Sensational Bayern crushed Barcelona by four goals

Determination is beyond doubt for both Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Early exit of former champion Chelsea makes both teams as tournament favourites, who were beaten by the tactical excellence of the Blues last year. Bayern shows devastating dominance in Bundesliga, but were pushed to the cliff edge by Arsenal in the Champions League knockout stage. On the other hand, hit by injuries of players and even coach, Barcelona's level of performance is clearly sinking, regardless of their healthy lead in La Liga.

Being under the spotlight for the last five years, the formula to beat Barcelona becomes more and more obvious, in particular with the continuous absence of plan B in the Catalans tactics book. Only a handful of teams execute it to perfection though, let alone sustaining for 180 minutes. Chelsea provided the textbook example last season. Jupp Heynckes certainly has not overlooked Di Matteo's hard work.

Focusing on stopping Lionel Messi is never the most effective strategy. It might be close to a goal created every three times the ball reaches Messi near the box. Blocking the supply to the four time Ballon d'Or winner is the key to victory, while the main suppliers are the other two Ballon d'Or candidates, Xavi and Iniesta.

Losing Toni Kroos may not be Bayern's disadvantage in this matchup. Javi Martinez, Thomas Muller and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger showed outstanding tactical discipline in a near to man-marking formation to contain Xavi and Iniesta. Man-marking is not as easy as it sounds in a football pitch, but Javi Martinez had absolutely frozen Iniesta, while Xavi barely had more than three seconds with a clear view of his teammates.

More importantly, Messi was forced to drop deep in order to help link up plays. As a result, the threat of the Barca's leading goalscorer was hugely undermined.

Schweinsteiger was sensational in a night which Bayern defeated Barcelona with an exceptional team effort. Performing his usual duty in orchestrating the attack as an anchorman between the centrebacks, Schweinsteiger also did not give away much room to Xavi in Barca's defensive half. It was an inspiring performance by the German international. Joachim Low would have hoped Schweinsteiger had done the same to Andrea Pirlo last year in the European Championship.

Deficiency in height is an unsolved problem in Barcelona. Absence of Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano forced Marc Bartra on the big stage. Together with Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, they were still two men short to fend off giants Dante, Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez. The first two Bayern goals have said it all.

It does not mean Barcelona has no way back in the second leg, although the scoreline suggests so. The most vulnerable moment of Bayern's defence comes in counter attack, before the fortress of midfield is formed. Normally the pace of Alexis, Pedro and Messi should be more than capable to stir any type of defence, but Barca's indulgence in passing only means they never quite hit the top gear in attack.

Gomez might be offside in the second goal, and Thomas Muller could have given an illegal pick inin the build up to Robben's goal should this be a basketball match. All in all, Barcelona was outperformed by a confident, consistent and brilliant German side. It was probably quite a one-sided match and a well-deserved victory for Bayern. They kept the celebration subtle and now they have to keep their heads cool. It is only half way through and there is 90 minutes to go before they can march to Wembley for the final. 

A Tale of Substitutes

In 6 minutes, the fortunes of both managers have been completely altered.  Spurs substitutes Lewis Holtby, Tom Huddlestone and Jermain Defoe all played their roles in the pulsating comeback at White Hart Lane which not only rekindled Spur’s hope for a top four finish but also left Man City’s title hopes hanging by no more than a thread.

Gareth Bale, returning from an ankle injury, was unimpressive and wasted most of his team’s possession travelling sideways across the pitch or attempting dribbles until the 75^th minute when he collected a pass from Kyle Walker – who surprisingly turned down to shoot 25 yards out – and sent a brilliant low cross across a stationary City backline for Dempsey to slid in at the far post.

January signing Holtby intercepted the ball in the middle of the park and unleashed Defoe on a counter-attack duel against City captain Kompany. When Defoe is given space to get on his right foot inside the box, few would bet against him to find the back of the net. This was the case. Kompany had an afternoon below his own standard as he failed to intercept Bale’s cross to Dempsey earlier and then uncharacteristically allowed Defoe the time and space to get on his right foot. You know the rest.

Who lets Defoe to get on his right foot?

The introduction of Huddlestone added range to Spur’s passes but the final goal was irrelevant to the sublime diagonal passes. Huddlestone strolled unmarked for 20 yards and his through ball was met by an accelerating Bale inside the box for a chipped finish over Joe Hart to complete the comeback.

AVB won the match with his substitutes and Mancini lost his with substitutes.

Man City scored in the 5^th minute and had more shots on target than the home team in the first half but in truth they weren’t as dominant as statistics suggest. James Milner, who provided the assist to Nasri, was substituted by Kolarov and Nasri switched to the right. Nasri disappeared since then and Kolarov’s only impact was tripping down Huddlestone in an off the ball incident. The Serb did sent a close range free kick just above the woodwork but it was already in the dying minute.

Scott Sinclair was readying himself when the score was 2-1 and he came on for Dzeko – who was as ineffective as Adebayor – when it was 3-1. Was Mancini too lazy to change his mind, or does he believe a forgotten man is the impetus for his jaded team?

And Lescott came on for Clichy in the injury time with no apparent reason.

With Javi Garcia and Sergio Aguero on his bench, the Italian could’ve changed his fortunes if he acted swiftly enough.

Wasted more time than chances

Dzeko should definitely be taken off way earlier and if Javi Garcia was brought in, they would have more steel in the centre where runs from Dembele, Parker and later Holtby and Huddlestone could be prevented. It could also liberate Yaya Toure higher up front to create a bigger impact. Aguero, with the ability to change a match single-handedly, could have caused a lot more problems with his movement and dribbles. However neither was brought on. It was, too, uncharacteristic for Mancini to take off underperforming players so reluctantly.

Spurs are now 2 points behind 3^rd place Arsenal with a game in hand and level with Chelsea who played a game less. A top 4 finish is back on track plus a huge boost in team morale.  Mancini, however, may have to finally concede the title race in spite of what his assistant says if Man Utd win Aston Villa on Monday. 

Mertesacker sealed the deal for the Gunners at Craven Cottage

Looking clumsy, unmotivated and maybe jaded after the frustration at Emirates on Tuesday, Arsene Wenger witnessed another unconvincing victory for Arsenal. They never made use of the extra man on the field, but Per Mertesacker clinched the afternoon with the only goal of the match, sending Arsenal back on top of their London rivalries Chelsea and Tottenham, who both have two games in hand.

Steve Sidwell's silly tackle left Andre Marriner with no choice but sending him to an early bath only 12 minutes into the match, but Fulham did not back down with 10 men and looked even more promising on counter attacks. Dimitar Berbatov had the best chance for Fulham. Urby Emanuelson timed his pass perfectly to release Berbatov, whose shot under pressure did not have the angle to beat Wojciech Szczesny.

Sidwell left Fulham a very deep hole to dig out of

Having not been living up to expectation, Emanuelson may have produced his best performance since arriving at Craven Cottage. The former Ajax and AC Milan midfielder looked even livelier when Martin Jol's side was down to 10 men. Szczesny had to be called upon to deny Emanuelson’s curling shot after he stole Nacho Monreal's ball at the edge of Arsenal's box.

The physical treatment by the Toffees in midweek seemed to have slowed down Arsenal's attack. Resting Jack Wilshere left the Gunners operate without the main engine in midfield. Arsenal's inability to create made a draw at half time unarguably the fair result, but the careless Bryan Ruiz let go of Laurent Koscielny in a freekick and saw Mertesacker converted the squaring header from his centreback partner.

It might be harsh to blame Ruiz, who is never a natural defender, but a collective team effort in defence is always required to stop teams of Arsenal's quality, particularly with a man down already. Maybe the finger should be pointed back at Sidwell. A fierce tackle in the attacking half was needless and was not something you expect from a veteran.

Martin Jol had a quarter of an hour to re-establish his side and he had indeed done it very well. Having not seen most of the possession, Fulham was still the more threatening side in the second half. Anchorman Eyong Enoh did not only sit deep but was often able to minimise the pressure on defence by quickly winning the loose balls.

Wilshere and Podolski were sent on, hoping to regain the control of tempo. Instead, Fulham was the first to find the net. Szczesny parried Kieran Richardson's freekick, only went as far as to right back Manolev. The Bulgarian managed to beat Szczesny but was ruled offside.  

Olivier Giroud was given the marching order for a dangerous tackle minutes before the end, but the final drama did not do much harm to the Gunners. Having even not tested Schwarzer after half time, three points are all they need to get back to just behind the Manchester duo in the league.

Is sacking managers the immediate solution?

A quick answer from Old Trafford is no, while the Russian at Stamford Bridge is in favour. There is hardly a universal answer, but most teams sitting at the bottom of the Premier League decided to put the blame on their former managers. It can only be known in May how effective their moves are. The Linesman pre-assesses case-by-case whether the decisions of the board are justified.

Reading: Was it the manager's fault?

They have surely produced some entertaining football. Two goals in the last ten minutes frustrated Chelsea; leading Manchester United three times was nullified by conceding four goals before the interval; and the improbable 5-7 loss in Capital One Cup, despite leading Arsenal 4-0 at half time.  

Yes they can score, but they are better at giving away goals. Brian McDermott could not elevate the team to another level, but in fact, the quality of the squad and their playing style are just short of Premier League standard. Being the best defensive team in Championship last season, limited emphasis were placed on further improving their defence. This only made their mission even harder.

Is solid defence what Nigel Adkins is going to bring?  He was more well-known for leading the exciting and attacking Southampton. Even if he is an expert in defence, how influential could he be with six matches to go?

Sunderland: A little bit too late?

In contrast to Reading, the Black Cats can't quite find a way to score. 7 goals in 9 matches since Danny Graham has joined is not what Martin O'Neill anticipated. The spending on Steven Fletcher, Adam Johnson, as well as the existing talents of Stephane Sessegnon and James McClean hardly manifested on the scoresheet. Martin O'Neill has failed to transform the attacking form he brought to Aston Villa to the Stadium of Light.

The decision to farewell O'Neill only came when the alarm started to ring – currently at the edge of safety zone on goal difference. The aggressive and controversial Paolo Di Canio is appointed, attempting to re-ignite the team. With the Italian made himself available a month ago, has Sunderland left it all a bit too late?

Aston Villa: Staying faithful

The humiliating 0-8 night at Stamford Bridge was followed by two more white-washed defeats. Entering the year 2013 on a low, Aston Villa is starting to discover the way of winning. The somewhat stubborn Paul Lambert is adamant youth is the key to success. There might be more experienced players in the squad than Andres Weimann and Christian Benteke, but their enthusiasm and desires are what Lambert embraces. There are occasionally schoolboy errors, but the growth and improvement throughout the season is encouraging  and a sign that Lambert is keen for long-term development rather than a stepping-stone onto a bigger club. Although still far from guaranteeing Premier League status next season, their tolerance and faith towards Lambert is a rarity and at least a partial success in the realistic world.

Southampton: Doing it the right way?

David Puncheon rescued the Saints at Stamford Bridge, but could not save the job of Nigel Adkins. It was a debatable decision to sack the manager on a high. Now it proves Pochettino is indeed the right man to rely upon.

The Argentine is able to bring Southampton to the next level of football with the same crop of players. Utilising the work rate and pace of their frontline, characteristic in the Championship last season, Pochettino advocated a high pressing style, which further eases the pressure at the back. It is a risky tactic but Southampton has been executing it close to perfection, in particular Ricky Lambert and Jay Rodriguez. Victories against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City say it all. There is more work to be done before claiming it safe, but the Saints are looking very confident at this crucial stage of the season.

QPR: It is Just All Wrong

They have got quality players; they knew Mark Hughes' philosophy did not work; they made the right decision as early as in December. Unfortunately, it is the players that disappoint the supporters and left Harry Redknapp dejected.

The ex-Tottenham manager first restored the order by solidifying the defence. The arrival of Loic Remy, Andros Townsend and Jermaine Jenas represents stage two of the fight for survival --- playing to win. Just when it seems they are about to produce a miracle, they self-destructed. Christopher Samba was worryingly clumsy at Craven Cottage, raising doubt if the seldom-used Nedum Onuoha is even fitter. Bobby Zamora’s ruthlessness and more crucially Stephane M’bia’s indiscipline took away the important 3 points against Wigan.

These are all out of Harry’s hands, who has already done a marvellous job to restore hope for QPR. While the board made a logical decision in managerial change, it could be the promised relegation clauses that contributes to the lack of fighting spirit in Loftus Road.

Sigurdsson rescued Tottenham to keep pace in Race to Europe

Sigurdsson's equaliser --- two in a row

Andre Villas-Boas claims Tottenham is not a one-man team. As Arsenal is marching on in the race for top four, playing against Everton was not the perfect moment to prove himself right. The team did not let him down though and salvaged a 2-2 draw via Sigurdsson's late equaliser, despite leading early in the match. The spiritual team effort kept them at third, marginally ahead of their North London rival.

Living without Bale is something the Yids could not imagine. It was a worrying formation for Spurs as they had to play without their biggest assets --- wingers Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, but Emmanuel Adebayor and Jan Vertonghen alleviated the concerns with barely a minute into the match. Player of the month Vertonghen delivered a cunning cross that caught John Heltinga and Sylvain Distin. Adebayor, unmarked at the far post, seemed to have re-discovered his scoring boots and tapped in the opening goal past Tim Howard.

A surprise to the home crowd, yet an unpleasant one for David Moyes. A goal created from the flank in a winger-less formation only demonstrated the lack of concentration in the Toffees' defence. Moyes could count himself a bit lucky, as Tottenham did not quite have the quality this afternoon to pile on further after the early goal.

Michael Dawson's poor pass at the back had already triggered the alarm. Leon Osman could not make Dawson pay for the mistake, but Phil Jagielka made it count 3 minutes later. Hugo Lloris was two-minded on Leighton Baines' corner. Jagielka towered above Vertonghen and headed the ball between Lloris' legs. Tottenham's lead only briefly lasted for a quarter of an hour.

A very hardworking bunch but lacking the flair and creativity, long shots were the best Tottenham could manage against the solid Everton. The away side held on until Moyes made a decisive change after the interval. Niko Jelavic joined Victor Anichebe up front and the ambitious move exposed the space at Tottenham's defence. While fullbacks were urged to press on, centrebacks were stretched by the striker pair. The determined Kevin Mirallas raced down the right and beat several defenders before firing a fantastic shot past Lloris. Despite trailing early, Everton fought all the way back in the battle for top 4.

Kyle Walker, Emmanuel Adebayor and Clint Dempsey all tested Tim Howard with shots outside the box, but it was Moussa Dembele who had the best chance. Tim Howard saw the Belgian's right foot shot late and squandered the shot which then somehow hit the post. With Arsenal on their shoulders, this was the best chance Tottenham could have created.

Both managers made influential changes

When Andre Villas-Boas finally decided to change, it proved to be an impactful one. Tom Huddlestone, returning from a lengthy layoff from a knee injury, came in to orchestrate the midfield. The crowd did not welcome AVB's decision to take off Dembele, but Huddlestone's presence allowed the influential Scott Parker to field more daring runs to support the fullbacks. His range of passing also made Tottenham's attack more dynamic.

David Moyes got a goal after his substitution. AVB finally got one back as well after his tactical change. Adebayor calmly controlled Walker's cross in the box and curled past Tim Howard, only to be denied by the post kept. The ball bounced off into Sigurdsson’s path and the Icelandic midfielder once again scored an important equaliser for Tottenham with three minutes to go.

Anichebe (left) was nearly the hero of the night

There was hope this was going to be another comeback victory with four minutes of added time. Tottenham, though, required Lloris to make sure the one point was safe. Anichebe and Jelavic were both granted space in injury time but Lloris made no mistakes. The dramatic 2-2 draw put Tottenham two points ahead of Arsenal, who has a game in hand, but saw Everton's Champions League dream faded away further. Everton will soon be boosted by Fellaini's return from suspension, but Gareth Bale's recovery is still in the mist. Tottenham still have a steep mountain to climb to clinch the Champions League spot. 

A Fa-"Ba"-lous goal sent the Blues through to Wembley

Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir was the scapegoat for Manchester United's exit in Champions League. This time, the Red Devils have no one but themselves to blame. They blew away their two-goals lead at home and was beaten by another big Chelsea's second half in the FA Cup replay at Stamford Bridge.

An unusual Monday lunchtime kickoff sent the players back in action after only 48 hours of rest, while Chelsea even has the Europa League on Thursday in mind. After the embarrassing defeat at Southampton, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Ramires were all back in the starting lineup to supply Demba Ba. On the other hand, Sir Alex Ferguson had the luxury to field fresh Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, while resting Robin Van Persie on the bench and nursing Wayne Rooney's groin problems.

Nevertheless, it was obvious how important their two best strikers are to the league leader. United dominated the first half but was never close to clinical. Phil Jones's involvement helped ease the workload of Michael Carrick, who played his second game in three days, and also quieted the trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar, but Nani's inability to pass could not translate the solid midfield performance into goals. Javier Hernandez had to do it on his own, but his rare long shot was kept out by Peter Cech's leg, although the Czech looked to have dived to his left a split second earlier than needed. It was the best, and almost the only chance of Sir Alex's side in the first half.  

Chelsea looked yet to rediscover the fluency and confidence in their football. Ashley Cole's pull-out due to injury further weakened their defence, though luckily untested as Nani was struggling all day long. Ramires and Mikel lost in the battle of possession and there was little scope for their playmakers to create.

Just when one would expect another unconvincing but narrow victory for Manchester United, a quality goal of world-class calibre changed the dynamic of the game. Juan Mata found some rare breathing space and sent a perfectly-measured pass to Demba Ba, who ran over Rio Ferdinand's shoulder and skilfully guided his first time volley to the far corner, that left the in-form De Gea stand and stare at the ball helplessly.

Three minutes into the second half and Chelsea found themselves in the lead via a goal that came from absolutely nowhere. They needed more than that to make Demba Ba's goal count and Peter Cech had delivered what they needed. Hernandez beat the offside trap and connected with Danny Welbeck's cross. He sent his header to the wrong side of Cech, but somehow Cech managed to tip over his header with his left palm while diving to his right. It was a save that amused the stadium and certainly earned more than the appreciative smile from the Mexican forward.

Alex Ferguson pressed on by sending in Robin Van Persie and Ryan Giggs, but it did not sharpen United's attack at all. Patrice Evra found no companion down the left flank, which was filled up by Tom Cleverley before he was substituted. Moving Phil Jones to the right back left Michael Carrick all alone in midfield, as Giggs was slotted into the free role just behind Van Persie and Hernandez. All of a sudden, Chelsea won back the control of midfield. Mata was liberated and came alive again . He first tested De Gea with a near post shot, then sent an unmarked shot to the wrong side of left post. The increasing pressure had also sent the ever calm-looking Carrick buckled. A poor back lob pass was intercepted by Eden Hazard, who burst through Ferdinand and Smalling but wastefully misfired the opportunity that could have sealed the match.

When Alex Ferguson restored the balance of the formation by introducing Ashley Young, there were only ten minutes left for their search for equaliser. They still managed to create two chances, both from left flanks, but there was no Upton Park's magic this time from Van Persie. Fans would be disappointed by the left-foot volley he missed, the type of shot he has been delivering all year long, while Sir Alex's late substitution could be even more frustrating.

Twice being the underdog of the matchup, and having just had a miserable Saturday, Rafa Benitez proves once again he is the cup specialist. They have not played the entertaining and pretty football Abramovich has invested for, but determined tactical change and stellar defence were the keys to their success this season in both local and European cups. Having failed to get the better of Manchester City this season, a semi-final victory at Wembley two weeks later may see the fans-jeering target re-emerge as a serious contender for the permanent job at Stamford Bridge.