<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/setanta-sports.jpeg" alt="setanta-sports.jpeg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>For soccer fans in the United States, it’s the $179.88 question. That’s the cost* for the next 12 months for hundreds of live football matches on Setanta Sports. But in these tough economic times, should you splash the cash? And, if not, what Premier League matches featuring your favorite club will you miss?
EPL Talk has the answers for you. Here’s our research based on the <a href="http://epltalk.com/fox-soccer-channel-setanta-sports-announce-0809-epl-tv-schedule/2643">TV listings for Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta</a> that have been announced as of press time (now through September 28 for complete listings, and through December 1st for what we know thus far):
 
ARSENAL 
Number of times on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC): 6 
Number of times on Setanta Sports: 4 
If you don’t subscribe to Setanta, you’ll miss the matches against these opponents: West Brom, Blackburn, Spurs and Man United. 
Verdict: No questions about it. Subscribe to Setanta so you don’t miss Arsenal against Spurs, and the Gunners against arch-rivals Man Utd.
ASTON VILLA 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: Man City, Spurs, West Brom, Sunderland and Newcastle. 
Verdict: If you’re a massive Villa fan that needs to see most or all of their matches, subscribe to Setanta. But if you’re only a casual Villain, stick with Fox for Villa against Liverpool and Man United.
BLACKBURN ROVERS 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: West Ham, Arsenal, Fulham, Chelsea and Spurs. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta.
BOLTON WANDERERS 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: Newcastle, Fulham, Man United, West Ham and Liverpool. 
Verdict: Easy. Subscribe to Setanta.
CHELSEA 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 6 
Opponents on Setanta: Portsmouth, Wigan, Spurs, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Blackburn. 
Verdict: No brainer. Subscribe to Setanta.
EVERTON 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 7 
Opponents on Setanta: West Brom, Stoke, Hull, Liverpool, Fulham, Middlesbrough and Wigan. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta for sheer quantity and, most importantly, the Merseyside derby.
HULL CITY 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 2 
Opponents on Setanta: Fulham and Everton. 
Verdict: Pass on Setanta for now unless you’re a die-hard Hull fan.
LIVERPOOL 
FSC: 4 
Setanta: 7 
Opponents on Setanta: Middlesbrough, Man United, Stoke, Everton, Chelsea, Bolton and West Ham. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta.
MANCHESTER CITY 
FSC: 4 
Setanta: 2 
Opponents on Setanta: Man United and Aston Villa. 
Verdict: If you can’t afford to miss the Manchester derby, subscribe to Setanta.
MANCHESTER UNITED 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 4 
Opponents on Setanta: Portsmouth, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta.
MIDDLESBROUGH 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: Liverpool, Stoke, Sunderland, Chelsea and Everton. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta. Boro is a bogey team against Liverpool and Chelsea, so be sure not to miss the spectacle of these surprise results.
NEWCASTLE UNITED 
FSC: 4 
Setanta: 4 
Opponents on Setanta: Bolton, Man City, Sunderland and Aston Villa. 
Verdict: Newcastle is one of the teams where the best matches scheduled on TV, thus far, are on Fox against Man United, Arsenal and others. Unless you’re a die-hard Newcastle fan, pass on Setanta.
PORTSMOUTH 
FSC: 1 
Setanta: 4 
Opponents on Setanta: Chelsea, Man United, Man City and Spurs. 
Verdict: Easy peasy. Subscribe to Setanta.
STOKE CITY 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 4 
Opponents on Setanta: Middlesbrough, Everton, Liverpool and Sunderland. 
Verdict: Die-hard Stoke fans need to subscribe to Setanta.
SUNDERLAND 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: Man City, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Stoke. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta. True Sunderland fans wouldn’t dream of missing the northeast derbies against Newcastle and Middlesbrough.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 
FSC: 4 
Setanta: 5 
Opponents on Setanta: Chelsea, Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Arsenal and Blackburn. 
Verdict: Subscribe to Setanta. Spurs fans can’t afford to miss the derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 
FSC: 2 
Setanta: 4 
Opponents on Setanta: Arsenal, Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa. 
Verdict: Baggies fans need to subscribe to Setanta Sports so they won’t miss the Birmingham derby against Villa.
WEST HAM UNITED 
FSC: 3 
Setanta: 6 
Opponents on Setanta: Wigan, Blackburn, West Brom, Fulham, Bolton and Liverpool. 
Verdict: Die-hard fans who can’t miss West Ham will need to subscribe to Setanta.
WIGAN ATHLETIC 
FSC: 1 
Setanta: 3 
Opponents on Setanta: West Ham, Chelsea and Everton. 
Verdict: The only Wigan match on FSC that has been scheduled thus far is against Man City. Subscribe to Setanta.
This post shows clearly shows how the tides have changed from Fox Soccer Channel’s firm grasp on the Premier League, and how the balance of power has shifted to Setanta Sports. Sure, Fox clings on to its best slot of the week when the biggest match is played (11am ET, Sundays) but Setanta has the first and best choices of the other games reducing Fox Soccer Channel to picking up the scraps.
If you have Fox Soccer Channel but don’t subscribe to Setanta Sports yet, here are your options of how to get Setanta:
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=1100075" target="_blank">DirecTV</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/whats_on_dish/a_la_carte/" target="_blank">DISH Network</a></li>
<li>Verizon FIOS</li>
<li><a href="http://play.www.setanta.servecast.net/setanta/us/default.aspx?aff=1" target="_blank">Setanta Broadband</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.getnextv.com/" target="_blank">NexTV</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.gektv.com/" target="_blank">GekTV</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.connectv.ca/television.aspx" target="_blank">ConnecTV</a></li>
</ol>
So now you can see why you need to subscribe to Setanta Sports. And that’s just for the Premier League coverage. The network also features live coverage of the Champions League, Carling Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Championship League and much more.
* $179.88 is for a month-to-month subscription. You can save by buying an annual subscription for $149.99 to Setanta Broadband.

Why Fox Soccer Channel Viewers Need To Subscribe To Setanta Sports

Why Fox Soccer Channel Viewers Need To Subscribe To Setanta Sports - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/premier-league-logo1.jpg" alt="premier-league-logo1.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>While your Premier League brethren in the United Kingdom have to wait more than two months before they’ll be able to see all 20 clubs playing entire matches on television, viewers in the United States will only have to wait one week thanks to coverage from Setanta Sports and Fox Soccer Channel.
In fact, you’ll be able to see 18 of the 20 teams play during the first weekend of August 16-17. By the following weekend, you’ll have the opportunity to watch the final two teams not shown up until then which will be Stoke and Bolton.
Here’s the complete list of how many times you can expect to see your favorite Premier League club from August 16 through December 1st (note that not all of the <a href="http://epltalk.com/fox-soccer-channel-setanta-sports-announce-0809-epl-tv-schedule/2643">TV schedules have been announced</a> yet, so the numbers will significantly increase in the coming weeks):
<ol>
<li>Liverpool, 11 times on TV, first game August 16</li>
<li>Arsenal, 10 times, August 16</li>
<li>Everton, 10 times, August 16</li>
<li>Tottenham Hotspur, 9 times, August 16</li>
<li>West Ham United, 9 times, August 16</li>
<li>Chelsea, 9 times, August 17</li>
<li>Aston Villa, 8 times, August 16</li>
<li>Blackburn Rovers, 8 times, August 16</li>
<li>Newcastle United, 8 times, August 16</li>
<li>Sunderland, 8 times, August 16</li>
<li>Fulham, 7 times, August 16</li>
<li>Middlesbrough, 7 times, August 16</li>
<li>Bolton Wanderers, 7 times, August 23</li>
<li>West Bromwich Albion, 6 times, August 16</li>
<li>Manchester City, 6 times, August 16</li>
<li>Manchester United, 6 times, August 17</li>
<li>Stoke City, 6 times, August 23</li>
<li>Portsmouth, 5 times, August 17</li>
<li>Wigan Athletic, 4 times, August 16</li>
<li>Hull City, 4 times, August 16</li>
</ol>
What’s interesting is how few times Manchester United will be shown on TV during the first few months of the season. The reason why is because the <a href="http://epltalk.com/fox-soccer-channel-setanta-sports-announce-0809-epl-tv-schedule/2643">TV schedules</a> from Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports haven’t been released for all of the matches after October 4th — and chances are Man United will be featured several more times — so the above list is a little misleading at this time. Plus, one of Man United’s matches early in the season has been postponed because the club will be playing in the Euro Super Cup on August 29th against Zenit St. Petersburg.
While Boro fans in England have to wait more than two months before they see their team on live TV, Middlesbrough fans in the United States will see their team on TV on the opening day of the season. Liverpool, meanwhile, will be shown more than any other club.

How Often Your Favorite Premier League Club Will Be Shown On US TV

How Often Your Favorite Premier League Club Will Be Shown On US TV - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/premier-league-logo1.jpg" alt="premier-league-logo1.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>Sky Sports and Setanta Sports recently unveiled their <a href="http://epltalk.com/20082009-premier-league-tv-schedule-for-uk-residents/2592">TV schedule</a> for the 2008/2009 season. But out of the 53 Premier League matches currently scheduled through 1st December, which clubs will be shown most often on television? And what clubs will you have to wait two months to see on telly?
Some of these findings may surprise you. Here are the top 20 Premier League clubs you’re most likely to see on UK TV.
<ol>
<li>Arsenal, 9 times on TV, first game 16th August</li>
<li>Liverpool, 9 times, 16th August</li>
<li>Chelsea, 9 times, 17th August</li>
<li>Newcastle United, 7 times, 17th August</li>
<li>Tottenham Hotspur, 7 times, 31st August</li>
<li>Manchester United, 6 times, 17th August</li>
<li>Everton, 6 times, 14th September</li>
<li>Manchester City, 5 times, 24th August</li>
<li>West Ham United, 5 times, 24th August</li>
<li>Aston Villa, 5 times, 31st August</li>
<li>West Bromwich Albion, 4 times, 16th August</li>
<li>Sunderland, 4 times, 16th August</li>
<li>Bolton Wanderers, 4 times, 20th September</li>
<li>Blackburn Rovers, 4 times, 4th October</li>
<li>Portsmouth, 3 times, 17th August</li>
<li>Fulham, 3 times, 23rd August</li>
<li>Wigan Athletic, 3 times, 24th August</li>
<li>Stoke City, 3 times, 14th September</li>
<li>Middlesbrough, 3 times, 18th October</li>
<li>Hull City, 2 times, 27th September</li>
</ol>
When Premiership teams are scheduled to be shown on television the same number of times, they’re then prioritized by when the club’s first match is. For example, both Arsenal and Liverpool will be shown 9 times on television, but Arsenal ended in first place because they have the early kick-off on the opening day of the season.
What’s most surprising is that Manchester United will only be on television six times. In comparison, clubs such as Newcastle and Tottenham will be on TV more often.
If you’re a Liverpool or Arsenal fan, you’ll be able to watch your club on TV more than any club. But spare a thought for supporters of Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough — both clubs won’t be seen on television until October.

Which Premier League Clubs You&#039;re Most Likely To See On UK TV

Which Premier League Clubs You&#039;re Most Likely To See On UK TV - World Soccer Talk

Which Premier League Clubs You're Most Likely To See On UK TV

<a name="pd_a_813282"></a>









What club will most likely surprise fans this upcoming season?
<label for="PDI_answer4243281">West Brom</label><label for="PDI_answer4243283">Stoke City</label><label for="PDI_answer4243282">Hull City</label><label for="PDI_answer4243284">None</label>

<a href="PD_vote813282(1);">> View Results</a><a href="http://www.polldaddy.com" target="_blank">PollDaddy.com</a>

Poll: Newly Promoted Clubs To Premier League

Poll: Newly Promoted Clubs To Premier League - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/premier-league-logo1.jpg" alt="premier-league-logo1.jpg" align="right" vspace="15" hspace="15"></figure></div>This is one of those league tables where football fans may not want their club to do that well since it could indicate how greedy a club is. But football today is a business, and when it comes down to the business of making money, commercial departments are extremely vital.
Other than doing sponsorship deals, a chief role of a football club’s commercial department is to generate revenue through merchandise, i.e. football shirts.
So EPL Talk decided to take a closer look at all 20 Premier League clubs to see how well they did in launching their new home and away football shirts, making sure they were available on time and getting them to market as early as possible.
The top 20 commercial departments at Premier League clubs this summer are:
<ol>
<li>Tottenham Hotspur, 20 points</li>
<li>Liverpool, 20</li>
<li>Stoke City, 20</li>
<li>Sunderland, 20</li>
<li>Hull City, 20</li>
<li>Portsmouth, 20</li>
<li>Chelsea, 15</li>
<li>Aston Villa, 15</li>
<li>Manchester City, 15</li>
<li>Arsenal, 15</li>
<li>Middlesbrough, 15</li>
<li>West Ham United, 15</li>
<li>Wigan Athletic, 10</li>
<li>Fulham, 10</li>
<li>Newcastle United, 7.5</li>
<li>Manchester United, 7.5</li>
<li>Everton, 5</li>
<li>Bolton Wanderers, 5</li>
<li>Blackburn Rovers, 5</li>
<li>West Bromwich Albion, 0</li>
</ol>
When clubs had the same number of points, they were then ranked in order of how early the shirts were launched to the public. So, for example, Tottenham <a href="http://epltalk.com/new-tottenham-shirts/1847">unveiled their new home, away and third shirts on May 6</a>, while sixth place Portsmouth (also on the same 20 points as Spurs) only officially unveiled their new home shirt last week. See the rest of the scoring system at the foot of this article.
While Tottenham did an admirable job at launching their new kits in early May, the commercial departments at other clubs haven’t gotten their act together. West Brom has still to officially unveil their new home and away shirts for the upcoming season, which means that the club are missing out on golden opportunities to earn revenue from shirt sales. This is despite the fact that EPL Talk readers saw the <a href="http://epltalk.com/new-0809-west-brom-home-and-away-shirts-leaked/2172">leaked pictures of the new West Brom home and away shirts</a> way back on May 23rd.
Also embarrassing is the fact that Blackburn has still yet to officially unveil their home shirt for the new season, while their new away shirt has been unveiled but <a href="http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~1346594,00.html" target="_blank">isn’t available until July 24th</a>.
Based on the complications that both Blackburn and Everton has experienced with Umbro, I wouldn’t be surprised if both clubs will change to different kit manufacturers twelve months from now. Both the Blackburn away shirt and Everton home shirt have been delayed due to distribution problems by Umbro. Everton’s home shirt was scheduled for release on July 10 but has now been delayed to July 24.
All 20 clubs in the Premier League have changed their away shirts for the 2008/2009 season, but only two of the clubs didn’t change their home kit — Newcastle United and Manchester United.
Scoring system: 
+5 if new home shirt officially unveiled, +5 if new away shirt officially unveiled, +2.5 if home shirt didn’t change, +5 points if new home shirt is available for purchase on or before July 21, +5 points if new away shirt is available for purchase on or before July 21 and +5 points if the club decided to grant the sponsorship of shirt to a charity. Third shirts weren’t calculated in formulas because not all clubs produce third kits.

Top 20 Premier League Clubs Most Likely To Burn A Hole In Your Pocket

Top 20 Premier League Clubs Most Likely To Burn A Hole In Your Pocket - World Soccer Talk

Stoke City has <a href="http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~1321185,00.html" target="_blank">officially</a> unveiled their new away shirt for the 2008/2009 season. Designed by Le Coq Sportif, the new design features a yellow shirt with blue trim. The new shirt will be available from June 19 at the Stoke City club shop and online via its web site.
<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/stoke-city-away.jpg" alt="Stoke City away shirt"></figure></div>
What do you think of the new shirt? Share your thoughts below.

New 08/09 Stoke City Away Shirt Revealed

New 08/09 Stoke City Away Shirt Revealed - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/stoke_city_fc_logo.jpg" alt="stoke_city_fc_logo.jpg" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div>Congratulations to Stoke City on their deserved <a href="http://renaissancemonkey.blogspot.com/2008/05/scaling-highest-heights.html" target="_blank">promotion to the Premier League</a>. It’s the first time The Potters have been promoted to the English Premier League. 
My memories of Stoke City are fuzzy. As a child growing up in South Wales in 1980, I — along with tens of thousands of other impressionable 11-year-olds throughout Great Britain — was addicted to collecting Panini stickers. Stoke City, at the time, was in the First Division, which is akin to today’s Premier League. If you were one of the 22 teams in the First Division, Panini had more pages for each team compared to the lower divisions such as the Second Division, etc.
Stoke City was one of those teams. Thinking back, I remember peeling those Stoke City stickers and carefully placing them in the Panini sticker album. I can’t recall any memorable players from that season, and after doing some research on the Internet, I couldn’t find any notable ones either. Legendary England goalkeeper Peter Shilton had left Stoke for Nottingham Forest years earlier, and star striker Garth Crooks had just left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur.
At the time, it seemed perfectly normal for Stoke to be in the top division in English football. After all, Stoke had been there for 15 of the previous 17 seasons except for a spell in the late 70s when they dropped down to Division 2 for two seasons.
You may remember Stoke’s impressive performance from earlier this year against Newcastle in the third round of the FA Cup. Stoke drew Newcastle 0-0 at a rain soaked Britannia Stadium before succumbing in the replay at St. James’s Park.
Stoke’s journey to the top league in English football is a welcome return. For a club steeped in <a href="http://www.redstripe.com/history.htm" target="_blank">so much history</a>, I’m looking forward to seeing the club perform in the Premier League.

Stoke City, Welcome to the Premier League

Stoke City, Welcome to the Premier League - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/baptiste.jpg" alt="Ricky Baptiste" align="left"></figure></div>Blue Square Conference South club Havant and Waterlooville beat League One leaders Swansea 4-2 to book a dream trip to Anfield in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 26.
Richard Paquette, Jamie Collins and Rocky Baptiste gave the Hampshire side a three-goal lead, before Guillem Bauza pulled a goal back for the League One leaders in the 39th minute. Jason Scotland made it 3-2 – but Tom Jordan’s 65th-minute goal sealed the victory for Havant and Waterlooville.
I absolutely love the story behind Havant and Waterlooville and, in particular, their striker Ricky Baptiste. Baptiste, as well as preparing for his role as a potential giantkiller, is doing the Knowledge in a bid to become a London cabbie. Baptiste explained to The Sun: “To complete the Knowledge you have to know all of London’s streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. It’s very hard work and I go to bed dreaming of London streets. I want to be a cabbie so that when I finish playing football I have something to fall back on. ”
The other upset of the day came from League Two club Hereford United, who set up a fourth round tie at home to Cardiff with a 1-0 victory over League One side Tranmere Rovers. Winger Simon Johnson scored in the 72nd minute to push his club through. Tranmere will feel hard done by as the match reports all say that they dominated most of the game.
Newcastle beat Stoke 4-1 at St James’ Park to set up a fourth-round trip to Arsenal. Newcastle played over an hour with just 10 men as Emre was shown the red card at the half-hour mark for a bad tackle on Stoke’s John Eustace. Micheal Owen, Claudio Cacapa, James Milner and Damien Duff scored for the Magpies before Stoke’s Liam Lawrence notched a consolation goal.
Manchester City will face Sheffield United in the fourth round after beating West Ham with a 73rd-minute goal from Brazilian midfielder Elano. City’s striker problems will continue in the new year as on-loan Mexican Nery Castillo fell awkwardly under a challenge from Lucas Neill and was stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder in the second half of the match.

FA Cup: More Third Round replay shocks

FA Cup: More Third Round replay shocks - World Soccer Talk

After Saturday’s shocks, more David-v-Goliath matchups were on tap for Sunday. We start with Luton Town, who ignored the fact that they are 60 league places below Liverpool and forced a very deserved replay at Anfield. This was one of the games I checked out on Sunday and I felt it was an entertaining 1-1 draw. The football on display was not always the most fluid but there was plenty of hustle and passion from Luton. Both goals came off of defensive errors as John Arne Riise scored an own goal just three minutes after Peter Crouch’s 74th-minute opening goal. It was Chris Perry’s misplaced header that gave Andriy Voronin a breakaway. The Stoke goalkeeper parried the Ukrainian’s shot but the ball fell right at Crouch’s feet and he rolled it into the net.
Drew Talbot was my man of the match in this one. It was his dangerous cross that Riise turned into his own goal and he kept the Liverpool defence on their heels most of the afternoon.
The replay at Anfield on January 15th will bring in £250,000 to the Luton Town coffers as the club fights for its future. The League One outfit are currently in administration and struggling to pay the wages of their staff. They will be forced to sell off their best players should a buyer not be found.
The other game I checked out on Sunday was the Stoke City – Newcastle United tie. Stoke City forced a replay against after holding the struggling Premier League side to a draw. The game lacked quality and only came to life for spells of the second half. There were a couple of close calls either way but the defenders and goalkeepers on both sides were determined to keep the ball out of their net. Stoke will now travel to St James’ Park next Wednesday.
The draw sees more criticism and pressure heaped on Newcastle gaffer Sam Allardyce. Stoke are among the Championship promotion places, but for all their size and energy, they should not have posed such a serious threat to a mid-table Premier League team that aspires to be amongst the “big” clubs. Newcastle face an away fixture to Manchester United and then a replay with Stoke next Wednesday. It’s shaping up to be another pressurized week for Newcastle.
Fulham had to come from behind twice to force a replay with League One strugglers Bristol Rovers. Rovers, near the foot of the League One table, defended resiliently and capitalized on Fulham’s nervous start. Fulham did look better in the second half and could have won the game on a few occasions. I expect they will win the replay but will not be pleased to have an extra match on their plate.
In a less shocking result, Premier League strugglers Derby County were held to a 2-2 draw by Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday side went two up within the first 23 minutes. Mark Beevers’ (linked in the press with a move to Everton) speculative shot was woefully mishandled by Derby keeper Lewis Price as he spilled it into the goal to gift a 1-0 lead to the visitors. 24-year-old striker Marcus Tudgay, sold to Sheffield Wednesday two years ago after five years at Pride Park, drilled home the Championship side’s second as they thrilled the 5,500 fans that had travelled with the team. Tudgay pounced on Darren Moore’s awful attempted header to his own keeper and put Wednesday up 2-0.
Cue the comeback! More poor defending, this time from Wednesday, as Kenny Miller outmaneuvered three defenders to colect a cross into the area and fire low into the corner past another former Derby man, Lee Grant. Giles Barnes drew Derby level with a lovely left-foot volley just before the interval. The second half was unremarkable by comparison to the first. Derby’s finishing was poor and Grant was a solid presence in goal. He made one particularly good stop to keep out a Gary Teale volley. Another former Ram, Deon Burton, had a goal disallowed late on. The replay of this tie will be at Hillsborough next Wednesday.
The only non-shock was Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Burnley. Arsenal largely played their “B” team though recent first-team regulars such as Eduardo, Justin Hoyte and Bacary Sagna featured for the Premier League leaders. Burnley did not roll over and capitulate, giving Arsenal a run for their money with a performance that evoked memories of their shock third-round win over Liverpool in 2005.
Kyle Lafferty’s header hit the bar for the hosts before Eduardo slotted home in the 9th minute. Robbie Blake and Chris McCann both spurned chances in front of goal in the first half. Lafferty’s afternoon came to an abrupt end in the second half. On the hour he was deemed to have made a dangerous challenge on Gilberto and referee Alan Wiley pulled out the red card without hesitation. Wiley’s angle on the play was not great and the replays showed that he got the decision wrong. It may have been beneficial for Wiley to have consulted the assistant on the opposite side for his opinion. In any event, a red was very harsh and did change the face of the game. To their credit, Burnley poured forward with even more purpose and tried to find an equalizer. However, Eduardo was at the heart of the second goal as well, playing a perfectly weighted through ball for Bendtner. He rounded Kiraly and finished the game off as a contest with 15 minutes left on the clock.

Road to Wembley: FA Cup 3rd Round Sunday Recap

Road to Wembley: FA Cup 3rd Round Sunday Recap - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from Stoke City. Find out about all the news related to Stoke City on worldsoccertalk.com

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