IT was far from a vintage Manchester United performance but at least winger Nani ensured the contest was memorable for one reason, a contender for the most bizarre excuse of the season.

IN A match billed as the most expensive in Premier League history, featuring players worth a combined value of €575m, it was the investment of Roman Abramovich’s in the futures market that kept Chelsea in the title race and quelled talk that manager Carlo Ancelotti may not have a future at all.

ROBBIE KEANE could only watch from the television studio as his two clubs fought out a goalless draw and must have wondered if he could have proved the difference on a frustrating afternoon for the north London club.

IF Fabio Capello wanted reassurance his decision to reappoint John Terry to the England captaincy was the right one, he was at the right place yesterday afternoon.

BY A conservative estimate, the 50 players who make up the senior squads of Manchester City and Chelsea will split £300 million (€343m) between them this year, an average of £6m (€6.8m) a man.

JAVIER HERNANDEZ has admitted he is being forced to hit the gym in an effort to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League.

JENS LEHMANN hopes some of his ‘Invincibles’ aura can rub off on the current Arsenal squad as they look to finish the season on a high by finally landing the Barclays Premier League title.

ALEX FERGUSON was nodding in approval. It was the 2009 Carling Cup quarter-final against Arsenal and, having started to hear Owen Coyle’s name crop up more and more in football circles, the Manchester United manager finally took up Alastair Campbell’s invitation to go and watch Burnley play.

IN A world where we are constantly being told that everything we know is wrong, it has always been a relief to turn to the reliably comforting certainties of 11 against 11 and highest score wins. But no longer.

CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti has warned his players that only by winning the Champions League outright will they have gained revenge for their 2008 final defeat to Manchester United.

RICHARD Fahey is sending over a strong raiding party to the Curragh tomorrow for the opening day of the Irish Flat season.

THE problems continue to mount for Giovanni Trapattoni ahead of Ireland’s European Championship qualifier against Macedonia tomorrow week.

THE three English clubs remaining in the Champions League will be holding their breath when Gary Lineker makes the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals this morning.

ARSENAL manager Arsène Wenger is confident returning goalkeeper Jens Lehmann can help to get the best out of Manuel Almunia after the former German international officially returned to the club last night.

ALEX FERGUSON could be forced to sit in the stand for Manchester United’s vital league and cup games against Arsenal and Manchester City after receiving an FA five-match ban.

WE like to believe that all champions are the best. But often teams succeed by virtue of not being as bad as everyone else. There is a difference.

MANAGER Roberto Mancini has defended his decision to allow three senior Manchester City stars to leave on loan in January but now bemoans a lack of bodies as a reason for some of his side’s more stuttering performances in recent times, including their 2-0 first-leg defeat to Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League last-16 clash last week that they must try and correct tonight.

WAYNE ROONEY has no problem with Manchester United being accused of lacking fantasy if they end up emulating the 1999 treble winners.