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Nothing is ours yet, admits Gerrard
Emotional Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted Sunday's 3-2 victory over title rivals Manchester City was the longest 90 minutes of his career.
Monday 14th April 2014
The 33-year-old midfielder has experienced the full range of feelings during his lengthy career at Anfield but, having seen his side's 2-0 lead pegged back in the second half, there was still time for a nervy finish.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel had put the hosts ahead inside 26 minutes, only for a rejuvenated David Silva to score one and force a Glen Johnson own goal to level things up before Philippe Coutinho drove home the winner with just 12 minutes remaining to keep Liverpool's title dream on track.
Jordan Henderson's lunge on Pablo Zabaleta in added time resulted in a red card and a three-match ban which may yet damage their prospects, however, as may a hamstring injury to striker Daniel Sturridge.
"That's the longest 90 minutes I've probably ever played in. It felt like the clock was going backwards in some parts of that game," Gerrard, who delivered a rousing speech to the players in a huddle at the final whistle, told Sky Sports 1.
"That win means so much. That is such a big result for us.
"We've got four cup finals left. Nothing is ours yet. The important thing now is not to get carried away with that result.
"We need to stay calm and prepare for Norwich (next weekend)."
Manager Brendan Rodgers felt it was a game his team may well have lost in the early part of his tenure, but the Reds are made of much more resilient stuff these days.
Their 10th successive league win opened up a seven-point gap to third-placed City, who have two matches in hand but have had their destiny taken out of their own control.
"The group is very tight. We foster a real closeness here in our spirit and you need that if you are going to win anything. There has to be a cause to fight for," the Northern Irishman said.
"Getting pegged back to 2-2, we may have gone on to lose that game when I first came in here, but we dusted ourselves off and went again and the level of some of our football was so good we ended up getting a terrific goal.
"The performance level of the players was sensational - to dominate as we did in the first half with that energy and intelligence was remarkable.
"We showed our resilience to see it through. Ten wins in succession is an incredible achievement and against all the odds we are where we are and are still fighting."
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini accepted his side failed to deal with the early onslaught launched by Liverpool, but was pleased with their comeback and does not consider the title race done and dusted just yet.
"The team played very well. We had chances to score and win the game and we didn't. Finally Liverpool won the game with a mistake," he said.
"It is not the end of the Premier League. The most important thing today is now it is not dependent what we do in the future.
"If Liverpool win their four games maybe they deserve to win the title, but we will continue fighting until the end. We have to play one of our games in hand on Wednesday."
Pellegrini felt they should have had a penalty in the first half with the score at 2-0 when Mamadou Sakho clattered into Edin Dzeko, but he refused to criticise referee Mark Clattenburg.
"It was a very clear penalty but I don't want to talk about the referee - it is not fair to think that we lost the game because of the referee," he added.
City lost influential midfielder Yaya Toure to injury midway through the first half, which may cast doubt on his participation in the rest of the season.
"Yaya has an injury in his hamstring and will be assessed (on Monday)," the Chilean said.
Garry Monk was left frustrated and infuriated by defender Chico Flores' early dismissal in his team's 1-0 home defeat against BPL title contenders Chelsea.
Monday 14th April 2014
Monk cut an exasperated figure on the touchline after Flores received two yellow cards in little more than two minutes, meaning Swansea played over two thirds of the game with 10 men.
They were finally undone by Demba Ba's 68th-minute winner, which kept Chelsea two points behind league leaders Liverpool and Swansea still in relegation danger.
"If you go by the letter of the law it is a sending off, but if you do letter of the law every single game then you will get six or seven sendings off a game," Monk said.
"The disappointing thing was that he (referee Phil Dowd) looked like he signalled straight away 'no' - as if to signal it didn't warrant another yellow.
"Then their bench and manager surrounds the fourth official and their players surround the referee and then the red card comes later on.
"It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
"But I know Phil, and he is an honest guy. I don't think he responded to the pressure. If he says it was him giving himself time, then it is him giving himself time. But the circumstances make it strange.
"It's not great when people are asking for the ref to dish out a red card, but what can you do. It happens, and you trust that the ref was strong enough to deal with all that."
Assessing Flores' two cautions, Monk added: "I'm not disappointed in him, but he is an experienced pro and he should have used that experience in that situation.
"We have all been in that situation where you have been booked, and especially if it's early on, you are then treading on a tightrope for the rest of the game.
"The harshest punishment is getting sent off and Chico got sent off."
Swansea now head to Newcastle next Saturday, still needing probably one more win from their last four fixtures to retain their top-flight status.
"I've told the players that we have shown that desire and attitude not to be beaten," Monk said.
"Unfortunately, we have come away on a couple of occasions with nothing, but I've just said to them if we show exactly what we have done for the last four games then we will have no problems.
"We are not in a good position. We are not secure, and with four games left that's not the position you want to be in. It's in our hands, but we have to do something quickly and get something out of the next game."
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho opted not to attend his post-match press conference, handing the job instead to assistant coach Steve Holland.
"Jose asked me to do it," Holland said, without offering any further explanation.
"It is something I have done a few times this year, and it is something I am more than happy to do it when he asks me."
On the Flores cautions, Holland added: "In my opinion, the two yellow card decisions were crystal clear.
"I have seen them both back, and I think the referee was quite clearly correct on both counts.
"I think the referee made the decision, and he made the decision correctly.
"As to who he speaks to and how long he takes over the decision, you would have to ask him how that works. For sure, ultimately he made the right decision.
"It (Swansea away) has always been a difficult fixture for us.
"They are a team that is very much based around keeping possession of the ball, and they can frustrate you for long periods because it is difficult to build pressure up against them.
"On the back of a Champions League game in midweek, which is emotionally, physically and mentally draining, you always worry about the impact that has on your next fixture.
"It is a fantastic three points for us, and very much a case of getting over the line, really."
Ba also scored the winner when Chelsea booked their Champions League semi-final place last Tuesday by knocking out Paris St Germain on away goals, and the title race is now hurtling towards a potential decider when Mourinho's team visit Anfield in two weeks' time.
"Not much has changed. We are five points clear of Manchester City, and they have two games more to play than us. If Manchester City win all their matches, they finish ahead of Chelsea," Holland said.
"Obviously, it has been a good day for Liverpool, and it looks like being an exciting conclusion to the season.
"We have probably got to win all of our games, one way or another.
"That's the likelihood, but we have been facing that task now for a good couple of weeks, certainly on the back of our result at Crystal Palace. I think any leeway we had was eliminated after that result."
West Brom have taken action against Saido Berahino after the striker was videoed inhaling nitrous oxide in his car after the Baggies' 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last month.
Monday 14th April 2014
The video, taken on March 8 and brought to light by the Sunday Mirror, shows the 20-year-old puffing the substance, otherwise known as 'laughing gas', from a balloon before slumping down over his steering wheel.
Inhaling nitrous oxide is not illegal but it can pose serious health risks.
West Brom sporting and technical director Richard Garlick said in a statement released by the club: "I have spoken to Saido about the incident and told him in no uncertain terms that his conduct is not befitting a West Bromwich Albion player.
"Saido knows he has made a mistake. He has apologised for his actions and has assured the club it will not happen again."
Berahino said: "This was very poor judgement on my part and not the right example to be setting.
"At the time, I wasn't fully aware of the serious health risks involved but now I know, I won't be doing it again."
It's not the first time a Premier League footballer has had to apologise for being caught inhaling the substance.
Tottenham defender Kyle Walker was pictured using nitrous oxide days before England's goalless draw with Ukraine in September.
Drug advice website Frank says: "There is a risk of death as a lack of oxygen can occur when using nitrous oxide.
"This risk is likely to be greater if the gas is consumed in an enclosed space or if a substantial amount is rapidly used."
Berahino is one of the most exciting young English players to have emerged this season, scoring eight goals in 30 appearances for West Brom since the start of the campaign.
He was recently involved in a dressing-room row with team-mate James Morrison. Morrison apologised for hitting young striker Berahino who reportedly refused to say sorry for a mistake that led to Cardiff's late equaliser in a 3-3 draw.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joked Cardiff could do with more controversy after they boosted their survival hopes.
Monday 14th April 2014
The build-up to Saturday's trip to Southampton was dominated by talk that the team that started the previous weekend's 3-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace had been leaked to their opponents.
The incident actually helped rather than hindered Solskjaer's side as they overcame the odds to win 1-0 at St Mary's.
"I might just have to make them mad about something [else]," said Cardiff boss Solskjaer after the fine team display on the south coast.
"The focus we had is what we need every single week. They've been fantastic all week. They've concentrated on their job, football.
"You need to get the organisation right, you need to get everything right on and off the pitch. That's just management. It's not all dancing and signing, you've got to make decisions.
"But the important thing is that the players focus on the performances and the fans keep believing and stay behind us like they were on Saturday - like at the end when the results came over the speaker and they realised we're in with a shout [of staying up]."
While Cardiff remained 19th in the Barclays Premier League after their win at St Mary's, results elsewhere saw them cut the deficit on those above them to just three points with four matches remaining.
That run starts with in-form Stoke travelling to south Wales next weekend, before back to-back trips to the north east to take on Sunderland and Newcastle.
The Bluebirds' biggest challenge, though, comes in the season finale, when title-chasing Chelsea arrive at the Cardiff City Stadium.
"We hope Chelsea have won the league by the last game," Solskjaer said. "No [it's not the tough run-in that rivals Norwich have got] but that doesn't matter.
"You've got to turn up on the day and you've go to perform. You've got prepare well.
"I don't think many expected us to get a point, never mind three, at St Mary's. They are a very good football team and a very good club."
Crystal Palace match-winner Jason Puncheon believes Tony Pulis would be a worthy winner of the Barclays Premier League manager of the year award, with the Eagles now all but safe following victory over Aston Villa.
Sunday 13th April 2014
Puncheon struck in the second half - his sixth league goal of the season - to secure a deserved 1-0 win and move Palace up to 12th in the table.
Now the former Southampton winger has joined the likes of Terry Venables and Jose Mourinho in calling for Pulis, who took over at Selhurst Park in November when the team were rock bottom, to be in contention for the biggest managerial accolade in the English game.
"I think he will definitely be up there with a chance," Puncheon said.
"If you look at the position that we were in when he came and what he's done to this team, we all have the belief that we will stay in the Premier League now."
Pulis, who has never been relegated as a manager, remains insistent that his side are still not safe from the drop despite having won their last three games, and Puncheon shares that view.
"We're not safe until it's mathematically impossible to go down," he added.
"We've just got to keep going until we reach that point. We don't get carried away. Those games are gone. We've got to go to Everton and then West Ham after that, so we've got two tough away games in the next week.
"It was a great win, just like the two we had before, but we've got to forget about that now and look forward to Everton on Wednesday."
The victory took Palace above Villa, who have now lost four games in a row since their memorable triumph over title contenders Chelsea.
The barren run means Paul Lambert's side have slid back into the battle for survival, and they now sit just four points clear of 18th-placed Fulham.
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan insists the squad are all united and are determined to overcome the latest setback.
"We all help each other," he said.
"It is not the first time we have had a bump in the road and it won't be the last. It is part of being a professional footballer.
"We have to continue to fight and we will do that. We will look to turn it around next week. Everyone at the club is desperate for a win and to end this run of defeats.
"For us as players, and as a club, we have to keep fighting and we are definitely going to do that. You have to be at it for 90 minutes and if you switch off one play can hurt you."
Southampton visit Villa Park on Saturday and Lambert will want to accrue enough points to be safe going into the final two fixtures of the season, which see his side visit Manchester City and Tottenham.
Arsenal 'disappointed' with FA Cup final ticket allocation
By Jay Jaffa
Apr 14, 2014 3:44:00 PM
The Gunners received 49,000 tickets for their semi-final clash with Wigan but have been told by the FA that they and Hull City will be allocated a smaller portion for the final
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has expressed his frustration with the Football Association's allocation of tickets for the FA Cup final against Hull City.
The Gunners received 49,000 tickets for the semi-final against Wigan on Saturday after their Championship opponents returned a portion of their allocation but Arsenal have been told by the FA that themselves and Hull will be afforded just 25,000 tickets each for the May 17 showpiece.
A statement on the official club website saw Gazidis state: “We are disappointed many of our supporters and also those of Hull City will be unable to get tickets to the cup final.
"We fully understand this is the showpiece FA fixture to celebrate the game as a whole, but we also believe the loyal supporters of the competing teams deserve a greater chance to see their team play in what is one of the biggest matches of the season. The balance in the FA’s allocation system is not right.
“Arsenal have approximately 45,000 season ticket holders and 150,000 members, many of whom come to games.
"They all give us their loyal support throughout a season but with the FA Cup final allocation at 25,000 there will be many disappointed Arsenal fans, who have supported the Club home and away for years, who will be unable to get a ticket to this historic match.”
Arsenal defeated Wigan on penalties on Saturday and meet Steve Bruce's side on May 17 after the Tigers defeated League One Sheffield United 5-3 on Sunday.
The England striker was forced off during Sunday's win over Manchester City and the Reds are waiting to find out the extent of his injury ahead of their title run-in
Liverpool are waiting to find out the extent of Daniel Sturridge's hamstring injury, with the England striker set to undergo a scan on Monday.
Sturridge was forced off in the 66th minute of the Reds' vital 3-2 win over Manchester City on Sunday and manager Brendan Rodgers admitted afterwards that he was unsure how serious the problem was.
“We'll see how he is over the next couple of days,” he told reporters. “He felt a wee bit of tightness in his hamstring, so we'll just see how that is in the next couple of days.”
Sturridge has scored 20 goals for the Reds this season and could miss this weekend's clash with relegation-threatened Norwich – with captain Steven Gerrard imploring his side to repeat their winning weekend performance at Carrow Road as they look to strengthen their grip on first place in the Premier League.
However, they will definitely be without Jordan Henderson, who was sent off in the dying stages of Sunday's clash for a reckless challenge on Samir Nasri.
Rodgers was upset with Henderson's sending off, claiming after the game that it was a “little bit harsh” but it is understood Liverpool will not appeal the automatic three-match suspension handed to the midfielder.
The Blues goalkeeper believes league leaders Liverpool have been able to play without pressure, but reckons his side's title-winning experience will swing the pendulum their way
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes their experience could prove crucial as the Premier League title race approaches its finale.
Jose Mourinho's men capped off a fine week that saw them beat Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League semi-finals by overcoming Swansea City 1-0 on Sunday to keep pace at the top of the table.
Leaders Liverpool lead Chelsea by two points following a 3-2 victory over third-placed Manchester City, who are a further five points back with two games in hand.
Chelsea visit Liverpool in two weeks' time in a game that could well decide the destination of the trophy, and Cech feels his side's knowledge of big games could yet give them the edge.
"Nobody expected anything from Liverpool this season and they're in contention - it’s why they've been able to play without pressure so far," Cech told the London Evening Standard.
"But let's see how they will cope when it comes to the last hurdle. They will have to jump over it. They have been doing remarkably well but we're still around.
"Obviously, we have to wait for one slip up from Manchester City but if we win our games we have a chance.
"We have players who are used to playing big games. Sometimes when you have a young team full of enthusiasm they don't feel any pressure, they just play.
"But we have just four games to play now and if we win all of our matches, we will be there right to the end. That's what we will try to do, to go game-by-game, try to win them all and then we'll see where we'll be. We will go for it."
Chelsea's fixture list is made busier by their upcoming Champions League last-four tie with Atletico Madrid, a challenge Cech is relishing.
"We're also in huge matches in the Champions League so there is a bit of congestion but that's just the way it is," he added.
"It is always great to be a position like this, where you play for everything because it is so exciting.
"It's going to be very tough to play three games like this in a row but we are a top club and as a player at a top club you come here for this opportunity to play huge games."
'Arsenal will finish fourth and with the FA Cup' - Wenger
By Jay Jaffa
Apr 14, 2014 3:00:00 PM
The Gunners boss was relieved to reach the Wembley final, which he believes his side can win, as well as overhauling fourth-place Everton in the hunt for Champions League football
Arsene Wenger feels Arsenal can claim a top four spot ahead of Everton and win the FA Cup as he analysed the final fixtures of the season.
The Gunners sealed a spot in the Wembley final where they will face Steve Bruce's Hull City following a penalty shootout victory over Wigan on Saturday and currently trail the Toffees by two points as the quest for Champions League football intensifies.
Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Gunners' Premier League clash with West Ham, Wenger hailed the club's fans for their support at Wembley before targeting a strong end to the campaign.
Wenger said: "Our fans were fantastic on Saturday even when it was bad. We want them to be behind the team... I'm sure they will.
"We can finish well this season. We can finish in the top four, we can win the FA Cup so it's down to how united we'll be until the end of the season and focused together."
Arsenal face Hull at Wembley on May 17 a week after their Premier League season concludes with a trip to relegation-threatened Norwich City.
Wenger confident Wilshere will return before end of season
Apr 14, 2014 11:47:00 AM
The midfielder has been absent for Arsenal since injuring his foot in England's win over Denmark on March 5, but his manager is hopeful he will play again before the World Cup
Arsene Wenger is confident Jack Wilshere will feature for Arsenal before the season ends and insists the midfielder is "progressing well".
The 22-year-old is recovering from the broken foot he suffered during England's win over Denmark on March 5, and has stepped up his return ahead of Arsenal’s push for fourth place and FA Cup final against Hull City.
"Jack Wilshere should start to jog this week," he told reporters. "It is all going well, but we have to monitor him now day by day.
"The next three weeks will be very important for him. Can he play this season? Yes."
After reaching the FA Cup final on Saturday following a tense penalty shootout victory over holders Wigan, Arsenal will now focus on league duties having been leapfrogged by Everton into fourth place over the weekend.
Up next for Arsene Wenger and his squad is West Ham on Tuesday, and the manager has revealed his injury crisis has deepened following the win at Wembley.
"I can't give you team news because there are so many uncertainties, muscular problems or fatigue.
"[Tomas] Rosicky and [Laurent] Koscielny we will test [on Monday]. I will decide later whether to take a risk with him.
"The main uncertaintities are [Nacho] Monreal, he has a large bruise, [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was not even supposed to play on Saturday, [Aaron] Ramsey, who had to come off with muscle tiredness."
A run of seven consecutive victories has seen Everton move into pole position for the final qualification spot for the Champions League, but Wenger believes Arsenal winning their remaining games will see them finish fourth.
He continued: "We want to finish strong now, we have a battle with Everton and of course it's now down to consistency in our final games.
"We want to achieve it and that's simple. We just want to not imagine the consequences of not doing it, what you want is just to focus on doing it.
"That's where I think we have the focus, the quality of the spirit, we have the desire and we are slowly getting our players back so the squad is not depleted any more. It's much more stronger than it was two or three weeks ago.
"The target is of course to win every game. Experience [of finishing in fourth every season] counts, yes of course. But the difference will be the quality that you produce on the pitch and that is down to desire, to be faithful to our game we want to play, and get everybody back into the squad."
Manchester City can still win the title - Demichelis
By Nicholas McGee
Apr 14, 2014 10:41:00 AM
Despite losing 3-2 to Liverpool, the defender is confident the league leaders can still make mistakes and allow him and his team-mates to capitalise before the end of the season
Martin Demichelis is adamant Manchester City can still win the Premier League title despite their 3-2 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.
A 78th-minute winner from Philippe Coutinho gave Liverpool the points from an enthralling clash at Anfield after a David Silva strike and a Glen Johnson own goal had dragged City level following early goals from Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel.
The loss leaves third-placed City seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool, although they do have two games in hand, and Demichelis insists him and his team-mates can regain the title they won in 2011-12.
"We didn't start well in the match and they were better than us until they scored the first ," he told the Manchester Evening News.
"Then there were a lot of set-pieces, and that is how they got the second goal, from a corner kick.
"After that there was not a lot of continuity in the match, but in the last part of the first half we played much better than them but couldn't score.
"We started very well in the second half and got the two goals - after that Silva could have scored a third and we would have been in front, but they scored from our mistake.
"Given that we were better than them for more than 45 minutes, maybe 2-2 would have been a fair result.
"We're obviously not happy about the result but we know we have matches ahead and you have seen in football that we can still win - they can still make mistakes.
"Hopefully we will win the rest and expect some mistakes from Liverpool. No-one left the stadium feeling they were champions, and we have plenty of matches."
Everton boss Roberto Martinez is reaping the rewards of daring to dream as he embarked upon the latest phase of his managerial career.
Sunday 13th April 2014
The 40-year-old Spaniard guided his club into the Barclays Premier League's top four on Saturday evening with a 1-0 win at Sunderland - their seventh in succession - to leave Arsenal in little doubt that their challenge for Champions League qualification is genuine.
Few onlookers would have expected Martinez to make the impact he has so quickly after taking over from David Moyes in June last year.
However, he insists what has transpired was within the bounds of his imagination as he eased himself into Moyes' shoes.
Martinez said: "If you don't imagine it, you will never get there. I have never seen in football anyone achieve something that nobody had a bit of a dream or a bit of a vision about.
"I always felt that this group of players, with the 10 players we have bought in the two windows, we created a squad that had a perfect balance of great bravery and talent and young ambition with a real know-how and experience, and I think that balance is reflected in (Saturday's) performance.
"Compared to last Sunday, it was a complete contrast and to have that diversity in your squad is phenomenal.
"The points that we have, it hasn't been a case of luck or being fortunate, it's the opposite.
"Every point that we have dropped this season, it has seemed a little bit unfortunate, and that shows you that we have got still a margin for improvement, and that's what we are going to try to do from now until the end of the campaign."
If last weekend's 3-0 home victory over the Gunners represented a declaration of intent, Saturday's performance and result at the Stadium of Light were more prosaic, but ultimately had the same effect.
The Toffees were not at their fluent best, particularly in front of goal, against a Black Cats side fighting for their top-flight status.
However, they found a way to win, even if they did need a helping hand from their hapless hosts.
There were 15 minutes remaining when 20-year-old Spaniard Gerard Deulofeu yet again showed left-back Marcos Alonso a clean pair of heels before sending in a cross which hit defender Wes Brown at the near post and beat goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
With five games remaining, Everton now sit two points clear of Arsene Wenger's FA Cup finalists and, although their run-in is not straightforward - both Manchester clubs are yet to visit Goodison Park - they have a very real chance of gatecrashing the top four.
Martinez said: "Remember, when we started at the beginning of the season, you had six football club with big budgets who were fighting for the title and we are out of that six, so you can imagine that we have got no pressure whatsoever.
"We want that pressure in terms of performing well week in, week out and finding ways to win game consistently.
"But we are fighting to achieve something, we have something to win. Believe me, that in football is no pressure whatsoever."
Opposite number Gus Poyet knows all about pressure, however, as he attempts to drag Sunderland out of a seemingly insurmountable slump which has seen them cast seven points adrift of safety with just six games to play.
The club's problems are by no means all of his own making, and he admits some date back several seasons.
Poyet said: "You have to go back three or four years, or maybe seven or eight.
"I have been reading from the times of Reidy (former manager Peter Reid), and apart from one year when Darren Bent scored 24 goals, we have been always playing with fire.
"The only thing that has changed more or less is the manager, so maybe it's time to change something different and look for the real problem inside the club and not just the one who comes here and talks to you every week."
Top 10 finish is beyond us, says West Ham boss Allardyce
Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:19pm BST
West Ham United's manager Sam Allardyce takes his seat before their English Premier League soccer match against Everton at Goodison Park in Liverpool March 1, 2014. REUTERS/Phil Noble
(Reuters) - West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has ruled out a top 10 finish this season but believes his side can exploit a fatigued Arsenal ahead of their Premier League clash at The Emirates on Tuesday.
Eleventh-placed West Ham, who have 37 points from 33 matches, trail 10th-placed Stoke City by six points but can close that gap with victory over Arsenal.
With West Ham having won only twice in their last six league matches, and slipping to a 2-1 defeat to leaders Liverpool in their last outing, Allardyce does not envisage finishing 10th for a second consecutive season.
"I don't think that we'll get a top 10 finish now," Allardyce told reporters on Monday. "I think the best we would try and get is to catch up with Stoke.
"Stoke have had a fantastic run recently and we've got to try and improve our position to get where they are."
Arsenal required penalties to knock Championship side Wigan Athletic out of the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday and that gruelling victory has taken its toll on their squad.
Manager Arsene Wenger has injury concerns over midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin), full-back Nacho Monreal (dead leg) and Aaron Ramsey (muscle tightness), while forward Lukas Podolski is also a doubt.
Allardyce has some sympathy for his counterpart's depleted ranks, but he will be hoping to take full advantage of a weary Arsenal at The Emirates.
"Certainly with Arsenal's game load and some of the injuries they have, then yes they will be weaker than they possibly could be," added the West Ham boss, who could be without captain Kevin Nolan due to a hamstring injury.
"If we can seek an advantage by those problems that they have then it gives us a better chance of getting a result.
"It won't be any easier than it ever has been to get a result at the Emirates because the players that are actually playing won't fatigue until later in the game."
Arsenal started the season in fine fettle and topped the table during the early stages of the season before their results started to slide.
With criticism of Wenger intensifying by Arsenal fans there have been questions surrounding his future, but with a place in the top four still possible and the chance of FA Cup glory, Allardyce defended the 64-year-old Frenchman.
"I think that as always the man's career speaks for itself," added Allardyce.
"Many people have probably been disappointed that he hasn't won anything over the last few years, but he can certainly put that right this year with his FA Cup final appearance.
"I'm sure that a lot of the focus is finishing in the top four, but also making sure they win the FA Cup. Compared to other years, that would then make for a more successful season."
(Reporting By Michael Hann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Midfielder Stephen Ireland has signed a three-year contract to remain at Stoke.
Tuesday 15th April 2014
Ireland has revived his career at the Britannia Stadium after joining the Potters on a loan deal from Aston Villa at the start of the season.
Stoke made the move permanent during the January transfer window and have now tied down the 27-year-old until the end of the 2016-17 season.
Ireland had no hesitation in signing the deal after admitting his career has been rekindled by the move.
The midfielder has made 27 league and cup appearances this term and has started to rediscover the form that first brought him to attention under Potters boss Mark Hughes at Manchester City.
"It's important for every player to feel wanted and to be a part of a family and to be honest I haven't had that for a long, long time," he told www.stokecityfc.com.
"Thankfully I have felt that warmth here at Stoke and truth be told I couldn't really be in a better place than I am at the moment.
"For that, I have to thank the gaffer immensely because he is the main reason why I came here in the first instance, and of course, he is a big factor in why I am delighted to agree this new deal now.
"I have also been able to build a good relationship with the supporters too, and that is very warming to me, because it has been a long time since I have felt loved at a football club."
Ireland also thanked Hughes, adding: "I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my football again like I have done if the manager hadn't have brought me here in the first place, so of course, I am incredibly grateful to him and the club for doing that."
Hughes believes Stoke will see the best of Ireland over the next few years.
"We're delighted that Stephen has committed himself to us. He's an outstanding player; I think we've seen that in the time that he's been with us," he said.
"He's someone I've worked with before and that will help Stephen because he enjoys working in a stable environment where he knows people. I think that gets the best out of him and we'll reap the benefits of that and I think the next few years will be great for him.
"He's still a young man and we're arguably getting him at a time in his career when he should be at the peak of his powers. I think it's a great opportunity both for Stephen and the club."
Pulis sets his eyes on keeping Ince
Tom Ince will become one of Tony Pulis' top targets for a permanent Selhurst Park switch if Crystal Palace complete their Barclays Premier League safety mission.
Tuesday 15th April 2014
Palace boss Pulis has tipped England Under-21 forward Ince to become a "top Premier League player", despite the Blackpool loanee only featuring five times since his January move.
Pulis will hold off on all contract talks until Palace secure their Premier League status, but admitted Ince will become a high priority if and when the Eagles tie up their top-flight future.
The former Stoke manager said only the form of resurgent trio Yannick Bolasie, Jason Puncheon and Marouane Chamakh has denied Ince more Selhurst Park opportunities.
"He's one that we'll look at once things are done," said Pulis, gearing up for Wednesday's Premier League trip to Everton.
"I'd love to sit down and get something done with him because I think he's a top player.
"Tom has been absolutely fantastic. Tom Ince will be a top Premier League player, without a shadow of a doubt. He's got all the attributes and everything else.
"The unfortunate thing is that in the position Tom plays, Puncheon has been outstanding, Bolasie's been outstanding. So it's been very, very difficult to get him into those positions, and the one who's played behind has been Chamakh, who has been one of the players of the season."
Liverpool product Ince joined Blackpool in 2011, scoring 31 goals in 100 league appearances.
The Anfield club have been regularly linked with a move to lure Ince back to Merseyside, and Palace will face serious competition for the highly-rated forward's full-time services this summer.
Pulis' regimented influence has helped steer Palace to 12th place in the Premier League, seven points clear of the drop zone.
The cautious boss is refusing to take safety for granted though, and will not start any contract negotiations for next season until Palace's top-flight future is mathematically secure.
Ince's father, former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul, admitted he would like to see his 22-year-old son feature more regularly at Palace in an appearance on Saturday's Match of the Day.
Pulis appreciates his young midfielder's position, but believes he will only improve as he fights to assert his authority.
"It's been difficult for Tom, but I have to say as a young lad who did everything at Blackpool, plays for the Under-21s, he's not been any trouble whatsoever," said Pulis.
"His attitude in training has been fantastic, and the players have taken to him as well.
"I think that's great credit to Tom. I think it's a part of his career that he will look back on and take a lot of stuff from.
"It's not gone to plan in respect of him playing every game but his attitude - he's a credit to his parents and he's been fabulous."
Kompany trains as Manchester City await Yaya Toure scan results
By Paul Clennam
Apr 15, 2014 2:08:00 PM
The Belgian defender was back on the training pitch on Tuesday with his knee heavily strapped, while the club are set to discover if the Ivorian midfielder's season is over
Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany returned to training on Tuesday, allaying fears that he could be absent for the entirety of their title run-in, Goal can reveal.
The defender, whose knee was heavily strapped for the session at the club's Carrington training base, underwent scans following Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Liverpool but the results have revealed no lasting damage.
The Belgium international suffered the injury in training on Saturday after clashing with Micah Richards although he was passed fit for the crucial meeting at Anfield despite initial fears that he would not recover in time.
Kompany endured a difficult afternoon on Merseyside, with the centre-back making a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes as City fell to defeat and drifted seven points behind Brendan Rodgers's side at the top of the table.
The scan results will come as a positive for Manuel Pellegrini after losing ground in the title race, with City facing up to the prospect of needing to win all six of their remaining Premier League games to be in with a shot of being crowned champions.
The club are, however, still awaiting news on Yaya Toure's injury after fears that his season could be over.
The Ivory Coast international was substituted after just 19 minutes of the defeat to Liverpool and, having undergone scans to assess his knee and groin on Monday, the results are set to be released later on Tuesday.
Manchester City's Yaya Toure celebrates after scoring a penalty during their English Premier League soccer match against Southampton at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, northern England April 5, 2014. REUTERS/Darren Staples
(Reuters) - Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure will be out of action for two weeks due to a muscle injury, manager Manuel Pellegrini said, ruling the Ivorian out of Wednesday's home Premier League game against bottom club Sunderland.
"Yaya has a muscle injury - we'll see with the doctor how many days," Pellegrini told a news conference on Tuesday.
"Maybe it's not so bad as we thought at the beginning but he needs at least ten days or two weeks to recover."
Striker Sergio Aguero and defender Vincent Kompany are fit to start against Sunderland as third-placed City look to close a seven-point gap on leaders Liverpool.
Pellegrini's team, on 70 points, have two games in hand on Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea who have 75.
Toure hobbled off with a groin injury after 20 minutes in Sunday's 3-2 loss to Liverpool, with Chilean Pellegrini indicating afterwards he could miss the remainder of the season.
A two-week layoff would rule Toure, a driving force in the centre of City's midfield, out of the visit of West Bromwich Albion next Monday and potentially the trip to Crystal Palace on April 27.
Kompany hurt himself in training on Saturday in a collision with team mate Micah Richards but was passed fit to face Liverpool.
The move backfired, however, as the captain and Belgian international botched clearance allowed Philippe Coutinho to score the winner with 12 minutes remaining.
AGUERO RETURN
Argentine Aguero came off the bench against Liverpool, his first appearance in a month after being plagued by a hamstring problem.
The loss to Liverpool means even if City win their remaining six matches, they must rely on the Merseysiders to drop points if they are to claim their second title in three seasons.
"The team knows perfectly what they have to do - we still have six more games and we will fight to the end for the title," Pellegrini said.
"If we don't do it, it's because Liverpool have won their four games, I don't think anything changed on Sunday.
"We must win our games, we can't do anything about other teams. We know exactly what we have to do - we start tomorrow, hoping to win one of the postponed games."
Bottom club Sunderland are running out of time to save their Premier League status, but having given City a scare in the Capital One (League) Cup final last month, Pellegrini warned against taking anything for granted.
"Playing against a team in the relegation spots is very difficult - nobody can think that one of those games will be easy," he added.
"I am sure they will try to fight to the end to stay in the Premier League.
"It's a different game to Wembley - one thing doesn't have a relationship with the other.
"It's difficult when you don't win the game before but as I said, the players are conscious that we are fighting from now until the end of the season, so I am sure we will see something from them tomorrow."
Eden Hazard could return from injury "sooner rather than later" as Chelsea continue their push for the Barclays Premier League title.
Tuesday 15th April 2014
The Belgian star missed Sunday's 1-0 win at Swansea after limping out of Chelsea's midweek Champions League quarter-final victory over Paris St Germain.
Manager Jose Mourinho made five changes for the trip to south Wales, where his team triumphed through Demba Ba's second-half strike which keeps them two points behind league leaders Liverpool.
"Every player is fit at this stage, with the exception of Eden, who should be sooner rather than later. It is still a little bit too early to say for sure," Chelsea assistant first-team coach Steve Holland said.
"Having a clear week this week is a big advantage.
"I can't stress enough the extra demand that the Champions League brings with those fixtures in the week. It is just what the doctor ordered to give the players a bit of a break this week."
Chelsea are next in action when the Premier League's bottom club Sunderland visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
And the Blues know there can realistically be no slip-ups between now and the end of the season - including when they visit Liverpool on April 27 - if they are to land a fourth Premier League title in 10 seasons.
Liverpool's thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester City on Sunday was played out as Chelsea prepared for their fixture at the Liberty Stadium.
"No matter how much you try to hide it and take the players' minds away from it, in this world of technology that we live in there is always a way of someone finding out at some point," added Holland.
"We were aware as the afternoon progressed from when we had the team meeting to when we left for the stadium, then when we were in the dressing room and out on the pitch, that the scenario was changing all the time.
"Obviously, it was a good day for Liverpool, and it looks like being an exciting conclusion to the season.
"We have probably got to win all of our games, one way or another.
"That's the likelihood, but we have been facing that task now for a good couple of weeks, certainly on the back of our result at Crystal Palace. I think any leeway we had was eliminated after that result."
Swansea's target over their final four league games is all about securing top-flight survival.
They visit Newcastle next Saturday, standing only three points above the relegation zone. The Swans have won just two out of 10 league games since Garry Monk assumed head coach responsibility more than two months ago.
"We are not in a good position, clearly," Monk said.
"We're not secure and we have four games left. It's not a situation we want to be in.
"The difference is we are not chasing anything, we are not looking to scramble six or seven points to get out of it.
"We have it in our own hands, but we have to do something quickly and get points on the board in our next game. The players are aware of it, but it's a case of making sure we do it.
"Two wins should make it secure, but we can only think about winning the next game.
"I said to the players that we've had it a few times where we have shown the desire and attitude to not be beaten and try to push on and win the game, but unfortunately come away with nothing.
"But I've told them if they do exactly what they did there (against Chelsea) for the last four games, we will have no problems."
