RAFAEL BENITEZ wants goals, goals, goals and an immediate return for his £40million (€59m) summer spending spree.

JERMAIN DEFOE’S already brittle relationship with Martin Jol fractured entirely last night after the embattled Tottenham head coach questioned the striker’s commitment to the club and suggested he would be sold before the transfer window closes next week.

ROY KEANE was in repentant mood yesterday about his past indiscretions as he entered the debate over refereeing standards.

ARJEN ROBBEN spoke of his relief after finally completing his move to Real Madrid yesterday, ending one of the summer’s longest-running transfer sagas.

RAFAEL BENITEZ believes Gabriel Heinze had no alternative but to leave Manchester United and England after the Premier League blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.

TOMASZ KUSZCZAK could find himself in the firing line for Manchester United on Sunday as Alex Ferguson awaits news of a fitness report on Edwin van der Sar.

THE simmering tension between Liverpool and Manchester United over the Gabriel Heinze saga became verbal warfare yesterday as Anfield boss Rafael Benitez launched a staggering attack on the Premier League and the Old Trafford club.

DAVID Healy made sure that Nigel Worthington got off to a winning start as Northern Ireland manager last night.

ARSENE WENGER accused Blackburn Rovers of adopting tactics of “violence” after a stormy game at Ewood Park resulted in Jens Lehmann’s latest blunder costing Arsenal victory.

SUNDERLAND’S Paul McShane and Wolves’ Stephen Elliot have been forced to withdraw from the Irish squad for Wednesday’s friendly international in Denmark.

TWO of the most persistent complaints you hear about English football are that (a) it’s too predictable at the top and (b) the clubs are forced to play too many matches.

ARSENE WENGER feels his Arsenal side are ready to cope with whatever is thrown at them this season as he prepares for a “committed battle” at Blackburn tomorrow.

RAFAEL BENITEZ insists he “does not enjoy” his war of words with Jose Mourinho but the Liverpool boss could not resist responding to his Chelsea counterpart’s jibes ahead of the first major showdown of the season.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own. Every Tuesday, he will be acting as referee on your opinions on the Premiership. Let him know what you think and he’ll argue the toss with you. We’ll be offering a free sports prize to the star contribution each week.

A GOOD sermon stays with a listener forever — but that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Arsenal 2 Blackburn 0

MANCHESTER UNITED’s derby-day skipper Ryan Giggs has admitted his side cannot afford to drop any more Barclays Premier League points.

LIVERPOOL’S frustration at once again failing to score at Stamford Bridge was eased yesterday with news that Fernando Torres could soon be back in action, while Chelsea are taking consolation from good news about their captain John Terry.

WHEN Manchester United were on the wrong end of a 5-1 mauling at the hands of Manchester City at Maine Road in 1989, it prompted Alex Ferguson to scurry to his home and confine himself to his bed for the weekend, so deep was his disappointment at losing to United’s near neighbours.

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has warned the Barclays Premier League would be in danger of becoming a “circus” if the motivation to take the game around the globe was purely driven by money, rather than “innovation”.