Republic, who looked set for an upset of epic proportions at Granada’s Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes following Jaroslav Plasil’s early goal.

But Villa’s goals, the second of which came from a heartbreaking penalty call against the visitors, ensured Spain would stretch their winning streak in Euro 2012 qualifying to four games.

The reigning world and European champions sit on top of Group I with 12 points, six clear of second-place Czech Republic.

Plasil’s opener on 29 minutes came against the run of play, the Bordeaux midfielder taking a pass from Arsenal man Tomas Rosicky well outside the area and blasting a low shot past Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

As the hour ticked over and Spain failed to nab an equaliser, the visitors had to think they were a chance of stealing at least a point from their all-conquering opponents.

But it all fell apart in a three-minute period as Villa stole the match off his own boot, beginning with a bit of individual brilliance in the 69th minute.

The Barcelona superstar collected Andres Iniesta’s pass at the edge of the area, cut inside his marker and split two defenders and Czech custodian Petr Cech with a stinging low strike inside the right post.

Three minutes later, Czech defender Jan Rezek cut down Iniesta in the area with a needless challenge, and Villa slammed the spot kick wide of Cech for a 2-1 lead.

Spain overran the visitors in the latter stages and could have had another through substitute Fernando Torres, whose attempt was well saved by his Chelsea team-mate at the line.

Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez will be sidelined for ‘a couple of weeks’ after spending a night in hospital due to concussion.The Mexico international was injured during training prior to United’s 4-0 win over the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Stars in their friendly clash on Wednesday.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the 23-year-old, who scored 13 goals in his debut English Premier League season last campaign, had spent the night before the game in hospital.

“He got concussion in training and we dealt with that,” he said.

“We took him to hospital, he had a scan. It was all clear. He is back in the hotel. He is in his room and will be out for a couple of weeks.”

The setback rules Hernandez out of United’s friendly against Barcelona on Saturday, but Ferguson said he would not have taken part anyway due to a heavy schedule that saw him help Mexico to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in June.

“He would never have been available for Barcelona anyway because he has just come back from his break after the Gold Cup,” Ferguson said.

“He will travel with us though. He is okay for that.”

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Ferguson’s team hammered the MLS All-Stars 4-0 thanks to goals from Anderson, Park Ji-Sung, Dimitar Berbatov and Danny Welbeck.

United finish their tour of the US with a re-match of the UEFA Champions League final, which Barcelona won 3-1.

In light of the launch of the new football gaming phenomenon that is ‘Goaldash’ I decided to look at the six greatest Premier League Games of all time.

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Over the past 19 years the Premier League has delighted us with some absolutely cracking matches. We have seen so many classic encounters from topsy-turvy battles to epic comebacks, that are forever etched in our memories. Here are 6 of the greatest Premier League games of all time:

1. Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle 

Often cited as the best and with good reason. There were massive stakes on the game, as Newcastle could have drawn level with Man United in the title race, and Liverpool were third and not far behind either. The game had it all: a goal in the second minute, one in the last, and pretty much everything else in between. Stan Collymore’s final blow sealed it for the reds.

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2. Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham

An absolutely classic north London derby.  It was Harry Redknapp’s first official game in charge of Spurs, with the club languishing at the bottom of the table. The match had it all: classic goals-including the 40-yarder from David Bentley-goalkeeping howlers, defensive mistakes. Just as you thought it was over, something else would happen. Arsenal led 4-2  with a minute remaining, but Spurs somehow came back, and the match was a key moment for Harry in turning Spurs around.

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3. Man United 4-3 Man City

This match took place shortly after City’s takeover, and their hopes and expectations were sky high, as they thought they would square things in Manchester. Mark Hughes faced off against the old master, but it was Fergie who came out on top. Man City came back from 3-1 down and looked to have secured a fantastic point, however Michael Owen came up with a dramatic stoppage time winner to hand the points to the red side of the city.

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4. Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal

A classic Premier League encounter between two of the big boys. A 4 goal haul from Andrei Arshavin looked to have sealed the points for Arsenal in this back and forth encounter, but Yossi Benayoun was to snatch a draw for Liverpool as he scrambled the ball home in stoppage time.

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5. Tottenham 3-5 Manchester United

This match truly epitomised the saying a game of two halves. Spurs were up 3-0 at half time, yet Manchester United never gave up, and came out firing in the second half capping a remarkable comeback to take the match 5-3 and leave Tottenham stunned.

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6. Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal

Arsenal raced into a 4-0 lead and looked to be coasting, as the signs looked ominous for Newcastle. However, after Diaby was sent off, Newcastle finally got going, and produced a stunning comeback to shock the title hopefuls.

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So what is Goaldash all about then?

Bored of playing the Lottery? Failing every week on the Pools? Then why not give ‘Goaldash’ a go – a football gamble with a difference.

‘Goaldash’ is a fabulous concept which fuses the Lottery format with pre-chosen football fixtures. Whereas you may use birthdays or your own favourite numbers to pick your six numbers, with ‘Goaldash’ you need to use your foresight of the Beautiful Game to select the six teams that are likely to score the quickest in the pre-selected 24 fixtures.

 It only costs £1 a pop to enter and you have the chance to win a million pounds, every given week.

All you have to do is scour the 48 teams and pick out the 6 teams that are likely to score the quickest on the Saturday afternoon. The matches are chosen from the Premier League, the Football League, as well as the Scottish divisions therefore you will have plenty to work out and strategise before you make your selections.

Playing the Lottery has just got fun, especially as your odds are a damn sight greater.

Fancy your chances? Fancy winning £1million pounds? Why not give it a go!

The crowning glory of Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s ill-fated takeover plan at Liverpool was the promise to relocate the club to a new ground in Stanley Park. Fast forward five years, and the plan for the ground remains just that, a plan. However that may be for the best in the short term, as the Reds look to improve their ailing form and establish, once more, a place in the UEFA Champions League.

The visions of the new 60,000 seater stadium excited fans upon their release in 2007, with its futuristic design seen as what could be a catalyst for the club to push on and become title challengers. However financial issues surrounding the American duo, and the Fenway Sports Group’s takeover have pushed the blueprints into the background.

Although this could be seen as a negative around the club, perhaps a few lessons should be learnt from Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium, as they looked to keep pace with Manchester United and the Roman Abramovich backed Chelsea. Anybody who has been to the North London club’s new home will testify of it’s quality, yet the economic implications have held the club back somewhat over the past few years. The project cost an initial £390 million, with a significant sum coming from bank loans, denting the clubs financial situation. The increased income created from a larger stadium will eventually see it fund itself, yet the short term impacts can have a negative effect on performance levels of the team. Although Arsenal’s issues may have stemmed from the end of the ‘golden generation’s’ reign, the failure to spend top dollar in replacing them was surely influenced by the budget adjustments caused by the stadium development.

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To relate this to Liverpool, success in the short term is what is needed. There would be very little point in building a large ground, without top level European football. The club would more than likely fill the ground to a significant level through the season, such is the size of their loyal fan base, yet to maximise income the pull of Champions League football, and the increased level of revenue from gate receipts, would be needed. It’s clear to see that the club need to spend once more this summer, with a long term replacement for Steven Gerrard and a genuine goal-scorer top of Kenny Dalglish’s wish-list. Players of sufficient quality will likely cost in the region of £20-£25 million each, and with no big money sales looking likely, the investment, alongside any potential stadium plans would put a strain of the club’s bank balance.

As well as this, Anfield will always be the spiritual home of Liverpool, and a move from the site may result in a different atmosphere. I’m not saying that the fans will lose their passion, but there wouldn’t be that magical ambiance which is ever present at their current home. The ideal situation would be to extend the ground, which would be significantly cheaper than relocating, and will also keep the Anfield magic alive.

Eventually Liverpool will need a larger home, if they are to move up to the level of United, Arsenal, and Manchester City. However in the short term, the club need to establish on-field success, and the allocation of finances should be tailored toward this. Liverpool simply cannot spend another five or six years treading water.

Do the Reds need a new ground to keep pace? Or should they invest in the squad? Comment or follow @Alex_Hams to have your say

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If you have a spare 5 mins then why not watch the latest ‘Football Coffee Break’

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Brazil comfortably beat Scotland 2-0 in a showpiece friendly, but it was one man that stole the show. That man is quite simply known as Neymar and is the latest Brazilian wonder kid. Although, Neymar is only 19, comparisons have already been made with Pele, for this young and exciting forward player. He currently plays in Brazil for Santos, where he has made 120 appearances, scoring 60 goals.

Recently Neymar has broken into the senior Brazilian national team and showed what he can do with both goals in the recent game against Scotland. His first was a fine individual goal, where he curled the ball around the defender and into the far corner – leaving the keeper with no chance. The second goal was all about Neymar’s close control and skill and when he was tripped in the box, it was Neymar who easily converted the penalty.

Neymar was already known to several Premier League clubs, but this performance may increase the chances of some major cash being spent on him during the summer. Chelsea have tried before, but at the time Neymar opted to stay at Santos. However, it’s highly likely that Neymar will now be on the move in the summer to a European club. There is likely to be a lot of interest, and speculation suggests that he would prefer a move to a club in Italy.

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Santos will be happy about the situation because it looks as if a bidding war will take place, so they are likely to get a very good offer for their star player. Chelsea and Manchester City are likely to be the main suitors, but Manchester United may also enter the race, if they think the player is worth the money.

One unsavoury incident that came out of the match was when a banana was thrown at Neymar, now he has called the incident racial abuse. Therefore, bearing in mind the game was in England, this may put him off a move to the Premier League, if he thinks he will be a target for racial abuse. There is also the issue of a work permit, Neymar is new to the Brazilian side – so may not qualify. However, there is the possibility he would qualify on the basis of him being an exceptional talent.

If Neymar does end up in the Premier League next season, then he will certainly be an exciting player to watch. In common with many Brazilian players over the years, Neymar has exceptional close control, pace, dribbling skills and every trick imaginable to beat a player. These attributes mean he can operate as a winger or up front. However be warned, he also has the tendency for simulation to win fouls.

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Standard Liege defeated Club Brugge 1-0 in their Belgian First Division championship group playoff match at Jules Ottenstadion on Saturday.The win moved Liege to within three points of Genk in the race for the Belgian title, and came courtesy of a 31st-minute goal from Axel Witsel.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Gent played out a 2-2 draw with Lokeren in a matchup between the two bottom sides in the six-team championship play-off group.

Shlomi Arbeitman opened the scoring for Gent in first-half injury time, but Benjamin De Ceulaer levelled proceedings six minutes after the break.

It looked as though Gent had done enough to secure their first win since the playoffs began when Arbeitman scored his second on the 76-minute mark, but Alfred Finnbogason snatched a point for Lokeren three minutes into stoppage time.

In Europa League play-off Group A, a brace from Julien Gorius helped KV Mechelen to a 4-3 win over Lierse, while a goal from Oleg Iachtchouk five minutes before the break was enough to hand Cercle Brugge a 1-0 win over St Truiden.

In Group B, KVC Westerlo moved top with a 7-1 thrashing of Zulte-Waregem, with Filho Paulo Henrique scoring two goals, while Germinal Beerschot and KV Kortrijk played out a 0-0 draw at the Olympisch Stadion.