Rooney wins top PFA award
Manchester United striker Rooney has been named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year while Aston Villa midfielder Milner won the Young Player of the Year award.
Rooney’s selection ahead of fellow nominees Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba means Manchester United have supplied the winner of the prestigious award for a fourth successive year.
The 24-year-old has been in sensational form this season, scoring 34 goals for United and eight for England, and is key to the nation’s World Cup hopes.
“It’s a great feeling to win the player of the year award because it’s voted for by the players,” said Rooney.
“It’s something I’m really proud of and it’s a great honour.
“I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year.
“I saw the players winning the main one and it’s something I’ve aimed for since.”
Rooney, who has only just returned from an ankle problem, missed the weekend’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur with a groin injury sustained in training.
The Barclays Premier League’s top scorer with 26 strikes hopes to return for United’s campaign finale against Stoke City next month and promised he will be fit for the World Cup.
“The groin will be fine for the World Cup, there are no worries about that,” he said.
“I’m hoping to play for United in the last game of the season.”
Rooney, the first Englishman to win the award since Steven Gerrard in 2006, paid tribute to the influence United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has had on his career.
“Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United,” he said.
“His hunger passes through to the players. It’s great to see that he’s pushing 70 and hasn’t changed a bit.
“I’m sure he’ll be here for a long time yet.”
Rooney was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but that award went to Milner.
The Villa starlet appears to have played himself into Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad with a string of stellar performances and the 24-year-old midfielder credited a change in position for his success this season.
“I’ve been moved into the middle and that suits me as it helps me influence the game a bit more,” said Milner.
“Maybe sometimes wide right you want to influence the game but you just can’t get yourself into it.”
Leeds United legend and former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe, 41, won the PFA Merit award.
“I’m very proud to get such a great award. Sport can change the world – football has played such a big part in lifting my community,” said Radebe.
The PFA divisional team of the year contains four United players, spearheaded by Rooney.
Arsenal, whose title challenge fell away in the final rounds, supply Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen and there are also two from Chelsea in Drogba and Branislav Ivanovic.
The inclusion of Milner and Richard Dunne means Aston Villa are represented twice as well.
Premier League team of the year: Hart, Ivanovic, Vermaelen, Dunne, Evra, Fabregas, Milner, Fletcher, Valencia, Rooney, Drogba.
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Newcastle promoted and targetting title
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has challenged his players to win the Championship title after celebrating their promotion back to the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United.
The Magpies’ return to the top flight was assured when Nottingham Forest failed to beat Cardiff before kick off at St James’ Park on Monday and Hughton’s team kept the crowd of 48,270 in celebratory mood by coming from behind to win thanks to goals from Peter Lovenkrands and Kevin Nolan.
With promotion comfortably secured just a year after the misery of relegation from the Premier League, Hughton could be forgiven for resting on his laurels for a while as he reflects on a successful start to his reign.
But the former Tottenham assistant manager, who began the season as Newcastle caretaker amid chaos off the pitch, is determined to ensure his side finish the season as champions.
That goal is well within the Magpies’ reach as they are six points ahead of second placed West Bromwich Albion with just five games to play.
“I must admit right at this moment, I am not even thinking about next season. Right at this moment, we have five games left and our aim now is to win the Championship,” Hughton said.
“The fact that we have been at the top for so long this season, it would be a real disappointment if we didn’t win it.
“I have a group of lads there and they know that is the next target, the next target is to win it.”
Promoted with six games to spare, the Magpies were in danger of having their party spoiled by the Blades, who took a 22nd-minute lead through Richard Cresswell’s deft header which took a touch off Darius Henderson on the line.
The home side were far from at their best, but they got their chance to level when Chris Morgan, having already been warned by referee Andy Hall about his wrestling match with Andy Carroll, grappled with the striker once again in the box and saw the official point to the spot.
Lovenkrands duly dispatched the penalty for his 15th goal of the season, but it was left to Nolan to win it 18 minutes from time with an acrobatic finish as he matched the Dane’s tally.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has often been criticised by fans for his chaotic reign, but he was at St James’ Park for the match and visited the dressing room in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle as the party got under way in earnest.
Hughton said: “He was down in the changing room, but it was fairly chaotic down there.
“I managed to speak to him very, very briefly. It was just congratulations. This is what we are all in the game for.
“The moments you see in the changing room today, you don’t see that often and when you are involved in it and you do see it, you have to enjoy it.”
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Newcastle could return to Premier League in 2011 season
Newcastle are on the verge of securing an immediate return to the Premier League after a 2-0 win over promotion rivals Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Shola Ameobi returned from injury to fire Newcastle into the lead, midway through he second half, and Jose Enrique’s first goal for the club, in injury time, sealed a win that makes automatic promotion a virtual formality for the Magpies.
If Newcastle win at Peterborough on Saturday, they will be promoted if third-placed Forest lose at Bristol City. Amoebi, who came on for the injured Andy Carroll, was making his first appearance in seven weeks and he showed what Newcastle have been missing when he received midfielder Kevin Nolan’s pass with his back to goal with 19 minutes left.
The big striker turned and fired a low left-foot shot in off the far post to break the deadlock. Newcastle had further chances to kill off the match but it was not until injury time that Enrique finally struck to seal the crucial win.
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Manchester United in Champions League Quarter final
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Wayne Rooney reached 30 goals for the season as Manchester United marched into the last eight of the Champions League with a clinical 4-0 demolition of AC Milan here on Wednesday.
On a night that saw David Beckham return to where it all started for him, it was the current darling of the Old Trafford faithful who steered United into the quarter-finals by following up his double in the 3-2 first leg victory in Milan with another brace.
A first-half header put Sir Alex Ferguson’s side firmly in control and the the England striker killed the tie in the opening seconds of the second period.
Park Ji-Sung and Darren Fletcher round off a memorable night as United eliminated their opponents for the first time in five attempts since two of European football’s iconic institutions first met, 52 years ago.
The predictions of a fluid encounter were vindicated by an opening ten minutes in which Milan might have established the two-goal lead they required to overturn the deficit from the first leg.
United had the first opportunities, Rooney’s shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area slipping just the wrong sight of the post, Gary Neville’s 25-yarder dipping into the roof of the net just too late and a Nani shot being turned round the post by Christian Abbiati.
But those were definitely in the half-chance category, unlike the openings enjoyed by Ronaldinho, who directed a free header from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick wide, and Klaas Jan Huntelaar.
Having been put beyond the United back four by Ronaldinho’s floated pass, the Dutch striker fluffed his attempt to bring the ball under his control.
Milan’s profligacy was swiftly sanctioned with Rooney giving United a 13th-minute lead with his third headed goal of the tie.
Allowed to advance though the inside right channel in leisurely fashion, Neville had time to tee up a cross which Rooney directed beyond Abbiati’s right-hand having been granted an equally generous amount of space by his marker, Daniele Bonera.
That left Milan needing to score three times and, for the remainder of the first-half that appeared a very remote prospect, the visitors’ only moment of menace coming when Edwin van der Sar needed a second attempt to smother Pirlo’s swerving shot.
Darren Fletcher came closest to extending United’s lead before the break, his drive curling just wide in first-half stoppage time.
The break saw Bonera replaced by Clarence Seedorf as Milan played their final cards, but within a minute of the restart, Rooney had killed the tie.
Having escaped the attentions of Ignazio Abate, Nani curled a delightful pass behind the remodelled Milan back four and Rooney was able to tuck the ball past Abbiati.
Huntelaar spurned another opportunity when he headed Abate’s cross over from four yards out but that was a rare moment of menace from a team that was beginning to show its age.
With the hour mark approaching, Park latched on to a Paul Scholes pass and, at full stretch, directed a low finish across Abbiati and inside the far post.
Beckham’s entry for the last 25 minutes was greeted with the predicted ovation and, while there was little he could do about the outcome, he did offer a reminder of why he was such a favourite with the Old Trafford crowd with a sweetly struck volley that van der Sar had to touch over the bar.
United’s fourth goal came three minutes from the end, Fletcher ghosting in at the back post to head home Rafael’s cross from the right.
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Arsenal trash Porto 5 – 0 in Champions League
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Arsenal swept into the Champions League quarter-finals as Nicklas Bendtner silenced his critics with a hat-trick in a majestic 5-0 win against Porto on Tuesday.
Arsene Wenger’s side had trailed 2-1 from the first leg of this second round tie, but Bendtner overturned that deficit within 25 minutes of the return at the Emirates Stadium to set up a 6-2 aggregate victory.
French midfielder Samir Nasri put Arsenal in total control with a sublime solo effort in the second half and Emmanuel Eboue added a fourth before Bendtner completed his treble from the penalty spot.
It was a sweet moment of vindication for Bendtner after the Denmark striker came in for some stinging criticism for his poor finishing in Saturday’s victory over Burnley.
While Bendtner’s lack of goals had led some fans to call for him to be dropped, Wenger kept faith in the 22-year-old and got his reward as the Dane helped Arsenal keep alive their bid for a Premier League and Champions League double.
Although Porto arrived with a slender advantage, the Portuguese champions had lost their last six matches in London and, even without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, it was Arsenal who dominated from the start.
When Bacary Sagna looped a cross into the Porto penalty area, Andrey Arshavin was left unmarked at the far post and the tiny Russian’s header drew a good save from Helton.
It was a warning that Porto failed to heed as another header from Arshavin started the move that led to Arsenal’s 10th minute opener.
Arshavin was by far the smallest player on the pitch but he was still able to win a header that found Nasri and he slipped a sublime return pass back towards the Russian.
As Arshavin bore down on goal, Nuno Coelho made a despairing tackle which only succeeded in knocking the ball to Bendtner, who slid across to push his shot into the empty net.
A pair of farcical mistakes from Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski had proved decisive in the first leg at the Dragao Stadium, but it was Porto who shot themselves in the foot in the 25th minute.
Fucile had the chance to clear deep in his own half but tried to play his way out of trouble and instead gifted possession to Arshavin with a careless pass.
Arshavin escaped his markers with a clever flick and whipped over a low cross that Bendtner gleefully prodded past Helton for his seventh goal of the season.
Bendtner has never lacked confidence so his belief must have been sky-high by now and he almost completed his hat-trick with a curling strike which Helton pushed away for a corner.
By the time Abou Diaby’s header was saved by Helton, Arsenal were playing with such verve and imagination that the tie looked all but over already.
Nasri’s elegant play in midfield was more than compensating for the absence of Fabregas and the Frenchman forced a sprawling stop from Helton as Arsenal went for the kill.
Arsenal hadn’t overturned a first leg deficit when they played the return at home for over 30 years and they had a scare early in the second half when Nasri had to clear off the line from Cristian Rodriguez’s header.
But that only served to spark the Gunners back into life and Nasri extinguished Porto’s hopes with a breath-taking goal in the 63rd minute.
Taking possession wide on the right edge of the Porto penalty area, he jinked past three Porto defenders with a mesmerising dribble and unleashed a fierce strike that gave Helton no chance.
Arsenal weren’t finished there and, in the 66th minute, Arshavin sent substitute Eboue galloping clear and the defender rounded Helton before slotting home.
There was still time for one more goal as Fucile gave away a penalty with a foul on Eboue in stoppage time and Bendtner stroked in his hat-trick from the spot.
