December 29, 2010
Lee Bowyer stretches to score Birmingham's late equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Manchester United regain top spot in English Premier League with 1-1 draw at Birmingham
- Neighbors Manchester City temporarily hit top after 4-0 win over Aston Villa
- United unbeaten in 18 games since the start of the league season
- Manager Alex Ferguson angry as Lee Bowyer's late equalizer denies United three points
The draw sees United join City, who have played two games more, on 38 points but with a superior goal difference.
Arsenal occupy third spot, three points adrift, after winning 3-1 at defending champions Chelsea on Monday.
Dimitar Berbatov put United ahead in the second half and victory looked assured until Lee Bowyer cropped up with a late equalizer in the dying moments at St Andrews.
Man City take over at the top after Villa rout
We deserved to win the game, we were the better teamAlex Ferguson
Ryan Giggs almost beat his former United teammate Ben Foster, but the Birmingham goalkeeper was able to touch his shot onto the post.
Berbatov's 15th goal of the season came in the 58th minute after a fine pass from Darron Gibson, and the Bulgarian clipped the outside of the post with a sharp effort shortly afterwards.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish rung the changes and brought on Alexander Hleb and giant Serbian striker Nikola Zigic.
It all looked in vain as United played down the clock, but in a last-gasp attack Roger Johnson crossed, Zigic got a touch with a suspicion of handball and Bowyer applied the finish, with United appealing for offside.
It left United manager Alex Ferguson unhappy after seeing his side concede another late away goal to deny them victory.
"It was handball, there was a foul on the center half -- he went right through the back of him. If the ref can't see that what chance have you got?" he told Sky Sports.
"We deserved to win the game, we were the better team."
The precious point lifted Birmingham out of the bottom three on goal difference in a tight race to avoid relegation from the English top-flight this season.
Dzeko close to City switch
By ESPNsoccernet staff
Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko is closing in on a Bundesliga-record €40 million move to Manchester City, according to reports in Germany on Wednesday.
GettyImagesEdin Dzeko has been a long-time transfer target of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini
But with City looking to consolidate their position in the upper echelons of the Premier League, Roberto Mancini is moving for Dzeko in a bid to boost his side's ability to challenge for the title.
The arrival of Dzeko would likely force the sales of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz, while Mario Balotelli - already struggling to earn a regular first-team place - is unlikely to welcome the Bosnian with open arms.
Mancini has confirmed that he is a fan of Dzeko, with the Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper quoting Mancini saying: "We have the chance to win the league this year and the decisive factor could be Edin Dzeko. This player can decide titles and that is why we want him.''
Wolfsburg's managing director Dieter Hoeness declared last week that his club is preparing to make major changes to the playing personnel after a disappointing first half of the season.
Selling a player of Dzeko's talent may not be his preference, but the player's malaise at the 2009 Bundesliga champions, who currently seem unlikely to provide him with the chance to play in the Champions League next season, may be one of the reasons the team has not been functioning since Steve McClaren took over as coach in the summer.
A fee of 40 million euros, which the Wolfsburger Allgemeine reports would be made up of an initial fee of 30 million euros with five million to follow in the case of City qualifying for the Champions League, while five million euros would go on signing-on and agent fees, would break the Bundesliga's transfer record.
Bayern Munich currently hold that with their 30 million euros outlay on Mario Gomez from Stuttgart in 2009. Diego's sale from Werder Bremen to Juventus last year is the most expensive foreign sale to date at 27 million euros, while he returned to the Bundesliga last summer, joining Wolfsburg for a cut-price fee of 15.5 million.
And the Wolves are set to make a huge profit on a player they signed for just four million from FK Teplice in 2007. He won the Bundesliga golden boot award last season after coming runner-up to his team mate Grafite in Wolfsburg's championship-winning year.
He has already found the back of the net 10 times this season, taking his overall tally to 66 in 111 games for the Wolves.
ENYEAMA TO DECIDE HAPOEL FUTURE IN JUNE
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama could make a decision on his career at Israeli side, Hapoel Tel Aviv, at the end of the season.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper’s contract is expected to run out at the end of this season.
Enyeama, who joined Hapoel Tel Aviv from Bnei Yehuda in 2007, is said to have decided to stay back with the Israeli side in a bid to take part in this season’s Uefa Champions League.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper’s contract is expected to run out at the end of this season.
Enyeama, who joined Hapoel Tel Aviv from Bnei Yehuda in 2007, is said to have decided to stay back with the Israeli side in a bid to take part in this season’s Uefa Champions League.
Before the start of the season, Enyeama was reportedly linked with a move to Barclays English Premier League sides, Arsenal and West Ham United, following his heroic performance for Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.
Enyeama, capped 58 times for Nigeria, opted to remain at Hapoel Tel Aviv in the wake of their qualification for the group stage of Europe’s biggest club football competition.
Enyeama, capped 58 times for Nigeria, opted to remain at Hapoel Tel Aviv in the wake of their qualification for the group stage of Europe’s biggest club football competition.
A close friend of the goalkeeper told SuperSport that Enyeama is yet to make up his mind on his future at Hapoel Tel Aviv.
But the former Caf Champions League winner in 2003 and 2004 will want to concentrate on the ongoing season and thrash out his future at the Israeli club in May 2011.
However, SuperSport.com learned that the former Enyimba goalie is keeping Hapoel Tel Aviv waiting on renewing his contract that runs out at the end of this season.
It is still unclear if the Nigerian number one goalkeeper has any new offer outside Hapoel Tel Aviv after initial approach by Arsenal and West Ham in the summer did not go through.
Enyeama has spent the last five years of his professional career playing in the Israeli league for Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He has been appeared 175 times for both clubs in those five years.
But the former Caf Champions League winner in 2003 and 2004 will want to concentrate on the ongoing season and thrash out his future at the Israeli club in May 2011.
However, SuperSport.com learned that the former Enyimba goalie is keeping Hapoel Tel Aviv waiting on renewing his contract that runs out at the end of this season.
It is still unclear if the Nigerian number one goalkeeper has any new offer outside Hapoel Tel Aviv after initial approach by Arsenal and West Ham in the summer did not go through.
Enyeama has spent the last five years of his professional career playing in the Israeli league for Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He has been appeared 175 times for both clubs in those five years.
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