Liverpool completely dominated the Premiership’s early kick-off today and trounced an Arsenal side at Anfield who never looked like they really turned up. If was almost as if Arsenal were still on GMT time and therefore an hour behind everything Liverpool did. It must have been a little bit of sweet revenge for Liverpool having already been beaten 3 times by Arsenal this season, twice in 4 days at Anfield in January when Arsenal knocked Liverpool out of both the FA Cup and then the League Cup. A game in which Arsenal scored 6. If Arsenal had won today, they would have become the first team ever to have beaten Liverpool four times in one season.

Liverpool looked as though they were never going to let that happen and their new owners, Americans Gillett and Hicks, must have liked what they saw today at Anfield. In a pre-match interview Gillett re-confirmed and re-assured both Liverpool and in deed Everton fans, that the proposed new stadium will definitely not be a ground share and that it has never been discussed and never will be. Gillett and Hicks have unveiled plans to increase the capacity of the new stadium, to be built only a few yards away from Anfield on Stanley Park, from the original 60,000 to at least 70,000 to help keep Liverpool in line with teams such as Man Utd and Arsenal. The new owners are currently working with the already agreed planning for the new stadium to try to fit in with their new plans.

Anyway, on the pitch, Peter Crouch returned to the starting eleven after his recent broken nose and promptly scored his first hat-trick at club level. It was a hat-trick worth waiting for and helped Liverpool leap-frog over Arsenal to go back to third in the Premiership. However, Arsenal do still have a game in hand over the Merseyside club.

It didn’t take Crouch long to make an impact on his return either. After only 4 minutes he smartly turned in Alvaro Arbeloa’s cross at the near post to put Liverpool ahead. He then headed in superbly from Fabio Aurelio’s fine cross on the 34th minute.

Daniel Agger then glanced in another brilliant Aurelio cross on the hour which seemed to wrap the game up for Liverpool however, William Gallas poked the ball over the line with the help of his thigh from all of two inches and Arsenal briefly sniffed an unlikely chance to get back into the game.

Unfortunately for Arsenal Crouch wasn’t finished and he completed his hat-trick with a neat turn, flicking the ball between his legs and finishing in front of the Kop after 80 minutes. Crouch proved again today that for such a tall and ungainly looking player he actually does possess quick feet and a lovely touch on the ball.

Steven Gerrard who started the game just behind Crouch up front, was substituted by Benítez when the game looked save for Liverpool at 3-0, no doubt in preparation for the Champions League Quarter Final First Leg away to PSV Eindhoven in the week.

Liverpool will go into that game buoyant after today’s result and more importantly the performance.

The Soccer Blogger

Well slap my thigh and call me Betty!! Because, can you believe it? But Wembley has been granted its Safety Certificate by the local Borough Council following to two recent “ramp-up” events and the FA have finally confirmed that Wembley Stadium is ready.

So the FA Cup final will be hosted at the home of English football for the first time since 2000. The six finals since have all been played at Cardiff’s excellent Millennium Stadium and I for one am very keen to compare the two stadia. The Millennium is excellent, as everyone who has been will tell you, but it cost a fraction of Wembley’s final and massive bill. However, I’m not expecting to see a £600m difference between the two!

Anyway, FA chief executive Brian Barwick is quoted as saying on the Football Association’s website: “I’m happy to confirm that the 2007 FA Cup final will be played at Wembley Stadium.

“It’s the announcement that a lot of people have been waiting for and is great news for football fans in this country and indeed the world over.

“The cup final and Wembley Stadium go hand in hand and everybody at the FA is looking forward to a great day.”

Wembley can now host events with up to 90,000 spectators. Who are those 90,000 (and the rest of the world for that matter) see lift the famous old trophy for the first time at the new Wembley? Fortunately, we don’t have too long now to wait and find out.

The Soccer Blogger

I reported yesterday that Cristiano Ronaldo, the Man Utd and Portuguese winger, is currently in contract negotiations with the Old Trafford club and that he had been quoted as stating he wanted to stay at Man Utd for “many years”.

Well, the Spanish giants Real Madrid have now confirmed their interest in signing Ronaldo should he become available.

The Real president Ramon Calderon has reportedly told a Spanish TV station: “We really like him but he belongs to Manchester United and they have to decide to sell him first.

“If that is the case then we’ll be first in the queue.”

Ronaldo isn’t the only prize target that Calderon is after. He also wants to take the Brazilian star midfielder Kaka to the Bernabeu. Kaka is currently at AC Milan, but Calderon has insisted that Real would not pay the £54m (80m Euros, US$100m approx.) price tag reputedly placed on Ronaldo by Utd. I’m not surprised! Is anyone truly worth that kind of money? I don’t care how good they are, and let’s face it Ronaldo is good. But £54m??

Calderon obviously agrees because he continued by stating, “I don’t think any player, even someone with Cristiano Ronaldo’s quality, is worth that money, but we are definitely interested if Manchester United want to sell him.

“I would love to see both Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo play for Real Madrid next season, but it won’t be easy. Any big club would have this sort of objective and Real Madrid is a big club.”

As I stated yesterday, Ronaldo, who is still only 22, has been in superb form for Man United this season, scoring 18 goals including 16 in the Premiership.

Ronaldo has said that, “It is a good sign to know I have so many clubs interested in me, such as Real Madrid. It means that I am valued.

“But I am very happy where I am and I hope to stay at Manchester United for many years.”

The new deal that United want Ronaldo to sign would extend his time at Old Trafford until 2012.

I also said yesterday that this story was bound to run and run and with a team like Real Madrid involved it didn’t take long did. Until Ronaldo puts pen to paper at Old Trafford, Real are going to keep on talking about Ronaldo and will try everything they can to unsettle both the player and Utd. This is going to be fun to watch! Stay tuned.

The Soccer Blogger

The 22 year old Portuguese winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been in excellent form this season and who is constantly being linked with a move to other European clubs such as Real Madrid, is believed to want to remain at Old Trafford for “many years”.

Ronaldo has said that, “It is a good sign to know I have so many clubs interested in me, such as Real Madrid. It means that I am valued.

“But I am very happy where I am and I hope to stay at Manchester United for many years.”

Ronaldo continued his brilliant form this season by scoring twice as Portugal beat Belgium 4-0 on Saturday in the European Qualifiers and Portugal also play Serbia in another Qualifier on Wednesday.

Ronaldo was asked if he was the best player in the world at the moment, he replied: “The United players are by my side - but of course I believe I am one of the best.” Ah, such modesty! Perhaps something more like, “Well that’s not for me to comment on. I’m just enjoying my football at the moment and things seem to be going well for me.” might have been a little more professional and discreet, but perhaps that’s just me. Yes, he should believe he is one of the best, if not the best at the moment, we can all see that, I just think maybe it’s a little tacky to tell everyone you’re one of the best. Just keep telling yourself Cristiano and let your football on the pitch do your talking for you.

Anyway enough about that, because United understandably want Ronaldo to sign a new deal which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2012.

Ronaldo stated further, “I have a good contract, in financial terms, [I bet] but what really matters to me is to show my best form.” [That's better!]

I don’t think we’ve heard the end of this story, the rumours will continue until he puts pen to paper.

The Soccer Blogger

So the American duo of George Gillett and Tom Hicks have have finally completed their takeover of Liverpool. They have now received agreement from 98.6% of the former shareholders to sell their shares and under the London Stock Exchange rules, the small remaining balance can be can now be purchased compulsorily.

The two American sports fans had previously gained unconditional control of Liverpool by passing the 80% share threshold, but under the Stock Exchange rules the new mark of 98.6% brings their takeover to a conclusion.

The Soccer Blogger understands that the Americans will now attempt to re-register the Premiership club as a private limited company.

A lot has happened on Merseyside in a few short months as Liverpool had seemed set to tie up a deal with Dubai International Capital (DIC) in January. However, speculation suddenly grew that DIC wanted to sell the club in 2014 for what would probably have been a huge profit.

The then Liverpool Chairman David Moores and the rest of the Board decided to consider a new bid from Gillett at the start of February. Gillett then added Hicks to his team, and they made an offer of £5,000 per share and the deal was agreed on February 6th. That Liverpool even contemplated another offer obviously seemed to upset the fifth richest man in the world and DIC and they withdrew their bid well before.

There had been reports recently that Benítez, the Liverpool Manager, had been a little upset and unsettled that he had not been spoken to properly by Gillett and Hicks about their future plans. The stories started to fly out of Madrid that Benítez was their “chosen one” to take over after Capello. But Benítez was quick to squash any fears Liverpool fans may have had about his apparent departure and it is now understood that the Americans wanted to wait until officially completing their takeover before discussing plans for the future and will now meet with Benítez on Sunday. The new owners will be at Anfield to watch the game against Arsenal. Let’s hope for their sake they don’t witness another result like either of the two cups games early this year. You can imagine the talks after that!

Is there a happy ending in sight at Anfield?

The Soccer Blogger