• Relations currently strained between Liverpool and United
• John Terry could face Anton Ferdinand if Chelsea meet QPR
Manchester United and Liverpool will hold peace talks over the next few weeks after being paired together in an FA
Tractor Boys applaud opposition striker’s goal; miss of the day contests; historical symmetry; and Wes Brown
MOMENT OF THE DAY
Ipswich fans giving Doncaster’s Billy Sharp a standing ovation after he scored against them, days after the death of his son. Sharp tweeted after the game: “Will never forget that moment today at Portman Road, Ipswich Town fans unbelievable, never seen anything like it. #lumpinthroatmoment.”
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Swansea keeper Michel Vorm defying Liverpool with two Hollywood saves at the death; Arsenal’s Robin van Persie taking his tally to a Manchester-City-chequebook-teasing 29 goals in 28 league games; and David Silva, staying just ahead of Van Persie in the player-of-the-season running with another classy strike.
MISS OF THE DAY
A straight contest between Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres. Liverpool’s £35m Carroll ballooned a point-blank effort against the bar from six yards out in tribute to Ronnie Rosenthal; Chelsea’s £50m Torres pulled off another textbook precision late miss at Blackburn, followed by his trademark look of haunted despair. It’s time for Fernando to invest in a “why always me” T-shirt.
MIRROR IMAGE OF THE DAY
On the day Fergie took over at Manchester United in 1986, the old First Division table was propped up by Newcastle, Chelsea, United and Manchester City. Today, those teams make up the top four. Another fact to mark Fergie’s longevity: the three points against Sunderland meant United have become the first team to pass 900 home points in the Premier League, with 901.
FACT OF THE DAY
After scoring United’s winner for them, Sunderland’s Wes Brown has now scored more Premier League own goals than actual goals.
BEST NEWCOMERS
Match of the Day’s new red-and-blue studio in Salford showcasing Lineker and Lawrenson’s “Movember” charity facial hair; and the Premier League’s new bright yellow winter ball. Shiny.
PLUS: ANSWERED QUESTION
Which of the current managers will still be in the same job in 25 years’ time? Just Steve Kean.
Premier League 2011-12ChampionshipIpswich TownDoncaster RoversSwansea CityLiverpoolRobin van PersieArsenalManchester CityAndy CarrollFernando TorresChelseaBlackburn RoversManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedSunderlandguardian.co.uk
• Cole received yellow card for tackle on United striker
• Sir Alex Ferguson said it was a “shocking challenge”
The FA has confirmed that Ashley Cole would not face further action for his shin-high tackle on Javier Hernández.
Cole was booked for clattering into Hernández as the striker shot wide in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday.
The United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, said Cole went “over the edge” with the tackle and described it as a “shocking challenge”.
Under Fifa rules, Cole cannot be punished retrospectively because the officials took action to deal with the incident at the time. The referee Phil Dowd elected to consult with his assistant before deeming a yellow card to be a sufficient sanction.
It was uncertain how clear a view Dowd himself had of the offence, with the FA yet to receive his report from the game.
Ashley ColeChelseaManchester Unitedguardian.co.uk
