GO SPORTS

Middlesbrough vs Chelsea 2013 FA Cup Highlights 0-2 Moses Ramires Goals Video

Chelsea yesterday defeated Middlesbrough  2-0  to set up an FA Cup quarterfinal clash against  Manchester United. Second-half goals from Ramires and Victor Moses secured victory at the Riverside Stadium as the blues bounced back from Sunday's 2-0 loss at Manchester City. The Victory means Chelsea remain on course for what would be a fifth FA Cup title in seven seasons.

BARCA'S FIVE DEFEATS IN 2012-13 Opponent Competition Result Real Madrid  (a) Supercopa Lost 2-1 Celtic  (a) C. League Lost 2-1 Real Sociedad (a) La Liga Lost 3-2 AC Milan  (a) C. League Lost 2-0 Real Madrid  (h) Copa del Rey Lost 3-1

Manchester City  are willing to listen to offers for  Samir Nasri  this summer . The Premier League champions value the Frenchman at around the £18 million mark and are ready to cash in on him if their asking price is met. Nasri joined City from Arsenal for around £25m in August 2011 but City are believed to be willing to sell the attacking midfielder at a considerable loss in order to clear his £175,000-a-week wages off the Etihad Stadium wage bill.

Sidney Sam Few Nigerians elicit more excitement among fans than Sidney Sam.  He may not be as young as some of the other stars on this list, but the potential he offers the Super Eagles selectors is immense. Born in Kiel, Germany, the Leverkusen star has represented his nation of birth at youth level, playing six times for the U-21 side. Able to play both on the wing and up front, his reputation was forged through stints with HSV Hamburg and Kaiserslautern, before the  Lowen  became a permanent home in 2010. While his contemporaries Jerome Boateng and Mesut Ozil have gone on to represent  Die Mannschaft  at senior level, Sam has found his options limited by Germany’s terrific stock of talented midfielders. However, as one door closes, another opens, and Stephen Keshi has already iterated his desire to integrate Sam into the Super Eagle fold. The prodigal performances of some of his Afcon midfielders may dissuade Keshi from turning to Germany, but I...

Rafa Benitez was involved in a training ground bust-up with Chelsea's shell-shocked squad on Monday.  Less than 24 hours after they were beaten 2-0 by champions Manchester City, the Spaniard told his players that their attitude had cost a series of managers the sack, then lectured them on their failure to grasp tactics and a lack of effort.  But interim manager Benitez was stunned when one senior player suggested he might be at fault, given the club's success in winning the European Cup last May.

Former AC Milan and Rangers midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has moved into management after being appointed player-coach of Swiss club FC Sion. The 35-year-old will assume control of the first team for the rest of the season after coach Victor Munoz resigned .

The Nigeria Premier League have ruled that internationals Sunday Mba and Chigozie Agbim belong to Warri Wolves.  Enugu Rangers have laid claim to AFCON hero mba, insisting he has always been their player and has been training with them before the Nations Cup in South Africa.  However, in a letter signed by the executive secretary, Tunji Babalola, Mba and Chigozie Agbim have been declared as players of Warri Wolves.

Chelsea want Luke Shaw to succeed Ashley Cole as their first-choice left back after opening talks over a summer move.  Reports say the Blues had a £10million offer for the England Under 21 defender rejected by Southampton in January.   Chelsea also failed with a move for Shaw during the summer transfer window.

Manchester City   striker   Edin Dzeko   has reiterated his desire to return to the   Bundesliga . The Bosnia international joined City from Wolfsburg in 2011 and despite scoring 13 goals for Roberto Mancini's men already this season, has spoken of his frustration after frequently being used as a substitute. Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has recently described Dzeko as "extraordinary" but warned that if he wants   to sign for his side he would have to "adapt financially" .

ENGLAND Mikel Obi  and  Victor Moses  played a part in Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. The reigning European champions started with Mikel while Moses was  on the substitutes’ bench. Chelsea were given the chance to go ahead in the encounter in the 52nd minute through the penalty spot but Joe Hart in goal for City pulled off a good save from Frank Lampard’s powerful drive. Mikel could also be said to be culpable in City’s first goal as his feeble challenge on Yaya Toure allowed the Ivorien to get a shot which resulted into the first goal but it will be argued that he was just being cautious because he was in the 18-yard box. Moses came on for Lampard in the 68th minute with Chelsea chasing the game but he could not help matters as City scored their second through Carlos Tevez in the 85th minute to seal all three points. Mikel had 90% pass accuracy from 66 touches on the ball and won four tackles while Moses had 78...

  MESSI AT BARCELONA (2004-2013) GAMES PLAYED GOALS SCORED ASSISTS MAJOR TROPHIES 367 302 115 19   RONALDO AT REAL (2009-2013) GAMES PLAYED GOALS SCORED ASSISTS MAJOR TROPHIES 182 183 43 3

Robin van Persie will be fit to face Real Madrid in next week's Champions League clash, despite picking up a bizarre hip injury during Manchester United's win over Queens Park Rangers.  Van Persie fell into a TV camera pit at Loftus Road after losing his balance while setting up Rafael's thunderbolt opener for United in the 23rd minute.  After receiving lengthy treatment he soldiered on, but his discomfort was such that Sir Alex Ferguson was forced to replace his prolific striker with Danny Welbeck four minutes before the break.

Arsene Wenger claims Arsenal can commit £80million to sign Radamel Falcao as they prepare for a radical change in their spending policy. The Arsenal manager, under pressure from fans after his side were taken apart by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, will be given an unprecedented budget in the  summer. He claims Arsenal could meet an expected £40m asking price, if Atletico Madrid agree to sell Colombia striker Falcao, and could also match the 27-year-old’s £40m wage demands.

February 23   FT Fulham 1 - 0 Stoke C.  FT Arsenal 2 - 1 Aston Villa  FT Norwich C. 2 - 1 Everton  FT Queens Park R. 0 - 2 Manchester U.  FT Reading 0 - 3 Wigan Athletic  FT West Bromwich A. 2 - 1 Sunderland

Robin van Persie was forced out of Manchester United's clash with QPR due to a back injury. After colliding with a camera bunker at the side of the Loftus Road pitch, the Dutchman jogged off in the 41st minute and was replaced by Danny Welbeck.

ON SATURDAY February 23   12:45 Fulham ? - ? Stoke C.  15:00 Arsenal ? - ? Aston Villa  15:00 Norwich C. ? - ? Everton  15:00 Queens Park R. ? - ? Manchester U.  15:00 Reading ? - ? Wigan Athletic  15:00 West Bromwich A. ? - ? Sunderland ON SUNDAY February 24   13:30 Manchester C. ? - ? Chelsea  13:30 Newcastle U. ? - ? Southampton ON MONDAY February 25   20:00 West Ham U. ? - ? Tottenham H.

Wayne Rooney has had to live a little bit in the shadow of Robin van Persie this season. And now it seems the Manchester United star is considering a stint in defence to claim back his place as the darling of Old Trafford.  Rooney has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, 10 fewer than summer signing Van Persie, and in training today was seen throwing himself into tackles that would make team-mate Nemanja Vidic jealous.

As Chelsea's misfiring £50million striker endures another night of misery and frustration at Stamford Bridge,Rik Sharma, a lifelong Chelsea fan, writes an open letter to the most expensive player in British history...   Dear Fernando, Before you came to Chelsea, I never liked you. As a striker, you were second to none. But you went to ground too often and too quickly, I thought you were too easily riled on the pitch. Prissy. But I remember where I was when you signed for Chelsea. And I remember the excitement.  But less than a week later, it all started to unravel. You made your debut on February 6 and thanks to a quirk of fate, it was against Liverpool. The team that you loved and, I'm reliably informed, still do. But what is clear is that beyond May 19 there is no future for you at Stamford Bridge.  This wasn't the way it was meant to be.  Yours sincerely, Rik Sharma (lifelong Chelsea fan),

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, has been granted bail after a lengthy hearing. The Paralympic sprinter denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder at his home. Magistrate Desmond Nair said the state had not made a case that he  that he had a violent character.

Arsene Wenger admits will see out the remainder of his Arsenal contract and refused to rule out signing a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.  The Gunners manager is under mounting pressure to quit from disgruntled supporters after Bayern Munich took them apart in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Didier Drogba is at the centre of claims that he isn't eligible to play in the Champions League. The former Chelsea striker made his return in the competition in Galatasaray's 1-1 draw with Schalke last night. It was the first time he has played in the tournament since helping the Blues to victory in the final against Bayern Munich last May.

Wayne Rooney will miss Manchester United's weekend clash with QPR but is expected to be fit for the crunch Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that there was an outside chance Phil Jones would be fit for the European showdown at Old Trafford on March 5, but the club's in house TV channel added that Rooney was facing a battle of his own.

Phil Jones is doubtful for Manchester United's Champions League clash with Real Madrid in a couple of weeks. The 21-year-old Red Devils defender hurt his ankle during Monday's FA Cup victory over Reading and has already been ruled out of this weekend's game at Loftus Road. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he is undergoing intense treatment but accepts he may not be ready for the second leg against Real at Old Trafford  on Tuesday, 5th March

World number one Serena Williams has been forced to withdraw from this week's Dubai Championships because of a back injury. The 31-year-old American, who replaced Belarusian Victoria Azarenka at the top of the world rankings on Monday, was one of the favourites to win in Dubai.

A textbook smash and grab display from   AC Milan   was enough to see them upset   Barcelona 2-0 in the opening leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash at San Siro yesterday.   Kevin-Prince Boateng opened scoring in the second half before Sulley Muntari finished off a counterattack for the second goal with nine minutes to go. In another result Galatasaray  played a 1-1 draw with Schalke

AC VS BARCA galatasaray VS schalke

West Brom striker Osaze Odemwingie has warned coach Stephen Keshi he could soon be sacked even after leading Nigeria to AFCON glory.  "A coach the country is praising now will one day be sacked and to his achievements they will say: only one cup? I beg." Odemwingie tweeted.  Interestingly, Osaze had a public row with Keshi just before the Nations Cup in South Africa when the coach sensationally axed him from the Eagles.  Osaze also said his commitment to his club affected his relationship with former Eagles coach Samson Siasia. 

Pele has told Brazilian wonderkid Neymar to snub advances from Manchester City and instead choose Barcelona when he eventually quits his homeland.  It was reported  on Tuesday that the Premier League champions were preparing a £55million bid for the world's most sought-after youngster this summer.  However, the man whose throne Neymar seems destined to take has warned the 21-year-old Santos star against a move to England. k