Lewis Hamilton not feeling pressure from Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton insists he is feeling no pressure ahead of the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend.

Hamilton leads Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 17 points and needs to finish second if Rosberg wins to secure the title.
"I come into the weekend trying to win the race, like always. So nothing changes there," Hamilton said.
"In terms of the pressure, I don't really feel anything. I have been racing for 20 years to prepare for it."
The controversial award of double points for this one race makes it harder for Hamilton to clinch the championship than it would otherwise have been - in previous years a sixth place would have been enough if Rosberg won.
Hamilton's task is relatively straightforward. As long as he finishes ahead of Rosberg, he will be champion.
If Rosberg does not win, Hamilton needs to be fifth or better if the German is second or sixth or better if he is third.

Title permutations for the final race
Hamilton, 334 points	Rosberg, 317 points
How the Briton can win the title:	How the German can win the title:
Finish ahead of Rosberg	Win the race with Hamilton third or lower
Finish no lower than second if Rosberg wins	Finish second with Hamilton sixth or lower
Finish fifth or better if Rosberg doesn't win	Finish third with Hamilton seventh or lower
Finish sixth or better if Rosberg is not in the top two.	Finish fourth with Hamilton ninth or lower
Finish eighth or better if Rosberg misses out on the podium	Finish fifth with Hamilton 10th or lower
Finish ninth or better if Rosberg is fifth	Should Hamilton not score any points, Rosberg still must finish no lower than fifth to overturn the 17-point deficit.

Rosberg said: "It's an intense weekend. I wouldn't use the word pressure. Lewis is a great competitor and it will hopefully be a great end to the season.
"I'm here to try to win the race and I need a bit of help from Lewis that he doesn't finish second."
Rosberg said his victory in the last race in Brazil, in which Hamilton spun while trying to make up enough time to leapfrog him at the pit stops, had given him optimism.
"There are many scenarios and I'm optimistic," Rosberg said. "In Brazil he made a mistake and I need to do what I can to keep the pressure on."
The two men appeared together at the official news conference before the race, which was a generally good-humoured affair.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview

However, a note of tension crept in when Hamilton was asked if he was expecting a fair fight - a reference to the two incidents in Monaco and Belgium this year.
In Monaco, Rosberg went up the escape road on his final run in qualifying, preventing Hamilton having a chance of beating him to pole position.
In Belgium, the two men collided on the second lap, an incident which effectively ended Hamilton's race.
Afterwards, Hamilton said Rosberg had "basically said he did it on purpose", during a post-race team briefing.
Hamilton said: "You have to go into weekends believing it's going to be the case.
"It has been discussed before the season, during the season and especially after Spa. We're not children.
"We should know what is wrong and what is right."
Rosberg said: "Lewis can do something (to ensure it is a fair fight) and that is drive cleanly himself."

ewis Hamilton puts down a title marker at Abu Dhabi practice

Lewis Hamilton made an important statement ahead of the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by beating rival Nico Rosberg in Friday practice.

Hamilton was quicker in both sessions, by 0.133 seconds in the first and 0.083secs in the second.
The two traded fastest times throughout the day as their season-long battle comes to a nail-biting climax.
Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points and needs to finish second in Sunday's race if the German wins to be champion.

The man who could take the title from Lewis Hamilton

You could say that Nico Rosberg was born into Formula 1.

The German, 29, grew up in Monaco and got behind the wheel of a car for the first time aged four, with an adult controlling the pedals.
That adult was his father Keke Rosberg, a successful former racing driver who won five grands prix and the 1982 Formula 1 World Championship.
Starting in karting, where he spent the season with Lewis Hamilton as his team-mate in 2000, Rosberg made his way through the racing ranks, backed by his father.
After winning the 2005 GP2 series, the feeder championship to F1, Rosberg got his break with Williams the following year.
Eight seasons later, once again paired with Hamilton at Mercedes, the German finds himself with his first real shot of winning the Formula 1 world title.
Can he match his father's achievement by pipping Hamilton this weekend in Abu Dhabi?

Nico Rosberg's father Keke won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1982

The beginning

Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, just four days after his father won the 1985 Detroit Grand Prix, Rosberg moved to Monaco with his family and was soon bitten by the racing bug.
His earliest Formula 1 memory is dozing on the deck of a yacht in the harbour in Monaco on a Sunday morning when he was woken by the sound of McLaren's Ayrton Senna racing past through the tunnel.
After his first experience in a car, aged four on a trip to Ibiza, it wasn't until six years later, when he saw his father race in the German Touring Car Masters series that he decided he wanted to become a Formula 1 driver.

Rosberg's career highlights
In 2002, Rosberg's victory in Formula BMW series earned him a test with Williams and aged 17, he becomes the youngest person to drive a Formula 1 car.
Makes a big impact on his Formula 1 debut in Bahrain in 2006, scoring points with Williams in seventh and becoming the youngest ever driver to set a fastest lap.
Scores his first podium with third at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix, sharing the rostrum with former karting team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
In 2012, in his third season with Mercedes, Rosberg scores his fist Formula 1 pole position and converts into victory in China.
Given a car which is capable of challenging for the title, taking his Mercedes to five wins to set up a title decider with team-mate Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.

And so began the pursuit of his dream, one which was helped by his father's profile - but that's not something Rosberg is ashamed of. "Thanks to my father and my name, it made it a little bit easier for me," he said.
After several years in karting, Rosberg, who races under the German flag of his mother rather than the Finnish colours of his father, made his first real mark with victory in the Formula BMW single-seater series, scoring nine wins in 20 races to take the title.
Two years later, he claimed fourth in the Formula 3 Euro Series before being faced with a major decision to make when Imperial College in London offered him a place on their aeronautical engineering course, which would require him to quit racing.
Aeronautics - along with racing and tennis - was one of his big passions growing up - but he ultimately chose to gamble on the dream, accepting a deal with the ART Grand Prix team in GP2 and going on to win the title.
Formula 1 awaited.

Rosberg married his long-term girlfriend Vivian Sibold in the same week Germany won the World Cup and he signed a new contract with Mercedes

The big step

All new Williams drivers have to take an engineering aptitude test. When Nico Rosberg turned up for his, he walked away with the highest score in the team's history.
It should have been of no real surprise for a man who can also speak five languages - German, French, English, Italian and Spanish - fluently.
On being given his chance at Williams in 2006, he scored points on debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix after fighting his way back through the field in a midfield-performing car to secure seventh.

David Coulthard on Nico Rosberg
"Nico Rosberg continues to show great speed and professionalism, but one big question hangs over him. He has yet to win a wheel-to-wheel battle with Hamilton. It's not a question of deserving the championship or otherwise.
"Rosberg has won multiple races and had lots of pole positions, and lesser achievements than that have won world titles - namely for his father Keke, who won a single race in his championship year in 1982 and did it on the basis of consistency."

Rosberg, who was given the nickname "Britney" - as in pop star Spears - for his young, blond, good-looking appearance by then team-mate Mark Webber, also netted the fastest lap of the race - becoming the youngest driver ever to do so.
Two years later, Rosberg scored his first F1 podium with a third place, sharing the rostrum with Hamilton whom he had raced with in karting, and his consistency the following season helped him secure a deal with Mercedes from 2010.
The German outperformed his seven-time world champion team-mate Michael Schumacher over three seasons, scoring his first win in the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix.

You will often see Nico Rosberg kicking a football around before a session as part of his warm up

This season, after eight years and three wins in the sport, Rosberg was given a car which was capable of winning the World Championship.
And with one race to go, Rosberg is closer than he's ever been, just 17 points behind Hamilton with a maximum of 50 remaining at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Away from the track

Aside from speaking five languages and his ability to drive a racing car very fast, Rosberg's a pretty handy tennis player while his party trick is to juggle three balls while pedalling a unicycle.

The German is also a keen tennis player

You'll also often see the German doing keepy-uppys with his trainer before each session during a grand prix race weekend.
And on his YouTube channel, you'll find videos of him walking on a wire in Ibiza, doing memory games while doing press-ups and racing a shopping trolley down a hill in Monaco.
He admits to a love of karaoke, chess, backgammon - of which he claims to be the best player in the paddock, triathlon and football.
And earlier this year, the German had the best seven days of his life, marrying his long-term girlfriend Vivian Sibold in the same week that Germany won the World Cup and he signed a new Mercedes contract.

Formula 1;Abu Dhabi GP practice two.

• "Pole is important for sure," says Nico Rosberg. "That will help a lot for the race. But even being second, there's still so many chances.

  "I try and approach it as a normal weekend. Of course it's not because of the opportunity but otherwise the approach is the same. I'm just trying to get the job done.

  "We need to wait and see. The Williams was looking pretty good at some points today and of course I'm hoping they are closer."
• Posted at 14:45

  "I've just got to drive the way I usually do and what will be will be," says Lewis Hamilton. "I feel good in the car. Undoubtedly, there is more time to find so I've got to go and chip away at it tonight.

  "It's just been nice to get in the car. I was so excited to drive the car, like a kid at Christmas."
• Posted at

  Phil Slocombe: Normal service has been resumed by Lewis; topping both Practice sessions.
• Posted at 14:41

  

  No, this isn't Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg when they were kids. Intead, it's a shot from our opening film for this weekend's coverage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, looking back at the early days of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's racing competitions. Watch a teaser here.
• 

  Allan McNish

  BBC Radio 5 live analyst

  Posted at

  "Mercedes are out front, I think we will see more from Williams and I'd say watch the Toro Rossos."

• Second practice results

  Posted at 14:36

  1) Hamilton 2) Rosberg ) Magnussen 4) Vettel 5) Bottas 6) Ricciardo 7) Raikkonen 8) Button 9) Kvyat 10) Massa

  11) Perez 12) Maldonado 13) Hulkenberg 14) Vergne 15) Gutierrez 16) 17) Grosjean 18) Kobayashi 19) Stevens

  No time: Alonso
• Posted at 14:33

  Based on the tyre data so far, James Allen suggests we will see drivers start the race on the super soft tyres and then do two stints on the soft tyres. However, he adds that with double points on offer, we might see some teams perform high-risk strategies in a bid to grab a big haul of points.

• Chequered flag

  Posted at 14:30

  

  Lewis Hamilton finishes fastest in second practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
• Posted at 14:25

  Lewis Hamilton says that the face on the soft tyres is comparing very favourably to the super-soft tyres, which bodes very well for the race.
• Posted at

  Mercedes: With just 0.083 between the two it could swing either way and it's all to play for! Hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen.
• Posted at 14:21

  The cars are looking beautiful under the floodlights as darkness falls in Abu Dhabi. Just nine minutes to go.
• Posted at

  Ferrari's Fernando Alonso: Tomorrow will be the hardest qualy of the year, no laps today and tomorrow minimum to save the engine. #Challenging ;))).
• Posted at

  

  Formula 1: The Yas Marina circuit in all its floodlit glory during FP2.

• Team radio

  Posted at

  "There's two or three laps left in the tyre - it's the rear right." Valtteri Bottas showcasing his uncanny ability to predict the lifespan of his tyres over Williams team radio.
• Posted at 14:18

  

  Mercedes Lewis Hamilton completes 16 laps on those super-soft tyres before putting for a set of soft tyres. That means it should be possible to complete Sunday's race on a two-stop strategy.
• Posted at 14:15

  With 15 minutes remaining, here's how they stand:

  1) Ham 2) Ros 3) Mag 4) Vet 5) Bot 6) Ric 7) Rai 8) But 9) Kvy 10) Mas 11) Per 12) Mal 13) Hul 14) Ver 15) Gut 16) Sut 17) Gro 18) Kob 19) Ste

  No time: Alo
• Posted at 14:10

  Will Stevens is starting to find his feet. The Briton is still 19th, but now he's just 1.6 seconds adrift of his more experienced Caterham team-mate Kamui Kobayashi.

• Team Radio

  Posted at

  Sergio Perez told to "push the rear tyres" by his Force India team.
• Posted at 14:06

  Jenson Button pits after reporting a brake problem. It's now only the McLaren driver and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso who are in the pits. Everyone else is out and about focusing on their long runs.
• Posted at

  

  Mercedes: Pit wall keeping a close eye on the stops and practice starts! Imagine being in those seats this weekend!

• Team radio

  Posted at

  Jenson Button's session takes another twist: "Something's not right at the side of my brake pedal."

• Hard work for Vettel at Ferrari

  Posted at

  

  "I thought Fernando Alonso and Ferrari was a match made in heaven, but ultimately it didn't quite deliver. I think Sebastian Vettel will bring a fresh approach to Ferrari and they will feel a little bit lighter. But ultimately it is going to be quite a bit of hard work and quite a bit of time before they're back challenging Mercedes, who are a long way up the road. He's going to need his three-year contract."
• Posted at 14:00

  Jenson Button goes eighth quickest with his first run on the super-soft tyres. The McLaren driver is desperately trying to make up for lost time which he lost at the end of the last session and beginning of this one. He's 1.4 seconds off the pace and seven tenths shy of his team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

• Get involved via Facebook

  Posted at

  Adrian Ray on Facebook: How can someone say that this season has been boring just because it has been dominated by Mercedes? This has been one of the most exciting seasons for a long time with fierce battles going on throughout the pack let alone the tension and drama of the Lewis/Nico battle. Excellent stuff.
• Posted at 13:55

  Lewis Hamilton has headed back out on the super-soft tyres for a long run. The team will want to get an idea of how long they last as they plan their race strategy.

• Tom Clarkson

  BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

  Posted at

  "There's some head-scratching over at Ferrari as they try to work out how to turn Fernando Alonso's car back on."

PL pre-match stats: Fab & Aguero records

We look at the stats ahead of every Premier League game this weekend, including details of the records held by Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero.

Premier League football returns after a two-week break on Saturday, with Arsenal's game against Manchester United that evening the undoubted pick of the weekend.
Third-placed Manchester City, meanwhile, will know they can ill afford to drop any more points when they host fifth-placed Swansea City, with Chelsea at home to West Brom.
At the other end of the table, Burnley could move out of the bottom three if they can follow up their maiden win over Hull City with another three points at Stoke City.
We take a look at the key Opta statistics ahead of the 12th round of games.
Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion

Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in nine Premier League games against West Brom. This is his joint highest tally against any club along with Arsenal.
West Brom have won just three of their last 14 Premier League games (W3 D4 L7).
Chelsea have won just one of the last five Premier League games against West Brom (W1 D2 L2).
Diego Costa has scored 10 goals in nine Premier League matches this season.
Cesc Fabregas has averaged a goal assist every 225 minutes in his Premier League career, which is a better rate than any other player in the history of the competition (minimum 25 assists).
Top scorers Chelsea have netted with 23% of their shots, the best conversion rate in the Premier League.
The Blues have also hit the target with 54% of their attempts at goal, the best shooting accuracy in the division.
Only two teams have ever had more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than Chelsea currently have (Chelsea 2005-06 and Man City 2011-12 with 31 points each).
Jose Mourinho's side have recovered the most points from losing positions of any team in the Premier League (9).
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League matches (W11 D3 L0).
Everton v West Ham United

Everton are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games against West Ham United (W8 D4 L0).
There have been four red cards in the last five Premier League games between West Ham and Everton, with three of those for the Hammers.
In four of the last six meetings, the Hammers have taken the lead but have been pegged back to two draws and two defeats on those four occasions.
This is West Ham's joint-best start to a Premier League season in terms of points accrued (18), equalling their record in 2005-06 and 2012-13.
Only West Ham (8) have scored more headed goals than Everton (6) in the Premier League this season.
42% of the goals the Hammers have netted have come from headers, the highest proportion in the top division.
Everton and West Ham have scored the joint-most goals from outside the penalty area in open play this season (4).
Diafra Sakho has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches; they have not gone six unbeaten since January 2009 in the top flight.
Everton have won just four of their last 14 Premier League matches (W4 D5 L5).
Leicester City v Sunderland

Leicester City have won none of their last six Premier League matches (W0 D1 L5), failing to score in five of those games.
Sunderland have won four and lost none of the last five league meetings with Leicester City but the two teams have not met since January 2007 in the Championship.
Sunderland have won just two of their last 12 Premier League matches (W2 D6 L4), both by a 3-1 scoreline.
Excluding blocked shots, Leicester City have fired in fewer shots (75) than any other team in the top flight this season.
Wes Morgan has blocked more opposition shots than any other player in the Premier League this season (17).
Connor Wickham has conceded more fouls than any other player in the top flight this season (27).
Vito Mannone has made more errors leading directly to goals than any other Premier League player this season (3).
Sunderland's 3-1 win at Selhurst Park last time on the road ended a run of three away league games without scoring for the Black Cats.
Sunderland have won on their last two visits to the King Power Stadium, without conceding a goal.
However, the Black Cats have never won away at Leicester in the Premier League, losing three and drawing one of their four visits.
Manchester City v Swansea City

Sergio Aguero has scored 12 goals in 11 Premier League games this season, and just nine of those appearances were starts.
Aguero has the best minutes-per-goal rate of any player in Premier League history with more than 20 goals, scoring on average every 107 minutes.
Wilfried Bony scored two goals in the last meeting between these two sides, his only appearance against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Manchester City have won four and lost just one of the six Premier League meetings with Swansea City.
Despite their stuttering form, this is still Manchester City's fourth best start to a Premier League season, and they have one point more than last season after 11 matches.
Eighteen points after eleven games is Swansea City's best start to a Premier League campaign, beating the thirteen they accrued at this point in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Swansea have conceded the highest percentage of second-half goals in the Premier League this season (73%).
Manchester City are the only team in the Premier League without an ever present starter this season.
Under Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City have won 20 and lost just two of their 24 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium.
Swansea's last Premier League away win came in Manchester when they beat United on the opening day of this season. Since then they have a record of W0 D2 L2.
Newcastle United v Queens Park Rangers

Ayoze Perez has scored three goals in the Premier League this season, and each was a winning goal in Newcastle's last three matches.
Charlie Austin has scored five goals in his last six Premier League appearances, including four in the last three.
Newcastle have won their last four Premier League matches. They have not won five on the bounce since April 2012.
The Magpies have won five and lost none of the last six Premier League meetings with QPR.
In those six meetings, QPR have opened the scoring on three occasions and lost all three, while failing to net in the other three matches.
QPR have the worst away record in the Premier League with no points, just two goals scored and 14 conceded in five games.
Alan Pardew's side have scored the highest proportion of second-half goals of any team in the Premier League this season (77%).
Queens Park Rangers have allowed more shots on target against them than any other team in the top flight this season (65).
Newcastle have scored the joint-most goals from substitutes this season (5 along with Southampton).
Newcastle won all four of their Premier League games in November last season and have won both so far this month.
Stoke City v Burnley

There have been just 11 goals scored in the last nine league games between Stoke and Burnley, though four of those have come in the last two meetings which were in the Premier League in 2009/10.
Burnley have conceded more headed goals than any other team in the Premier League this season (8).
46% of the goals Stoke have conceded this season have come from set pieces, the highest proportion in the top flight.
Only Aston Villa (23) have fired in fewer shots on target then Burnley (32) in the Premier League this season.
Jason Shackell has made more clearances than any other player in the top flight so far this season (126).
Burnley have won five and lost just two of their last nine away matches against Stoke City, but the Clarets have a record of W1 D1 L2 in the last four visits.
Stoke have lost only one of their last 10 Premier League games in November (W5 D4).
Only Crystal Palace (150) have committed more fouls than Stoke City (146) in the Premier League this season.
Only Villa (30%) have hit the target with a lower percentage of their shots than Burnley (35%).
Jonathan Walters is Stoke's leading scorer in Premier League history with 28 goals, one ahead of Peter Crouch.
Arsenal v Manchester United

Arsenal have dropped more points than any other team from winning positions in this season's Premier League (9). They dropped only nine points from leading positions in the whole of 2013-14.
Juan Mata has scored four goals and set up two more in five starts against Arsenal in all competitions.
Wayne Rooney has scored the joint-most goals against Arsenal of any player in Premier League history (10 along with Robbie Fowler).
Only Burnley (8) have conceded more headed goals than Arsenal this season (6).
Alexis Sanchez has scored 12 goals in his last 14 matches for Arsenal in all competitions.
Arsenal have won just four Premier League matches this season, and those have come against teams currently in the bottom seven of the table.
Alexis Sanchez has scored the opening goal of the game more often than any other Premier League player this season (five times).
Robin van Persie has scored in five of the last six meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United, in two games as a Gunner and three as a Red Devil.
Danny Welbeck has scored in his last two appearances in this fixture, while playing for United.
United have lost just one of their last 14 matches against Arsenal in all competitions (W10 D3 L1).
Crystal Palace v Liverpool

Crystal Palace have won none of their last five Premier League matches (W0 D1 L4).
Liverpool have won just two of their last eight Premier League matches (W2 D2 L4).
Liverpool have benefited from three own goals this season, making that their joint-top source of goals along with Raheem Sterling, who also has three to his name.
In this fixture last season, Liverpool were 3-0 up with less than 15 minutes to go but allowed Crystal Palace to net three times to earn a draw.
Dwight Gayle has scored three goals in two Premier League appearances against Liverpool.
Liverpool have won six and lost just one of the 10 Premier League meetings with Palace.
Their Premier League record at Selhurst Park is W2 D2 L1, but they have won none of the last five if you take into account all competitions (W0 D2 L3).
Liverpool have conceded 18 goals in their last nine Premier League away matches, keeping just one clean sheet in that run.
Liverpool have only had fewer points at this stage of a Premier League campaign in two previous seasons (1992-93 and 2012-13 where they had 12).
Liverpool are one of two teams (along with Aston Villa) who have not recovered any points from a losing position in the Premier League this season.
57% of Palace's goals have come from set plays, the highest proportion in the top flight.
Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur

Hull City have won just one of their last 10 Premier League matches (W1 D5 L4).
This is Tottenham's worst start to a Premier League season since 2008-09.
Hull have won none of the last five Premier League games against Tottenham (W0 D2 L3), three of these were at the KC Stadium (W0 D1 L2).
Only Aston Villa (2) have had fewer different scorers this season than Hull City (4).
After scoring in each of their opening eight Premier League games this season, Hull have now failed to score in their last three.
Nacer Chadli has scored six Premier League goals in 10 appearances this season - he found the net once in 24 appearances last term.
Tottenham have earned more red cards in the Premier League in 2014 than any other team (6).
There have also been more red cards in Spurs games than those involving any other team this season (five - three for and two against).
Only Hull City (5) have conceded more goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season than Tottenham (4).
Spurs have conceded more penalties than any other team in the top flight this term (5).
Aston Villa v Southampton

Aston Villa have failed to score in six of their last seven Premier League matches and have netted just once in the other game in that run.
This is Southampton's best ever start to a top-flight season, surpassing last season's 22 points at this stage.
Southampton are the only team in the Premier League who have dropped no points from matches where they have been leading this season, winning all eight.
In contrast, Aston Villa are one of two teams going into this matchday yet to recover any points after falling behind.
Four of the five goals Villa have scored in the Premier League this term have been netted in the first half, and they have not netted after the 50th minute at all.
Southampton have allowed fewer shots on target against them than any other team in the top flight this season (24).
Southampton have scored the joint-most goals from substitutes this season (5 along with Newcastle).
Saints have kept five clean sheets in their last eight Premier League visits to Villa Park.
Aston Villa have fired in the fewest shots on target in the Premier League this season (23).
Villa have scored with just 7% and hit the target with just 30% of their shots this season, both divisional lows.

Arsenal Invincibles vs Chelsea's unbeaten wannabes - who's better?

Between Arsenal and Chelsea unbeaten , who is better now.

Welbeck right to go Says Rooney

Wayne Rooney says Danny Welbeck was right to leave Manchester United for Arsenal in the summer.

Many United fans were shocked earlier this year when Louis van Gaal sanctioned Welbeck's £16million transfer to the north London club.
Welbeck is a life-long United fan and joined the club as an eight-year-old having grown up in Longsight, which is just four miles away from Old Trafford.
During his 11-year spell at United, Rooney watched the pacy forward progress from teenage prodigy to first-team striker and admits it will be strange to play against the 23-year-old striker when the Red Devils travel to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
"Of course, Danny has been here all of his life," Rooney told MUTV. "He is a Manchester lad so it is weird seeing him (there).
"But that's football nowadays and players move on."
Welbeck started the vast majority of games on United's successful tour of the United States, however he struggled to get in the starting line-up soon after the season began, with Van Gaal claiming his goal-scoring record was not good enough.
Welbeck scored 29 times in 142 United appearances, but since his move he has found the net on 10 occasions for club and country.
Rooney, who played alongside Welbeck for England against Slovenia and Scotland in the recent international break, thinks leaving United has been beneficial for his former team-mate.
"I think, for Danny, and for his own personal career, it was probably the best move for him," Rooney said.
"He's done great and scored a few goals and is playing well. Danny gives you what he always gives you - a good shift. He works hard for the team.
"At times, as I said to him, he works a bit too hard but he's scoring goals and he's doing well."
Memories
Arsenal against United has been one of the biggest fixtures on the calendar in recent years, but neither side is considered a serious title contender this season.
For Rooney, the fixture still brings back fond memories, though.
"We've had some great memories," the England captain added. "Beating them in the Champions League semi-final (in 2009) was probably the highlight."
The same fixture last year ended in a dull 0-0 draw, but given the poor defensive record of both teams, it is unlikely the scoreline will be the same this season.
Rooney is hoping United can strike early against their opponents and is expecting a tough match.
"It's always a tight game and whoever gets the first goal normally wins or gets a result," the 29-year-old said.
"We have to go there with a good team shape and a good unit to make sure we do everything right.
"Arsenal have got a good squad, an exciting squad with a lot of young players and a lot of English players which is great for England. We know they play with a lot of energy and we'll have to be at our best to beat them."

Chelsea to reward Matic with bumper new deal

Chelsea are ready to reward midfielder Nemanja Matic with a new and improved contract after his impressive performances since returning to Stamford Bridge, Sportmasta understands.

Matic rejoined the Blues from Benfica back in January and has emerged as a regular in Jose Mourinho's starting XI, forging a formidable central midfield partnership with summer signing Cesc Fabregas.

The Serbia international still has four years left on his current contract, having returned to the club after initially being sold to the Portuguese giants as part of the deal that took David Luiz to west London.



But Mourinho is keen to reward the midfielder for his top-level performances over the past 10 months as well as ward off interest from Real Madrid, who Goal understands have been keeping tabs on the 26-year-old.

Matic has played the full 90 minutes in all 11 of Chelsea's Premier League matches thus far this season and has weighed in with three goals in the 2014-15 campaign, including a crucial winner against Sporting in the Champions League.

Commenting on Matic's form after Chelsea's 2-1 win over Liverpool, a game that had seen the Serb take the team talk prior to kick-off, Mourinho said: "At this moment, he's a giant. Not for his size but for the way he plays. The man is a giant." 

Mourinho good for Oscar and Willian Says; Ronaldo

Brazil great Ronaldo feels Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is the perfect person to develop Oscar and Willian.

Unbeaten in 11 Premier League games, Chelsea – with four Brazilians in their squad – are four points clear at the top.

Oscar and Willian have both been regular starters under Mourinho this season and Ronaldo believes the pair can only improve under his guidance.

"I think it's definitely the right team for them to be at because of the nature of the English football league, which has a lot of goals, a lot of attacking play," the former Real Madrid striker told reporters.

"The players under Mourinho's coaching, they have a lot of potential because of the nature of him as a coach. So overall, it's definitely a good decision for these young talents to be in the Premier League."

Ronaldo, a two-time World Cup winner who scored 62 international goals, also revealed he is still hurting from Brazil's 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany in last summer's semi-final on home turf.

"The semi-final was a weird match," he added. "It was painful, those five crazy minutes that broke the game and of course, it was quite sad.

"But overall, I'm happy with the World Cup went and very proud."

Costa & Fabregas fit for Chelsea’s match with West Brom

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas are fit for Chelsea's Premier League match with West Brom.

Mourinho explained Costa had "totally recovered" from his hamstring issue, while Fabregas trained on Friday and a final decision will be taken ahead of Saturday's fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Costa scored Chelsea's winner against Liverpool at Anfield last time out but was excused from international duty with Spain as he manages persistent hamstring and groin problems.

Fabregas, meanwhile, also played against the Reds despite Mourinho afterwards revealing he had been carrying a thigh injury, and the playmaker was subsequently deemed unfit to be included in Vicente del Bosque's squad.

Mourinho also revealed that Andre Schurrle has fully recovered and that while Ramires is "not in a very good condition" he is improving and available for selection against West Brom. 

Sturridge 'at a low point' after injury setback - Henderson

Daniel Sturridge's latest injury setback has left the Liverpool striker "at a really low point," according to team-mate Jordan Henderson.

Sturridge returned to full first-team training last week after recovering from a calf problem, but has suffered a thigh injury which could rule him out of action for a further six weeks.

Henderson says Sturridge has been left "devastated" by the injury and the Liverpool squad is disappointed to have lost the England international.

"It is a big blow, not only for the team but for him as well," Henderson told Sportmasta.

"He is devastated, at a really low point really because he was looking forward to getting back playing. He felt good so it is disappointing for us as a team and him personally.

"We have to make sure as team-mates we are strong for him because he is doing everything he can in the gym and on the training field to get back as quick as he can. Hopefully he has a quick recovery, a speedy recovery and he comes back firing on all cylinders."

Liverpool have laboured in Sturridge's absence, slipping to 11th in the Premier League table after a season in which they narrowly missed out on the title.

Henderson believes the added pressure of playing extra games in the Champions League could be effecting the Anfield side's form.

"I am not sure [why we are struggling]," he added. "We are doing the same things, we are working really hard in training, [but] the games come thick and fast when you are playing Champions League and the cup games as well.

"You have got to try and deal with that as best you can. It was obviously going to be a shock for us but hopefully as the season goes on then we will be a little bit more used to it.

Arsenal nearly signed Messi, admits Wenger

 Arsene Wenger has revealed Arsenal were close to signing Lionel Messi but says the Argentine wanted to stay at Barcelona.

The Gunners were in the running to sign Messi from Barcelona's academy in 2003 when the forward was 16 years old and had not yet made his first-team debut for the Spanish club.

Arsenal did manage to secure Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona in September 2003 but Messi joins Paul Pogba, Eden Hazard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yaya Toure on the list of players who were reportedly close to a move to north London.

"It's true, it's just that he [Messi] didn't want to move," Wenger told reporters. "In the end, he was comfortable at Barcelona."

The future of Messi has been shrouded in doubt of late, though Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu publicly insisted the player is happy to stay at Camp Nou.

Mourinho dismisses Cech talk

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed reports linking goalkeeper Petr Cech with a move away from the club.

The 32-year-old has lost his place as first-choice goalkeeper to Thibaut Courtois this season and it had been suggested that he could be a transfer target for Arsenal and AC Milan.
Cech’s agent Viktor Kolar said last month: “He wants to be at a club that regularly plays in the Champions League and this is his highest aspiration. He wants to return to being a protagonist in a great squad at a great club."
But Mourinho says he has not received any notifications from Cech that he is unhappy about his role at Stamford Bridge and doubts the authenticity of the stories.
“On which Mickey Mouse website? On which Mickey Mouse blog?” Mourinho said. “Some websites don't even know where they get their stories. I have zero proposals for Petr Cech.
“Petr has a contract for two more years, he's a fantastic professional. Not once has he knocked on my door to inform me about his desire to accept some proposal. I promise you that what I’m telling you is the truth.”
Beautiful period
Chelsea face West Brom at Stamford Bridge this weekend, a fixture which is followed by a trip to Schalke in the Champions League and then a match at Sunderland in what is a relentless return to action after the international break.
"I go match by match,” said Mourinho. “We have eight plus two Champions League plus the Capital One cup. If we lose points it’s not complacency – it’s just football. It's now a different phase, but it doesn't mean that we can train more.
“I know it's very difficult for me, and especially for the players and their bodies, but I love it. I look forward to the marathon Christmas period. It’s a beautiful period.”
Chelsea have not lost a game this season and go into the West Brom game with a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Mourinho is confident his team will collect another three points at the weekend but is taking nothing for granted in terms of the advantage his side have over their title rivals.
"I expect to win, but I expect a very difficult match,” he said. “They have a good team, they can give us a very difficult match. They know that they can get a result against us, because they got it in the past."
"I don't compare ourselves with others. We have a situation now, but our distance to our opponents tomorrow can increase or decrease.
“I compare us with the next opponent. In this moment I don't think about being champion, I just think about winning West Brom."

Walcott out & Welbeck a doubt for Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United

The 23-year-old has been struggling all week with a hamstring problem picked up in England's 3-1 win over Scotland on Tuesday while the winger did not train on Thursday

Arsene Wenger has revealed that Theo Walcott will miss Arsenal's clash with Manchester United on Saturday, while Danny Welbeck is a doubt to face Louis van Gaal's side.

Welbeck has been struggling all week with a hamstring problem picked up during England's 3-1 win over Scotland on Tuesday, while Walcott did not train on Thursday as he continues his gradual recovery from a serious knee injury.

On Welbeck, Wenger told reporters: "His fitness will depend on the medical assessment this morning."

The Gunners boss also revealed he understood opposite number Van Gaal's decision to sell the 23-year-old for €20 million in the summer and insists he is under no obligation to play his new striker centrally.

"Welbeck is still a young player," he added. "I can understand Van Gaal completely. What's important is that he gets an opportunity.

"Van Gaal didn't have him under his command for very long so it's difficult to judge players.

"One reason we bought him was because he wanted to play. Playing centrally wasn't a condition.

Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo draw blanks as Portugal win

Portugal beat Argentina 1-0 in an Old Trafford friendly that ran out of steam after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were taken off at half-time.

Raphael Guerreiro, a second-half substitute, scored the only goal as the Argentine defence left him free to head home from close range in stoppage time.
The lure of Ronaldo and Messi drew 41,233 fans - well short of a capacity crowd - at Manchester United's ground.
But it was a poor game after the two star forwards were withdrawn.

Messi v Ronaldo on the world stage

Portugal's Ronaldo, making only his second appearance at Old Trafford since his then-world record £80m move to Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009, and Argentina talisman Messi both showed glimpses of their class before they were taken off.
Messi's industry and dribbling unsettled the Portugal defence early on and he came closest for his side, stabbing a shot against the post from a tight angle after a sharp one-two.
Ronaldo, who is favourite to beat his Barcelona rival to this year's Ballon d'Or award, drew cheers with a couple of slick touches before blasting a half-chance over the bar when team-mate Danny was better placed.
There was a concerning moment for Manchester United fans when Nani, on loan at Sporting Lisbon from the Premier League club, caught Angel Di Maria, a £59.7m summer signing for United from Real Madrid, with a hefty challenge.
Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal was among those in the ground relieved to see Di Maria shake off the after-effects and rejoin the action before he too was substituted on the hour.
Neither side were able to create any decent openings without their key attackers, and some of the crowd were already heading home by the time that Lorient full-back Guerreiro sneaked into a centre-forward position to nod in.

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) denied claims that he had a obscene nickname for Lionel Messi (right) last week

Ronaldo's only previous match at Old Trafford since he left for Real Madrid was in the Spanish side's Champions League win over Manchester United in 2013

Angel Di Maria recovered after a heavy challenge from Portugal's Nani

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the merchandise stalls as well as the build-up to the match

Ronaldo backs CR7 for Ballon d'Or over Messi

The former Selecao star feels that the Real Madrid attacker's remarkable goalscoring record will see him once again beat his Barcelona rival to the prestigious prize

Brazil icon Ronaldo believes that Cristiano Ronaldo will retain his Ballon d'Or award, arguing that the Portuguese has had a more "memorable" year than Lionel Messi.
The Portugal international is the reigning titleholder and heavily fancied to hold onto his crown after leading Real Madrid to Champions League glory in May, not to mention the his remarkable goalscoring form this season, with the 29-year-old having netted 23 times in just 17 games in all competitions.
Messi failed to win a major title with Barcelona last term, while he fell just short in his bid to inspire Argentina to World Cup glory, with the Albiceleste losing to Germany in the final.
Consequently, former Selecao star Ronaldo, who represented both Barca and Madrid during his illustrious playing career, feels that his namesake is destined for more Ballon d'Or success.
“I think we’ll see a repeat and Ronaldo will win it again this year," the retired 38-year-old told Sportmasta Italia.
"He’s scoring lots of goals and is a big part of the way Real Madrid are playing.
"Messi is also in good form but Cristiano’s year has been memorable.
"Messi’s year hasn't been that memorable for him."
World Cup winner Ronaldo, who was last week inducted into Goal's Hall of Fame, claimed two Ballon d'Or awards and three Fifa World Player of the Year titles during his playing days.

Ronaldo never lets the team down defensively, says Marcelo

Real Madrid defender Marcelo says Cristiano Ronaldo eagerness to defend from the front makes it easy to play alongside him.
The prolific attacker has already netted 18 goals in 10 La Liga appearances, yet Marcelo is pleased to see his success in front of goal does not stop him doing his part when Madrid do not have the ball.
"It is easy to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. He knows where he has to give you the ball and does it perfectly," Marcelo told the official Madrid website.
"He helps the team out in defence and on top of that provides assists and great passes.
"The fact that [Karim] Benzema, Cristiano, Isco, [Gareth] Bale and James [Rodriguez] work in defence encourages the rest of us to work harder. It is easy for us to play with these stars: they score and set up goals."
The Brazil international went on to highlight head coach Carlo Ancelotti's role in Madrid's success.
"Ancelotti has allowed us to enjoy the games and also to improvise. He knows we are very confident. We do everything for him, for all the help he has given us and for what he tells us in every game.
"He is a very easy-going person, who says everything to your face and that is key. I'm sure that even those who have played very little would say the same.
"He is a winner and he instils that humility and the desire to get started and do everything in order to win. We knew that we had to be extremely united in order to win something."

Balotelli: I'll be a top player

Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli is confident he will soon start scoring again and become a "top player" at Anfield.

Balotelli admits he has made a slow start to his career with the Reds since returning to the Premier League after a season with AC Milan.
The Italy striker scored 26 times in 43 Serie A matches for the Rossoneri but has since failed to find the target in nine Premier League games.
However, Balotelli, who scored in the Champions League against Ludogorets and against Swansea in the League Cup, insists he is not worried by the lack of goals.
When asked to rate his performances this season out of 10, Balotelli gave himself a seven, compared to a figure of six-and-a-half two years ago while at City.
“I give myself half a point more, so seven, because I run more than before," Balotelli said. "I run, I'm running now, I've never run like this... so I give myself half a point more.
“Because goals, they will come. It is something that’s just not coming at the moment. But it's not something that has just gone.”
Balotelli has come under-fire for his performances with the Reds but he remains unfazed by criticism.
“I don’t need people to believe in me so long as I believe in myself,” he added. “The important people for me are my family and my few close friends, as long as they believe in me.
“Some think because I didn't score and didn't start well this season that I can't be one of the top players, a really good player for this team. That's their business.
“I don't care what stories people say about me because I know they are lying.

Lionel Messi: Barcelona forward was Arsenal target Says Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he tried to sign Lionel Messi as part of a treble swoop for some of Barcelona's top young talent.

Messi was 15 at the time and an academy team-mate of Gerard Pique and future Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Wenger said: "We wanted to take Fabregas, Messi and Pique. It worked only for Fabregas."
Fabregas spent eight years at Arsenal before returning to Barcelona, while Pique joined Manchester United in 2004.
Messi, 27, has spent all of his senior career at the Nou Camp - helping Barcelona win six La Liga titles and the Champions League three times - after the possible move to England failed to materialise.
However, Wenger dismissed suggestions that the potential deal collapsed over an accommodation issue for Messi and his family. The Argentina international would also have required a work permit.
Wenger added: "I think in the end he was not so keen to move.
"It was not completely down to a flat in the end. It was down to the fact that Messi was comfortable at Barcelona."
Midfielder Fabregas, 27, played over 300 games for Arsenal after signing in 2003 and is now with Chelsea after three seasons back at Barcelona.
Fellow Spain international Pique also returned to Barcelona after playing 23 times for United and the defender, 27, has since played almost 300 games for the Catalans.

Real Madrid are like the great AC Milan, says iconic coach Sacchi

Former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi has compared the current Real Madrid team to his Serie A side that conquered Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Sacchi guided Milan to back-to-back European titles in 1989 and 1990 with what is widely considered one of the finest club sides of the 20th century.
And the 68-year-old believes Carlo Ancelotti's current European champions play with a style reminiscent of the famous Rossoneri side featuring Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard.
"I love teams that own the ball and own the game and Madrid are the masters of it now. They remind me of the great Milan in some ways," Sacchi told AS.
"This Madrid team is a bit more technical than my Milan, but they don't have the ability to press their opponents right away when they lose the ball. They know how to play the ball, though, and play at a fantastic pace.
"Ancelotti has done a great job at Madrid. It is not easy to coach a team like Madrid.
"When you have a lot of great players, they all tend to think that others should do the running. There's a certain jealousy and you have to control that as a coach. There's a great team spirit at Madrid.
"Football should be about harmony and speed. This brings trouble for the opposition and excitement for the fans."
Ancelotti claimed the Copa del Rey and guided Madrid to their 10th European title in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo makes me a better player, says Bale

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has voiced his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and says the Portugal star has made him a better player.
Bale joined Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013 and formed a dangerous attacking partnership with Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Welshman has been struggling with injury problems this term but says he is continuing to learn from the former Manchester United man.
"Learning off the best player in the world is just incredible," Bale told Sportmasta.
"Ronaldo has been amazing since I've been there and I learn something new every day. He’s helping me become a better player, which is my constant goal. I’m trying to get up to his level.
"In fact, I've even been trying to improve my right foot."
Bale went on to admit that it would have been difficult to leave Tottenham for any other club than the current European champions.
"If it wasn't Real Madrid, it would have been very, very difficult to ever leave," he said.
"I loved my time at Tottenham and the fans were always incredible to me. I think they understood that the opportunity to join Real Madrid was a once-in-a lifetime chance and at the time I was playing well and I wanted to test myself.
"Without Real Madrid, I would have loved to still be there playing for Spurs. But winning the Champions League shows exactly why I wanted to make the move.
"I still want Arsenal to lose and Spurs to win, though.."