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Samir Nasri believes Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh can cause Chelsea problems when Arsenal head to Stamford Bridge. Both teams lost their last domestic fixture, Arsenal being stunned 3-2 at home by West Brom, while the Blues failed their first real test of the season when beaten 1-0 at top-four hopefuls Manchester City. The Gunners travel to west London without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, first-choice keeper Manuel Almunia and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen, while forwards Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie are still out. The busy treatment room means Chamakh has found himself deployed at the head of the Arsenal attack, supported by the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Nasri and England's rising star Jack Wilshere. The 26-year-old has settled quickly at his new club following a free transfer move from Bordeaux in the summer. Chamakh's close-range header against Partizan Belgrade, where he also won a second-half penalty which Arshavin failed to convert, was a fourth goal in nine app

Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney defended himself against criticism, insisting: " I'm only a human being". Rooney has been plagued by poor form and off-field controversy so far this season. He missed the recent clash with Everton after allegations over his private life before being rested due to an ankle problem for Saturday's clash with Sunderland. The forward, who could however be named in the England squad on Monday for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on October 12, believes playing time is the answer to his poor performances recently. "I'm only a human being," he said.

Lionel Messi has again pledged his loyalty to Barcelona after winning the European Golden Boot award on Thursday evening. The Argentinean ace, who was bestowed with the honour after scoring 34 league goals in the 2009/10 campaign for his club, spoke of his intention to see off his career at the Nou Camp. He was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily Marca: "This is what I always say: Barcelona is my home and I hope that I stay here for many years." The 23-year-old joined the Catalan club a decade ago and has since progressed into one of the most gifted players in his generation. His latest award adds on to the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year he collected in 2009.

Andy Carroll is keeping his feet firmly on the ground amid speculation that he could receive a senior England call-up next week. The 21-year-old has found himself the subject of reports that he could be drafted in by Fabio Capello for next month's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro with Emile Heskey having retired from international football, Wayne Rooney a doubt and Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora already ruled out through injury. However, Carroll, who will hope to add to his four goals for the season at Manchester City on Sunday, said: "All I am focusing on is Manchester City and doing well for Newcastle United.

Steve Bruce will lock horns with the man he still calls "boss" tomorrow desperate to finally break his duck. The Sunderland manager will go head to head with Sir Alex Ferguson still looking for his first win over Manchester United, the club he served with such distinction as a player. Bruce was a member of the class of 1993 which finally ended a 26-year wait for a league title, establishing a dynasty which has added another 10 Premier League successes since. He left Old Trafford for Birmingham in the summer of 1996 with three league winners' medals, two FA Cups, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners' Cup among his list of honours, and two years later, launched his managerial career at Sheffield United.

Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has targeted keeping his place in the side that faces Chelsea this weekend. The Swiss defender had knee surgery last season, and made only his third senior appearance against Partizan Belgarde in the Champions League this season. The 23-year-old is tired of time on the bench and said to reporters that he was looking to stake a place in the Arsenal starting XI.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told MUTV that Wayne Rooney could be fit to play for England against Montenegro. Although Ferguson has not done a general press conference ahead of tomorrow's trip to Sunderland, the United boss has done selected interviews, including with the club's in-house TV station. The Scot, while ruling Rooney out of the Sunderland encounter with the ankle injury he aggravated at Bolton last Sunday, revealed he could be available to Fabio Capello who is due to name his squad for the game on Monday. "Wayne trained yesterday and he wants to play tomorrow," Ferguson told local radio station Key103, who also spoke to the United boss on Friday morning.

Jaws dropped around the Premier League as Manchester City announced record losses of £121.3million. Manchester City have swept past Manchester United in the pay league for players, the club's annual report today revealed. The figures also show details of City's astonishing spending spree on players and salaries which have led to record losses of £121.3million. Although City's turnover increased by 40% to £125m this has been swamped by total salary costs of £133.3m, a £50m rise on a year ago.

Bolton defender Paul Robinson has blasted Arsene Wenger's "ridiculous" views on tackling. Wenger was angered by a tackle made by Robinson in Arsenal's clash with Bolton two weekends ago which left his midfielder Abou Diaby injured. The Frenchman, not for the first time, demanded the Football Association clamp down on what he considered excessive tackles on his players. "It's typical Arsene isn't it? An Arsenal player gets hurt and all of a sudden it's all made public. I've seen the tackle and I don't think it's bad - it's a good, hard tackle," Robinson said.

Sir Alex Ferguson has called for Ryan Giggs to receive the ultimate accolade - a knighthood. Giggs has earned just about everything else in a stellar career. Aside from 11 Premier League titles and two European Cups in a medal collection unmatched within the English game, Giggs has also collected the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and was awarded an OBE in 2007. Now Ferguson wants the Welshman to become a knight of the realm. In his foreword to Giggs' new autobiography 'Ryan Giggs: My Life, My Story', Ferguson makes his case.

Ryan Giggs has leaped to the defence of Wayne Rooney and backed the striker to ignore the critics and rediscover his top form. The 24-year-old has dominated the front and back pages of the papers due to his poor performances on the pitch and personal problems off it. But Giggs, who has seen it all during his illustrious career at Old Trafford, is convinced that his troubled team-mate will bounce back and show his true quality. The 36-year-old said: "Wayne's obviously a quality player. The season he had last year he was single-handedly winning games for us.

Liverpool and Manchester City were both held to draws while reigning champions Atletico Madrid failed to win as well. Liverpool  were held to a goalless draw by  Utrecht  in their Europa League clash after another disjointed performance. A point in the Stadion Galgenwaard, where the hosts had won their previous six matches, was no disgrace but it was hardly one of those classic, gritty away performances in Europe. Roy Hodgson's side, who had five successive Europa League victories prior to this game, were dominated for long periods and their clean sheet owed much to goalkeeper Jose Reina and a goalline clearance from Raul Meireles.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson felt his side earned a good point despite a goalless Europa League draw in Utrecht. His side were on the back foot for much of the game and their clean sheet owed much to goalkeeper Jose Reina and a goalline clearance from Raul Meireles. Despite leaving captain Steven Gerrard at home, Hodgson was able to name the strongest line-up available to him but they rarely gave any indication they would secure a first win in four games. Nevertheless, Hodgson was happy to take home a point against a side who had won their last six matches at the Stadion Galgenwaard.

Manchester City Striker Emmanuel Adebayor has threatened to leave to club if he continues warming the bench at the Eastlands. The Togolese striker has been deemed surplus in Roberto Mancini's plans in this season so far and has been initially linked with a move to Juventus during the summer. But the 26-year-old decided to grit his teeth and stay put at the Eastlands in order to force his way into the starting line-up.  However, Adebayor may be handed his chance to prove his worth to Mancini when City take on Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday. When asked of his feelings of a possible starting place against Juventus, he played his cards cleverly.

Xavi has been left out of Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque's squad for next month's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland. The 30-year-old has not been risked for the double-header due to an Achilles tendon problem. Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol (ankle) also misses out along with Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, who suffered a hamstring injury at Sunderland 12 days ago which was expected to sideline him for up to three weeks. The world and European champions take on Lithuania in Del Bosque's home town, Salamanca, on October 8 and then travel to Glasgow to take on the Scots four days later.

The mother of Roma striker Adriano has revealed her son was closed to quitting football and taking his own life altogether. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rosilda said the 28-year-old had had enough of the game and everything that is associated with it - with the death of his father causing him to seriously consider committing suicide. "My son will make it I am sure. He will win his battle, and both he and Roma will get back up and surprise everyone," she said. "At the time of his depression, which coincided with the death of his father, many people criticized him without knowing what he was going through, and this made it worse.

AC Milan are preparing to sell Alexandre Pato to Manchester City and then use the money to bid for Steven Gerrard and Javier Pastore. If rumours generated by Milannews.it are indeed true, Pato could join the array of stars at Eastlands come January after reportedly also linked with a move to Real Madrid and a reunion with former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea in the summer. But given City's reputation in spending big in the transfer market, rumours such as this, though appear an illusion, can be easily turned into reality. It is believed that a €65 million bid from the Eastlands club would be sufficient to move the hands of the Rossoneri into letting go of the Brazilian striker.

Veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira intends to push himself to the limit in a bid to win a regular place in the Manchester City side. Vieira, 34, could return to the team against Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday night at Eastlands after being an unused substitute in the win over Chelsea at the weekend. A World Cup winner with France in 1998, he has been left frustrated at his lack of game-time after arriving from Inter Milan in January. He said: "I have been happy with my form since start of season. It is difficult when you play one game every month. I need to work harder than everyone else to show the manager can count on me.

Didier Drogba admits it will 'mean a lot' to face Arsenal at the weekend after admiring the team in his early playing career. The Blues entertain their London rivals at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in one of the biggest clashes of the Premier League season. And former Marseille man Drogba says he is relishing the encounter after following Arsene Wenger's side during his playing days in France. "I love playing big games and I love playing against Arsenal," Ivory Coast striker Drogba told Sky Sports News.

John Terry revealed that owner Roman Abramovich expects Chelsea to win the Champions League this season. After spending over £1billion on the London club since 2003, Abramovich has lost patience with his under-achieving side. The Russian has made it clear that his players will need to win the Champions League, said John Terry, according to quotes from the Sun. "The owner's message at the start of the season was clear: He wants to win everything", said Terry. "And with the squad we have here at Chelsea, he expects that to happen.

Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine praised Virender Sehwag and said when in form, at times he is frustrating for the opponent bowlers. "It's good to watch a class player like him, but it gets frustrating for the bowlers when he is out there," Paine said after the second day's play of the first Test between India and Australia in Mohali. The Delhi batsman on Saturday smashed a brisk 59 off 54 balls and raced to his half-century in just 38 balls, before Sehwag held out a catch to Michael Clarke of the bowling of Mitchell Johnson. India were batting at 110 for two after 21 overs when the day's play ended. Australia were 428 all out in the first innings.

included in the Sri Lanka squad for the limited-overs tour of Australia. The off-spinner, who retired from Test cricket in July after becoming the first bowler to take 800 wickets in the longest form of the game, was included in the 16-man party who will play one Twenty20 international and three one-dayers next month. Muralitharan has already indicated he intends to play for his country at next year's World Cup and add to his record 515 one-day scalps. "Muralitharan is definitely part of our World Cup plans and we have included him to give him some international exposure ahead of the big event," chairman of selectors Aravinda De Silva said.

India need to bat well tomorrow to give its bowlers a chance to put pressure on Australians in their second innings as the first Test is evenly poised at end of day two, India spinner Harbhajan Singh said. India are 110 for two, still 318 runs behind the Australian first innings total at stumps today. "I can't really say who is on top at the moment, but the game looks evenly poised. We just need to bat well in the first innings so that when they come out to bat in their second innings, our bowlers can put them under pressure," Harbhajan told reporters here. He said the the bowlers were struggling at Mohali strip and getting wicket was not an easy job.

Harbhajan Singh said that Zaheer Khan was talking to VVS Laxman and not Ponting when the on field spat between the two took place. Seeking to clear the air after the altercation paceman  Zaheer Khan  had with  Ricky Ponting , India off-spinner  Harbhajan Singh on Saturday said the whole issue was a misunderstanding on part of the Australian captain. Harbhajan said Zaheer's remarks were not directed at Ponting as the paceman was just talking about the rival skipper with teammate  VVS Laxman . "I was not there when the incident happened. But a teammate told me that Zaheer was telling Laxman that 'Ponting is getting old'.

India made an assured start to their innings in reply to Australia's 428 all out on day two of the first Test in Mohali today. India were 110 for two at stumps after opener Virender Sehwag blazed his way to 59 off 54 balls, but his wicket and that of Gautam Gambhir (25), just minutes before stumps, allowed Australia to gain a slight edge going into the third day. Australia's innings was held together superbly today by wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine, who made 92 after Shane Watson departed early in the day for a well-made 126. Zaheer Khan's five for 94 and Harbhajan Singh's three for 114 helped India to pull things back a bit, but the low bounce, lack of turn and non-availability of Ishant Sharma for most of the day meant the bowlers struggled.

Mikhail Youzhny ended qualifier and fellow Russian Igor Andreev's run at the the Malaysian Open in the semi-finals. The fourth seed came from a set down to win 3-6 6-0 6-2 in one hour 38 minutes in Kuala Lumpur. Having failed to carve out a break point in the first set, Youzhny had six in the second, converting three, and five in the third, converting two. "It was a tough match, despite what the score might be in the second and third sets," said Youzhny on www.atpworldtour.com.

Andy Murray has confirmed he will not appoint a new full-time coach until the end of the season. The Scot has been working with Spaniard Alex Corretja on a temporary basis after splitting from Miles Maclagan in July and today reiterated he is in no rush to search for a permanent successor. Ahead of the China Open in Beijing, the world number four said: "I want to make sure I pick the right coach. "I don't want to just go for anyone as it might be a mistake after three or four months.

Caroline Wozniacki came from a set down to beat Elena Dementieva in the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open today and clinch her fifth title of the year. The Dane, the top seed, looked up against it when her Russian opponent took the opening set 6-1, but turned the match on its head to run out a 1-6 6-2 6-3 winner in two hours in Tokyo. Dementieva, seeded seven, managed 94% of first serves in the first set, breaking three times to take it with ease, but she could not keep up that level of performance and Wozniacki broke twice in the second set and three times in the third.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez stunned world number one Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok. The unseeded Spaniard saved a staggering 24 of the 26 break points he faced to come from a set down to defeat his fellow countryman. Sixteen of them came in the second set and the 27-year-old saved every single one on his way to a 2-6 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 win in two hours 45 minutes. "I have never beaten a number one player in the world before. I've beaten some good top 10 players, but never a number one," Garcia-Lopez said on www.atpworldtour.com.

Rafael Nadal moved closer to landing a seventh title of the year as he reached the semi-finals of the PTT Thailand Open. The Spaniard brushed past Russian  Mikhail Kukushkin  in their first career meeting, winning 6-2 6-3, and is the only seed remaining in the last four at the Bangkok tournament. Nadal's compatriot  Guillermo Garcia-Lopez  awaits in Satruday's semi-finals, after knocking out Latvian fourth seed  Ernests Gulbis , winning 7-6 (7/4) 4-6 6-3. Third seed  Jurgen Melzer  also perished in the quarter-finals, the Austrian losing 6-3 7-6 (7/4) to Finland's  Jarkko Nieminen . Nieminen will meet  Benjamin Becker  next, after the 29-year-old rolled to a 6-4 6-2 victory over his fellow German  Daniel Brands .

Top seed Robin Soderling crashed out of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur in the quarter-finals today. The Swede was beaten 6-3 6-2 by Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev, the eighth seed, in one hour 11 minutes. Golubev dominated on his opponent's second serve, breaking four times, to set up a semi-final meeting with Spain's David Ferrer. The fifth seed battled past Tomas Berdych, the third seed and Wimbledon finalist from the Czech Republic, 4-6 7-5 6-4. The other last-four clash will be between fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny and qualifier and fellow Russian Igor Andreev.

Caroline Wozniacki held off a comeback from Victoria Azarenka to reach the final of the Toray Pan Pacific Open. The Dane seemed to have finally got the better of 21-year-old Azarenka when she surged into a 5-0 lead in the deciding set. But the eighth-seeded Belarusian embarked on a storming fightback to win four games on the trot and force Wozniacki to serve it out at 5-4. To her credit, the world number two did just that to complete a 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 triumph in two hours and 51 minutes and clinch a place in the final against Elena Dementieva.

World number one Rafael Nadal notched up his 60th win of the season as he secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open. Nadal defeated Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans. 6-1 6-4 in another clinical display in Bangkok. Germany's Benjamin Becker, the world number 65, came through a tricky looking clash with second seed Fernando Verdasco unscathed after a 6-4 6-4 victory. Finn Jarkko Nieminen, the seventh seed, triumphed 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 against Viktor Troicki, while Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin served 17 aces in a 6-4 5-7 6-3 win over Olivier Rochus.

Top seed Robin Soderling made light work of his second-round assignment Edouard Roger-Vasselin at the Malaysian Open. The Swede triumphed 6-0 6-1 in just over an hour. Soderling converted six of the 14 break points he amassed in Kuala Lumpur to coast into the last eight. He will be joined there by Czech Tomas Berdych, the third seed, who defeated Denis Istomin 6-4 6-3. Spaniard David Ferrer, seeded fifth, was also a straight sets winner against India's Yuki Bhambri, who fell 6-2 6-2. In a good day for the seeds, number eight Andrey Golubev won 6-4 7-6 (7/4).

Kamui Kobayashi is hoping to make a positive impression on his home fans when he races in his first Japanese Grand Prix next weekend. Kobayashi took part in the first two free practice seasons at last year's race when his then team-mate Timo Glock was unwell, but the German recovered in time to take up his position for the race. Now in his first full season in F1, Kobayashi is looking forward to racing in front of his home fans, having not raced in Japan since 2003 when he was just 17. "Returning to race in Japan as a Formula One driver means a lot to me," said the Sauber driver.

Jenson Button feels there remain many more twists to come over the final four races of a dramatic Formula One title race. McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton is the one who has suffered most in the last two grands prix, whilst in complete contrast Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has emerged victorious on both occasions. Button knows the tables could turn for either driver before the end of a season that is building towards an enthralling climax in Abu Dhabi on November 14.

It comes as almost less of a surprise than Microsoft’s confirmation that all UK carriers would be offering Windows Phone 7 devices, but Samsung has made the nowhere-near-shocking announcement that they will, indeed, be offering handsets running the new smartphone OS. Nice of them to let us know, but since we’ve already seen the Samsung Omnia 7 in the wild, the whole thing is a little redundant. Samsung aren’t spilling any details on potential launch dates or hardware, either, only saying they’ll be releasing products in time for the holiday 2010 market, and that they’ll be using all Microsoft’s new Hub systems and the other goodies we’ve seen for Windows Phone 7. That means a big touchscreen, 1GHz processor and plenty of high-speed wireless.

One of the more exciting tablets that we have been talking about over the last few weeks that will be coming soon to fight the iPad is the Galaxy Tab . We even spent a bit of hands on time with the Galaxy Tab last month and had fun while it lasted. Today some new info on availability for the tablet has surfaced. Samsung has officially announced that the Galaxy Tab will land in the UK on November 1. The tablet will run Android 2.2 as the OS. That November 1 launch date is a bit of a disappointment for some after the Galaxy Tab was originally expected to land in September. Samsung also stated that the tablet would come in a range of prices. That quip hints that the price will vary depending on the subsidy and most likely the data plan you opt for at purchase. The thing will turn up in the UK at popular stores like Carphone Warehouse, Dixons Store Group, and T-Mobile in addition to other retailers and carriers.

Concept products don’t have to be functional; they just need to look cool. A new concept product carrying the Sony brand has hit Yanko Design called the Eclipse. The Eclipse is a media player that sticks to a window with a suction cup. The backside of the Eclipse is one big solar panel so the device can get the juice it needs directly from the sun rather than batteries or AC power. The concept has Bluetooth connectivity to stream music, podcasts, and weather updates from a smartphone or computer. Other features of the concept are a pop out holder for your PMP that looks like a cassette deck from the 80′s. Speakers are integrated into the design and a supporting app for the iPhone would let the user get screen savers to go along with the songs being played. The Eclipse was designed by Hoang M Nguyen and Anh Nguyen.