Siapa jagoan EPL?

LIGA Perdana Inggeris kini berada di musim ke-20. Dua dekad penuh aksi pemain terhebat, pertelagahan di antara pengurus serta jalan cerita yang mungkin lebih hebat daripada filem Hollywood. Begitupun siapa di kalangan pemain layak dianggap terhebat dalam kancah EPL?

Roy Keane

Roy Keane adalah impian setiap pengurus. Lasak, memberi komitmen penuh dan fokus terhadap kemenangan, pemain Ireland itu menjadi watak penting di sebalik kejayaan Manchester United sepanjang 12 tahun di kelab itu.

Alan Shearer

Jelas sekali penjaring terhebat dalam sejarah Liga Perdana Inggeris, Alan Shearer mempunyai purata lebih daripada satu jaringan setiap perlawanan sepanjang kariernya yang cemerlang.

Jumlah 34 jaringan yang dilakukan pada 1994/95 menjadi kunci utama buat Blackburn Rovers memenangi gelaran itu manakala perpindahannya ke Newcastle United menjadikannya ikon di Tyneside.


Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona mungkin mempunyai penampilan paling sedikit dalam Liga Perdana Inggeris berbanding yang lain dalam senarai ini tetapi men�cetuskan impak
besar sepanjang lima tahun di England. Per�sonaliti menarik yang dimilikinya menyebabkan anda tidak ingin mele�paskan aksinya tidak kiralah siapa yang anda sokong.


Thierry Henry

Tidak ramai yang mampu menyaingi skil dan kehebatan legenda Arsenal, Thierry Henry. Selepas berpindah ke Highbury pada Ogos 1999, pemain Perancis itu segera menjadi antara penyerang paling berbahaya dan mempunyai kelas tersendiri dalam dunia bola sepak.

Penulis bola sepak United Kingdom menamakannya sebagai Pemain Tahunan sebanyak tiga kali.


Cristiano Ronaldo

Penyerang Portugal itu adalah antara penyerang berbisa dalam bola sepak. Tiada pertahanan yang sanggup berdepan Ronaldo di tahap terbaik dengan pelbagai helah menerusi skil dan kepantasannya.

Keupayaan memburu jaringan dan kemampuan mencipta jaringan menjadikan Ronaldo seorang bintang dan pemain utama di sebalik kejayaan Manchester United.


Paul Scholes

‘Paul Scholes. Dia menjaringkan gol!’ Itu jeritan yang sering dila�ungkan peminat tetapi bakatnya lebih daripada itu.

Scholes adalah yang terbaik di kalangan profesional dan pemain profesional seperti Thierry Henry, Xavi, Zinedine Zidane dan bekas pengurus Itali, Marcello Lippi turut memperkatakan mengenai kehebatannya.


Dennis Bergkamp

Pemain berbakat dari Belanda itu menyertai Arsenal pada Jun 1995 dan mencatat namanya dalam sejarah Gunners. Berbekal sentuhan hebat, visi luar biasa dan penyudah berbisa, Bergkamp memberi igauan buat ramai pertahanan Liga Perdana Inggeris. Skil yang dimilikinya turut disertai aksi sukar diduga yang mencetuskan banyak gol yang sukar dilupakan.


Ryan Giggs

Dalam era apa pun, Ryan Giggs boleh dianggap sebagai bakat luar biasa tetapi bertanding di tahap tertinggi buat masa yang lama dalam era bola sepak moden adalah sesuatu yang mengejutkan.

Satu-satunya pemain bola sepak yang beraksi sepanjang 20 musim Liga Perdana Inggeris (menjaringkan gol setiap musim), pemain Wales itu adalah pemain paling menyerlah dalam bola sepak Inggeris dan masih menggalas tugas penting untuk Manchester United, lebih daripada 21 tahun sejak penampilannya sebagai pemain profesional.


Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira adalah nadi kepada gandingan ‘Invincibles’ di Arsenal pada musim 2003/04 dan tidak pernah tewas sebarang perlawanan Liga Perdana Inggeris sepanjang musim.

Lasak, tidak bertimbang rasa dan tidak mudah kepenatan, Vieira menjadi kapten pasukan hebat yang mencatat rekod 49 perlawanan tanpa kalah. Pencapaian luar biasa itu tidak mungkin dicapai tanpa semangat dan keinginan pemain Perancis yang membawa Gunners ke tahap terbaik.


Gianfranco Zola

Bekas pengurus Chelsea, Claudio Ranieri melabelkan Gianfranco Zola sebagai “ahli sihir” dan ia mewakili kehebatan pemain tengah Itali yang mampu mengkucar kacirkan per�tahanan dan memukau penonton dengan kehebatannya.

Dengan bakat yang dimilikinya, Zola menjadi satu satunya pemain yang dipilih sebagai Pemain Bola Sepak Tahunan 1997 tanpa bermain keseluruhan musim Liga Perdana Inggeris dan juga pemain Chelsea pertama memenanginya.

Roman's £247m shopping list: Chelsea to give new manager pick of world's best

Roman Abramovich will present his new manager with a list of potential star signings and tell him to take his pick.

And Chelsea's billionaire Russian owner has pinpointed four key roles - a centre forward, two full backs and an attacking midfielder - as the priorities for a summer spending spree.

Key role: Abramovich wants to buy a new striker despite the resurgence of Fernando Torres in recent weeks

Abramovich has used his scouting staff on a six-month project to build up detailed dossiers so that the next boss at Stamford Bridge can hit the ground running. A fresh bid to sign Tottenham's Luka Modric will be one of the options.

Despite the uncertainty over who will be in the hot seat next season as permanent successor to Andre Villas-Boas, the Chelsea owner has been determined to continue with his strategy to rebuild the Blues squad.

Sportsmail revealed in December how Villas-Boas had instructed the club's scouts to embark on a global mission to identify targets ahead of the summer.

Having a Duff season: Chelsea are in danger of missing out on the Champions League next season

That process has continued and the paperwork on potential transfer fees and wages is waiting for action.

The main man: Abramovich is prepared to splash the cash

Abramovich wants his new boss to have the final say on whom he signs, but knows he can't afford to delay.

Some of the game's most high-profile players have made the club's wanted list.

The Blues are also targeting Atletico Madrid centre forward Radamel Falcao, Napoli midfielder Ezequiel Lavezzi, and Ajax central defender Jan Vertonghen, as Barcelona are keen to sign David Luiz.

Chelsea have already made contact with Porto over their interest in Hulk, and have had initial discussions with Real Madrid over the purchase of Gonzalo Higuain.

But their recruitment plans are likely to be offset by numerous departures. Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda are all out of contract and are set to leave in the summer.

Sportsmail also revealed in February that Daniel Sturridge is considering his future.

Meanwhile, Branislav Ivanovic has risked an additional FA ban after appealing against his violent conduct charge for appearing to punch Shaun Maloney of Wigan.

The Serb already faces a three-match ban, but that could rise to four if the FA decide his appeal is frivolous. It is understood Chelsea admit Ivanovic made contact with Maloney - but contest there was any violent intent from the 28-year-old. The appeal will be heard today.

Drogba gives Chelsea win over Barcelona

Didier Drogba scored late in the first half and Chelsea kept free-scoring Lionel Messi in check to secure a 1-0 win over holders Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Barcelona dominated possession, hit the bar and the post and had what looked like a certain goal cleared off the line at a rain-lashed Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniards had 24 attempts on target compared to one by the hosts but Ivorian Drogba made the most of his sight of goal when he fired low and hard past Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half.

“We created so many chances, I had no idea we were going to do that, but we failed to score against a very good side who were very strong,” Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola told a news conference.

“You have to be a strong side to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge and it was.”

Frank Lampard, who like Drogba, John Terry and Ashley Cole, have all been rejuvenated since Roberto Di Matteo took control of the side from the sacked Andre Villas-Boas in early March, began the move after winning the ball from a hesitant Messi close to halfway.

Lampard’s raking pass found Brazilian Ramires whose low cross from the left eluded the Barca defenders with Drogba pouncing at the far post to score.

Di Matteo was full of praise for Chelsea’s “old guard”, who followed up last weekend’s 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-finals.

“In the past a lot public opinion said that these boys, the old guard, are over the line and too old to play two games; they have played two games in a short period of time, and I think they gave the answer on the pitch tonight.”

However, before and after the goal, Barca were the dominant force with Messi orchestrating most of their attacking moves, but for all his inspired brilliance, he was unable to conjure up a goal either for his team mates or himself. The Argentine forward, who has scored 63 goals for Barca this season, has now failed to score in seven matches against Chelsea.

Although this match was about far more than records and statistics, some telling numbers did emerge after a rainswept night in west London.

The defeat was only Barcelona’s third loss in 63 games this season and they have now failed to beat Chelsea in the last six matches against them and the Londoners are now unbeaten in 14 matches, home and away against Spanish opposition.

Those figures could all have been very different if Barcelona had scored just once from the many chances they created.

Back in London almost 11 months after beating Manchester United at Wembley last May to lift the European Cup, Barca began as if they had no intention of letting Chelsea into the match at all.

Barcelona, bidding to become the first club since AC Milan 22 years ago to lift the European Cup in successive seasons, took a grip of the game almost from the kickoff and went close to taking the lead after 10 minutes when Andres Iniesta’s ball over the top found Alexis Sanchez onside and in space 15 metres from goal.

His well-executed chip beat goalkeeper Petr Cech but Chelsea escaped when the ball bounced back off the bar and was cleared.

Chelsea made their intentions known early on, trying to exploit a perceived weakness in the Barca defence by playing quick balls through the middle to Drogba. He twice ran on to them but was let down by a poor first touch both times.

But that tactic did pay dividends for the goal—just after Barcelona had fluffed another good scoring chance four minutes earlier when Messi went on a jinking run through the Chelsea defence before teeing up Cesc Fabregas with a shot that looked goalbound until Fabregas’ former Arsenal team mate Ashley Cole cleared the ball off the line.

Barcelona played a longer ball game in the second half, but still totally dominated the action with Adriano forcing Cech into a good diving save early in the half.

They almost made all their pressure tell in stoppage time when an angled drive from substitute Pedro hit the base of Cech’s post, and rebounded to Sergio Busquets who blasted it over the bar.

With the tie still evenly balanced ahead of next week’s second leg in Barcelona, Guardiola added: “Obviously we are going to try and score and maybe we will have another 24 chances. But it is difficult against a side that defends as deep as Chelsea do.”