Editor William Geldart and the SportEngage team would like to thank our loyal readers for their support.

It is our sad duty to inform you that The Football Blog will cease publication as of today. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it will no longer be possible to regularly publish and edit the same high-quality and in-depth content that our readers have become accustomed to.

On behalf of myself and former editor, Richard Bourne, we’d like to thank all of our readers and contributors for their continued support throughout the history of the blog. We’ve really enjoyed promoting and facilitating football opinion and discussion, for the fans, by the fans.

From last year’s World Cup, to Champions League finals and various non-league trips, we’ve covered a plethora of news stories from across the footballing pyramid. It has been a pleasure to have been able to deliver our content to a truly global audience and to interact with fans, well-wishers and critics alike.

Even though our weekly Premier League predictions will no longer be published, The Football Blog’s SportGuru Premier League prediction pool will remain active!

We wish all of you reading this message the best for the future.

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Yours Sincerely,

William Geldart

Editor

All four English clubs won their UEFA Champions League games this week. But, is it too premature to assume that their qualification from the group stage is already sealed?

Manchester City made tough work of claiming all three points against Spanish side Villarreal on Tuesday. Likewise, neighbours United also laboured to victory in Romania as they eventually dispatched of Otelul Galati 2-0 in Bucharest, writes William Geldart.

Arsenal’s smash and grab victory against Marseille last night has done little to convince doubters that a possible resurgence may be on the cards, however, the win does give their group stage qualification chances a major boost.

Of the English teams, only Chelsea impressed, albeit against a poor Genk side, thrashing the Belgians 5-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Roberto Mancini’s unbridled delight at seeing Sergio Aguero come off the bench to score a last-gasp winner for Manchester City in their 2-1 win over Villarreal highlighted the importance of the victory.

Following the match, Mancini outlined the importance of the win and its significance in ensuring the Citizens can still challenge for top spot in Group A. According to UEFA.com, the Italian gave this assessment:

“Before the game the win was vital. We deserved it but Villarreal were very dangerous on the counterattack and played extremely well. [Sergio Agüero's late winner] was an important goal because now everything is very open for first place”.

“When you play in the Champions League for the first time you need to improve game after game, and after this one we can do even better”

City had struggled to break down the resolute Spaniards who had taken the lead on four minutes after Cani followed up Giuseppe Rossi’s shot that was parried into the path of the goalscorer by Joe Hart.

Edin Dzeko pressured defender Carlos Marchena who could only turn the Pablo Zabaleta’s cross his own net to hand the home side an equaliser just before half-time.

Then came the late show. James Milner’s clever reverse pass slipped in Zabaleta to once again send in an inviting centre which Aguero capitalised on at the back-post in the third minute of injury time.

For all of the criticism levelled at City, their tactical logic and performance against Bayern Munich, Mancini’s mid-game tinkering had the desired effect. Adam Johnson, much to his displeasure, was hauled off in the 40th minute for Gareth Barry, enabling Yaya Toure to probe further upfield with the former’s protection.

The return fixture at El Madrigal is by no means a game City can bank on collecting points from, as Villarreal demonstrated their discipline and danger in equal measure, with the impressive former Manchester United striker Rossi standing out.

Should they manage to collect maximum points, and Bayern see off Napoli at the Allianz Arena in a fortnight’s time, a showdown for second-spot in Naples next month could be on the horizon. If Mancini’s side can display more of the same improvement and pragmatism, the second-round should await.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad rotation continues to be praised, vindicated and criticised in equal measure. The Manchester United boss decided to make more changes for his side’s trip to face Romanians Otelul Galati.

The 2-0 victory, courtesy of two penalties won and converted by Wayne Rooney, secured the vital points. However, United were nowhere near their impressive form of the start of the campaign and the sending-off of captain Nemanja Vidic for a high tackle on Gabriel Giurgiu creates another selection headache for Ferguson.

The Scot had no qualms with a sending-off that seemed harsh on Vidic, who received a straight red card from German official Felix Brych. Ferguson said after the match:

“I can understand the referee’s interpretation.

“Maybe it’s a bit different in Germany but I thought it was a little harsh. It was certainly a booking.”

He added: “I’ve looked at it and his foot is certainly high.”

United face what should be a routine return game at Old Trafford, before entertaining Benfica in Manchester. By the time they travel to Switzerland to face Basel, the Red Devils’ passage from Group C to the next stage should be assured.

Arsenal stunned Marseille with Aaron Ramsey’s late goal to secure a slender 1-0 win at the Stade Velodrome in an otherwise lacklustre game in Group F.

The victory gives the Gunners the upper hand over their French counterparts, with Wenger’s men now a point above Didier Deschamp’s team, who visit the Emirates on matchday four.

Naturally the Arsenal boss was full of praise for his charges. The north Londoners stepped up their game in the second-half, although it should be noted that the home side showed little inclination to press the issue as the game headed for a stalemate.

The Gunners boss said: “We’re a team that has to continue to grow and have lost only once in six matches. We are slowly getting there.”

The onus is certainly now on Arsenal to clinch the remaining points they need to secure qualification from the group stage and avoid last season’s implosion that ultimately resulted in them having to face Barcelona in the last-16.

The ‘Arseblog’ had these typically candid reflections: “Baby steps they might be but they are, at least, in the right direction. And it gives us a fantastic chance to ensure we qualify from the group. We have two home games, Marseille and Dortmund, before a final group game trip to Olympiacos, and you would have to hope that we’ll have sorted everything out before then.

“I mean, there is every chance we’ll do this the Arsenal way, making it ‘exciting’ right to the end, but fingers crossed we can qualify boringly.”

Chelsea made light work of Belgian champions Genk last night. The away side were missing two key central defenders and it showed as they afforded the Blues all the space they needed to punish them.

A first goal for the club from the impressive Raul Meireles opened the scoring before a Fernando Torres brace put the Londoners out of sight with less than half an hour played. Branislav Ivanovic’s header ensured a 4-0 half-time lead before Salomon Kalou converted a rebound in the second-half to help his side record their biggest ever home victory in the Champions League.

The movement from Andre Villas-Boas’ side was fluid and angular, with 20-year-old Spaniard Oriol Romeu impressing in midfield on his Champions League debut

Torres’ return to goalscoring form was never in doubt, according to Villas-Boas, and the Spaniard had opportunities to at least notch a hat-trick.

The Portuguese coach was quoted in The Guardian as saying: “It’s just important for players to feel confident, and he’s feeling confident in his abilities now. He was always on form. It would have been a long period off had Fernando not played tonight [given his domestic ban], but we are able to choose from the best up front, whether it’s him, Didier [Drogba], Romelu Lukaku or Salomon Kalou.

“The choice fell with Fernando tonight and he responded pretty well. But I was pleased with the whole team’s performance.”

The Blues travel to Genk in two weeks time, hoping for a victory that would surely confirm their progress from Group E, leaving Bayer Leverkusen and Valencia to fight it out for second-place.

What’s did you make of the English sides in Champions League action this week? Did they flatter to deceive against perceived weaker opposition or is it just about getting results? Please leave your comments below!

We’re casting a gaze across to the east today, with guest blogger Roberto Gell previewing the Russian teams’ UEFA Champions League games this week.

There are tough matches ahead for both of the Russian sides on matchday 3, as CSKA take on group leaders Trabzonspor while Zenit travel to Donetsk to face troubled Shakhtar, who will be looking to record their first Champions League win of this campaign after losing at Porto and only notching one point against APOEL.

CSKA Moscow – Trabzonspor

One of the Champions League’s big surprise packages, Trabzonspor, will be seeking to grab another away win in Moscow after doing so in Milan and remain unbeaten in Group B. Depending on other results, Trabzonspor could go 3 points clear of second-placed Inter Milan or leave CSKA 5 points from the Italians with nine to play for. CSKA can’t afford to drop any more points, having only picked up one point from two games, meaning they currently sit at the bottom of the group.

Tuesday’s game will be the first clash between these two clubs in all their history, and the first time Trazbonspor take on a Russian club in European competitions.

CSKA have a results crisis of their own, having not won a game since the 24th September, when they beat Volga 3-1 in the Russian Premier League. Trabzonspor, on the other hand, are flying high, for it is nearly a month now since they lost their last competitive game. Could this match be a turning point?

Shakhtar Donetsk – Zenit

Group G has another surprise leader, APOEL. The Cypriots have taken points from both of these sides, winning their opening game at home against Zenit-their first Champions League victory ever-and managing to get a point out of Donetsk.

Last season’s quarter-finalists Shakhtar will be looking to recover their fantastic home run which allowed them to progress to an advanced stage last season. Zenit look a likely outfit for that, as Spaletti’s side are on a 3 straight-loss run away from home in the Champions League. However, it’ll be anything but a pushover for the Ukrainians, as Zenit showed the world what they’re capable of in their last encounter, defeating Europa League champions Porto 3-1 at the Petrovski Stadion and grabbing their first three vital points on the board.

Shakhtar haven’t lost a game since they came empty-handed out of Estádio do Dragão, back in early September, exactly the same day as Zenit recorded their last defeat at APOEL. Both sides are unbeaten since then in every competition, and are determined to continue that inspiring run to secure a vital three points that would take them a step closer to qualifying for the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League.

‘Welcome to Manchester’-that was the best the fans could do to welcome Carlos Tevez and irritate his former club Manchester United upon his £25 million arrival at the then City Of Manchester Stadium-now Etihad Stadium.

Tevez was part of the £130 million recruitment of new talents that City made when Sheikh Mansour took over. His dazzling performances during his debut season earned him the captain’s armband. And hardly has he failed since his arrival as he bagged 20 Premier League goals to be joint-top scorer alongside neighbors Manchester United’s record signing Dimitar Berbatov and to earn Manchester City their first ever Champions League spot.

Carlos Tevez‘s extended summer break due to his participation at the Copa America made him miss City’s preseason tour but  Edin Dzeko’s form made certain City never missed their talisman. Tevez and Sergio Aguero-who was signed due to Tevez’s persistence to leave Roberto Mancini’s side in the summer- joined the 2011 FA Cup winners from their summer break  before their Premier League season began and for the former West Ham and Manchester United striker to think he had a permanent place in the Italian’s starting line-up was exceedingly delusional.

The extremely vast wealth of Man City saw them make some recruitments in the summer that had restricted  Tevez’s participation for Manchester City this season  and had seen him  used mainly as a substitute. The frustrations of Tevez augmented as he was stripped off his captaincy days after revealing he was the representation of the club  and to look from the sidelines as boss Roberto Mancini turned to Mario Balotelli on the bench for a goal against Everton couldn’t have made life any easier for the Argentine.

Champions League matchday two saw Tevez’s dissatisfaction at Man City erupt in full view of the watching football world after he refused to come on as a sub against German giants Bayern Munchen.

Not that Tevez’s decision was apprehensible, no, it’s an ignominy in football but would this have happened without Sheikh Mansour ‘s megabucks? Carlos Tevez hadn’t started either of Manchester City’s opening two Champions League games because the super rich owner of Man City gave Roberto Mancini the luxury to bench the man whose immense contribution aided in securing the Champions League spot, and paved the way for a glut of new talent to be purchased.

Tevez was bound to be on the sidelines for long even before his incident and now faces a tough huddle to be a City favourite – that’s if he’s kept at the club –after his row with his Italian manager.

If Carlos Tevez, after his enormous contribution last season could be relegated to the bench due to the arrival of new recruits, then Sergio Arguero, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko , Stefan Savic  and Gael Clichy should be vigilant because when the next piece of footballing cake is lured to the Etihad Stadium, they might turn into the next Emmanuel Adebayor-Manchester City’s ambassador to needy clubs.

You can follow Kwame on Twitter @Chicharootov

Of the four English clubs participating in this season’s UEFA Champions League, only Arsenal managed a victory on matchday two. Here’s our review of the action.  

Fans at the Emirates were made to sweat as the Gunners overcame Olympiakos 2-1 last night in their Group F encounter, writes William Geldart.

It looked like Arsenal would put the Greek visitors to the sword as they established a two goal lead after just 20 minutes. However, David Fuster’s goal seven minutes later was a pre-cursor to more nerve-jangling escapes as the home side looked far from secure on their way to collecting a valuable three points. The win puts the Gunners second in the group behind Marseille, their next opponents.

Walcott is dead, all hail The Ox!

The above sub-heading may sound a little dramatic but it does represent a smattering of opinion from early comparisons between Arsenal’s original wunderkind Theo Walcott and the upstart prodigy, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

On his Champions League debut, the latter expertly took Alex Song’s lofted pass on his chest, manoeuvred past the outstretched tangle of legs trying to halt his advances, and precisely struck a low shot across goalkeeper Franco Costanzo to give his team an early lead in yesterday’s match.

Walcott has asked manager Arsene Wenger to play in a more advanced role in the Arsenal team, and reports suggest it might be a wise move for the England international should a battle to get in the team with 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain ensue.

Besides opening his Champions League account, the lightning quick wingman was praised for his distribution and crossing, the latter an area where Walcott is often adjudged to fall short of the required standards. As ‘The Ox’ matures and further improves his game, he might be the one given the nod if it’s a straight choice between the two ex-Southampton players for a starting berth.

Following the victory, Arsenal assistant manager Pat Rice said: “Arsenal supporters are going to see a lot of this boy. He’s got a big, big challenge in trying to get in front of Theo. Theo’s a very strong-willed guy as well and he won’t give in easy. It all bodes well for England, anyway.”

Same old Arsenal, always conceding

A familiar pattern emerged after Olympiakos were gifted their way back into the game with Fuster’s headed effort. The midfielder was not picked up in the penalty-area and subsequently given time and space to reach Ariel Ibagaza’s cross, rousing the vocal Greek support in the process.

Andre Santos may have pleased his manager by scoring the second Arsenal goal however the Brazilian left-back and his teammates left far too much space on the flanks for the away side to exploit.

Vassilis Torossidis cut-in from Olympiakos’ right side and his curling shot left Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny stranded as it smacked the crossbar and went out to safety.

You get the feeling that Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon will be relishing the opportunity to run into wide open spaces when they meet play Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday.

Funtime Frankie is back-for now

Salomon Kalou’s incomprehensible handball three minutes from time allowed Valencia to draw level with Chelsea from the penalty-spot but it was Frank Lampard’s goal for the Blues that grabbed the headlines.

The maligned midfielder swept in from a Florent Malouda cross on 56 minutes to put his side ahead and remind everyone of his worth to the Chelsea cause.

Roberto Soldado’s penalty made it 1-1 to ensure both teams took a point from their Group E match, with Chelsea leading the way with four points from their opening two games.

Following a difficult time sitting on the substitutes’ bench, Lampard hopes his strike against Valencia will go some way to restoring his place in Andre Villas-Boas’ starting XI.

He told BBC Sport: “I want to play.” “I don’t want to just pick my money up and sit on my backside or on the bench.

“I like to play regularly, it helps me keep my momentum and stay fit.”

Despite the foray that saw Lampard in an advanced position to score, there was some evidence to suggest the 33-year-old has accepted a slightly different role in the side.

As age inevitably limits the physical excesses a player can endure, Lampard might have to make more calculated decisions as to when to go forward. A lot of his work last night involved short passes in front of the defence that were neat, tidy and often took the pressure of his team. There’s life in the old dog yet.

United’s youthful zest is both a curse and a blessing

Ashley Young saved Manchester United’s blushes on Tuesday night, equalising in the last minute to salvage a 3-3 draw at home to FC Basel.

It was a typical United comeback although manager Sir Alex Ferguson was left bemoaning his side’s carelessness after they let a 2-0 lead slip.

Two goals in as many minutes from striker Danny Welbeck had the home side cruising in the first-half, before a 16-minute comeback from the Swiss side after the break stunned the Old Trafford crowd.

Fabian and Alexander Frei dragged Basel from the floor and into the lead with the latter scoring a brace that looked like consigning United to their first home defeat in over 17 months.

Granted, three of United’s inexperienced starting backline, including goalkeeper David de Gea, were aged 21 or under but there was still cause for concern. The veteran of the defence, Rio Ferdinand, hardly covered himself in glory throughout the match.

Ferguson noted how open United’s marauding attack were and the effect that this had on the team to perform their defensive duties.

He told reporters: “We’ve not had a settled defence but there was still enough quality in the back four, and with Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra it was very experienced.

“We played too many players forward and by doing that there were so many gaps in midfield to the back four. If we had concentrated on the back four we might not have had the problems we had.”

Until Ferdinand returns to something like his imperious form of old, and defensive partner Nemanja Vidic recovers from his calf injury, questions are likely to remain about United’s backline, especially if they continue to be exposed, whether at home or abroad.

The Red Devils are currently third in Group C, with back-to-back fixtures against Romanian side Otelul Galati to look forward to.

Tevez, Tevez, Tevez

Some are shocked while others are not surprised. The indignation following Carlos Tevez’s apparent refusal to come on as a substitute for Manchester City against Bayern Munich on Tuesday refuses to subside.

We’ve deliberately left this topic until the last segment of our review. It’s a huge story, but as with all major events in a 24 hour news landscape, it’s already suffered from overkill.

It has almost been forgotten that City, on a night where they were hoping to announce themselves as serious European contenders, were swept aside during their 2-0 Group A defeat to Bayern.

Mario Gomez’s quick-fire reactions saw him beat unlucky City goalkeeper Joe Hart twice at the Allianz Arena, as the German international reacted quickest at close range to seal victory.

Roberto Mancini’s side were outclassed, outpassed and outthought by the Bavarians who used all of their European experience to frustrate their uppity visitors.

So, what to do with Tevez? You can’t sack him. You could let him rot in the reserves or he could be loaned out in January. There seems to be no doubt that he will be sold at the earliest possible opportunity.

Any protracted legal battle is not likely to be favourable for Tevez or the club. The striker was once a hero and now a pariah. Carlos Tevez’s links with the new image of his club will forever be remembered. Only history and whatever happens in the near future will decide how kind his Manchester City career obituary will be.

Chelsea and Arsenal will be hoping to conduct their Champions League business this evening in a far more low-key manner than yesterday’s protagonists, writes William Geldart.

Both London sides find the build-up to their group games overshadowed by events in Germany last night, but that won’t distract them from aiming to collect valuable points against Valencia and Olympiakos respectively.

The theatrics of Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez are being debated ad nauseum today after the temperamental Argentine striker appeared to refuse to come on as a substitute in City’s 2-0 Group A defeat to Bayern Munich last night.

Tevez has since denied the aforementioned claim that was made by manager Roberto Mancini immediately after the defeat last night and we’ll be covering the ‘Tevez Affair/Tevez Gate/The Tevez Incident’ in more depth in tomorrow’s Champions League Review.

You wouldn’t see Frank Lampard throwing a strop if he was asked to come off bench, would you?

Chelsea have played third-wheel to the two Manchester clubs so far this season, but manager Andre Villas-Boas won’t matter too much if his side continue their steady progress. Lampard has also found himself relegated to a supporting role, although he is unlikely to resort to any high-profile antics to voice his displeasure.

The Blues have travelled to Spain to play Valencia, aiming to establish a strong foothold in Group E following their 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday one.

Midfielder Juan Mata returns to the club he left in the summer and he has made an impressive start to his Blues career. The Spaniard has admitted that a return to his old stomping ground will be an emotional experience.

He told SkySports: “I was here for a few years and it’s going to be odd for me to go into a different dressing room.

“It will make it special for me. I know about the atmosphere in the Mestalla when Valencia play in the Champions League. I know how special the game is going to be and I’m very happy to be here.

“But I don’t know if it will be hard for me to play against my former team. We will find out what it feels like.”

Compatriot Fernando Torres has the opportunity to build upon the measured progress he has been making in order to return to his best form, following two goals in as many games.

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six visits to Spain in the Champions League since they lost to Real Betis 1-0 in 2005.

Valencia have not beaten English opposition for nine years and while they should not unduly trouble Chelsea, a cauldron-like atmosphere beckons against stiff opposition in what is arguably the Blues’ toughest group fixture.

Meanwhile, Arsenal were disappointed that they could not hold on to claim all three points against Borussia Dortmund in their opening group game. The Gunners looked like they may secure a famous victory in Germany two weeks ago, but Ivan Perisic’s stunning strike late on ensured the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw.

Arsene Wenger’s side will have to make do this evening without a host of first-team players against Greek side Olympiakos.

Theo Walcott, Gervinho and Laurent Koscielny join an injury list that also contains Yossi Benayoun, Johan Djourou, Abou Diaby, Thomas Vermaelen and long-term absentee Jack Wilshere.

Perhaps given his team’s slow start to the season and the potential weakness of his squad for this evening’s game, Wenger has been quick to emphasise how focussed Arsenal are as they prepare for their Group F match.

He told BBC Sport: “I have a lot of respect for Olympiakos. In the Champions League you never win easily. If we have not learned that after 14 years in the competiton we are really stupid.

“We are a train that started late from the station. We cannot afford to drop our consistency.”

With all due respect to Olympiakos, a match at the Emirates against them would usually be seen as a home banker. It is a mark of Arsenal’s regression and their lack of strength in depth that a draw would not come as a surprise.

Manchester City have made the trip to face European giants Bayern Munich tonight, while rivals United host Swiss side FC Basel.

It is fair to say that both of the Manchester clubs’ opponents will pose tests of varying difficulty in their second UEFA Champions League group games of the season, writes William Geldart.

Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to field a team without the potent dual threat of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, but Manchester United should still have enough in their locker to claim all three points against the Swiss champions.

City have a far harder task. Their Champions League credentials were severely tested by Napoli on matchday one at the Etihad Stadium, and they will be further stretched at the Allianz Arena tonight, home to four-time winners Bayern.

Roberto Mancini’s men contested an aggressively attacking match-up with the Italians Napoli on their debut in the competition. The 1-1 result was a welcome one having trailed to Edinson Cavani’s opener midway through the second-half, and City will have to be more disciplined if they are to escape with anything from Munich this evening.

The home side are unbeaten in nine games and boast their own exceptional talents to rival the visitors’ star-studded line-up. Midfielder Franck Ribery has been in dazzling form so far this season and the Bavarians could also welcome back Arjen Robben following injury.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes is mindful of the threat the Sky Blues will pose to his side’s Group A aspirations.

He told BBC Sport: “It is going to be a real challenge for us,” he admitted. “Manchester City are currently on a par with Manchester United, and that says enough really.

“They are a top European team. I am very impressed by them.”

Mancini’s only absentees from his European squad will be the suspended Mario Balotelli and the injured Adam Johnson.

From hiring a fishing trawler for their journey to play Faroese side EB Streymur in a UEFA Cup game, as City fans enter the Arena tonight, they will realise how far their team has come in a short space of time.

Meanwhile, Manchester United look to build on their Group C point earned in a battling 1-1 draw with Benfica in Lisbon two weeks ago.

A growing injury-list will be a cause for concern for Ferguson, as the United boss would ideally like to be well on the way to securing qualification from a relatively easy group before December’s busy programme.

Following the game against Basel tonight, United have back-to-back games against Romanian unknowns Otelul Galati.

“If we win our next three games, we can utilise the squad,” Ferguson said in his pre-match press conference.

As well as the absence of Rooney and Hernandez, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans, Nemanja Vidic, Rafael and Tom Cleverley will also be missing through injury.

One positive for fans at Old Trafford will be the return to action of striker Danny Welbeck, who will be in contention for a place in the starting line-up with Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen.

Basel manager Thorsten Fink has his own problems ahead of his side’s high-profile clash with United. Influential playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri is suspended for the visitors along with Benjamin Huggel, with Valentin Stocker, Gilles Yapi and Genseric Kusunga also out of tonight’s game.

Fink was quoted as saying: “I am glad to be here as a coach, it is not an everyday experience. If you are not careful against a team like Manchester United you end up paying.”

Manchester City’s desire to compete successfully with Europe’s elite sees them visit Bayern tonight, confident in their own abilities to cause an upset. The Germans are certainly taking them seriously and it is likely to be a fascinating match-up.

United will have to make do without a host of first-team players, but they should still be capable of exposing Basel’s weaknesses, even if they aren’t able to produce a vintage display.

Manchester City and neighbours, United, both fought back to salvage a point in their opening UEFA Champions League group games last night.

Which manager will be the happier of the two? United boss Sir Alex Ferguson rested Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea for his side’s Group C trip to Lisbon to face Benfica last night, favouring Anders Lindegaard instead.

The Dane did not disappoint, making a string of saves to ensure his team saw off sporadic onslaughts from the home side. Ferguson confirmed after the match that De Gea would start Sunday’s game against Chelsea.

In midfield, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher returned to midfield and they lacked the creative guile and mobility of Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley and Anderson who they had replaced.

Giggs in particular was struggling to make an impact on proceedings until his fine run to the edge of the area and thunderous left-foot shot into the top corner of the net drew United level three minutes before half-time, following Oscar Cardozo’s ripping effort.

Wingers Antonio Valencia and Nani proved to be the visitor’s best outlets, although Giggs nearly added to his haul in the second-half but was denied by the outstretched boot of Benfica goalkeeper, Artur Moraes.

In many aspects, it was the archetypal away performance. Wayne Rooney was largely isolated up-front as a series of long-balls were pinged in his direction or prodded forward for him to chase. There was plenty of industry from United but little end product, however, they will be happy to have earned a point amidst the feverish atmosphere of the Estadio da Luz.

Rivals Manchester City had to come from behind late on in their Group A encounter with Italian side Napoli.

Edinson Cavani put the away team 1-0 up after 69 minutes, racing through to slot the ball underneath Joe Hart after Samir Nasri had surrendered possession and Christian Maggio had put the Uruguayan through on goal.

Alexander Kolarov’s wicked free-kick six minutes later deceived Napoli goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis and flew over the static wall and into the net.

The Russian’s strike was City’s first goal in the European Cup since Tony Coleman’s effort in the 1968/1969 season against Fenerbache.

Indeed, it was a rude awakening to their first Champions League campaign. Having breezed through their opening four Premier League games, they found it much tougher against a resilient and crafty Napoli side.

Both sides rattled the woodwork and had chances to break the deadlock before Cavani’s opening salvo.

City boss Roberto Mancini will hope that as the competition progresses, his charges develop a collective continental savvy. Before a ball was kicked, they were judged to be fourth favourites to lift the trophy. A point was a satisfactory return yesterday evening, but they have some way to go to justify their elevated status amongst Europe’s elite.

Last night saw the beginning of this season’s UEFA Champions League. Arsenal’s performance in Dortmund was symptomatic of their season so far, writes Andrew McCarten.

Given the recent run of results for Arsene Wenger’s men, a 1-1 draw in their first Champions League match away to German champions Borussia Dortmund represented one of their more creditable performances this season.

While the Gunners showed fight, team spirit, and resolve in abundance, up until Ivan Perisic’s 88th minute wonder strike earned the Bundesliga side a point at their home ground, their failure to close the deal showcases why this Arsenal side cannot consider themselves a genuine Premier League and European contender.

The prolonged transfer sagas of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri demoralised the squad, and even a last day spending spree from manager Arsene Wenger still sees Arsenal with a more threadbare, youthful and inexperienced side than ever under the Frenchman. The Gunners are a team unable to challenge for top honours as they have done in the past.

While undoubtedly of great potential, the simple reality is that the likes of Emmanuel Frimpong, Johan Djorou, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, and recently departed players like Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner wouldn’t feature nearly as much at Old Trafford, the San Siro, or the Bernabeu as they have at the Emirates.

Ferguson and Villas-Boas have the likes of Berbatov and Anelka, or Carrick and Malouda, to call on, not Marouane Chamakh and Francis Coquelin.

Even more worrying is the fact that the side so outplayed by Dortmund, who tallied 23 shots and 57% of possession, is perhaps the strongest one possible for the club in the near future given that Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshere remain injured.

Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta add crucial experience and skill in the midfield, and Per Mertesacker should help to shore up a defence that has been criminal at times in recent years.

Brazilian full-back Andre Santos will also provide competition for the relatively untested Kieran Gibbs at left-back. Wojciech Szczesny has solidified his place as the club’s number one goalkeeper and will surely hold his position between the sticks for an extended period of time, with the Polish stopper showing confidence far beyond his 21-years.

But it seems the hallmark of champions is the ability to grind out results despite a lacklustre performance, as demonstrated by Inter’s heroic defeat of Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals in 2010, or Manchester United’s unlikely comeback win over West Brom in Gary Neville’s last match, all sub-par performances that still yielded a positive result for those mentioned.

Arsenal were finally beginning to look like a side capable of doing the business even on an off day, with Robin van Persie’s strike a potential stepping stone to confidence and belief after a rough start to the campaign, with questions surrounding the team’s ability to finish in the top four and the manager’s grasp of any kind of plot.

But the disappointment of yet another late equaliser to throw away all three points has become a hallmark of the side in recent years, and it seems to suggest that the ‘Golden Generation’ Wenger has promised for so long is simply not up to the task, and are even perhaps stymied by the pressure to deliver trophies.

Arsenal have suffered blow after blow to their collective psyche-the Carling Cup Final heartbreak against Birmingham City, the Barcelona eliminations in the Champions League, the 4-4 Premier League draw with Newcastle, and the most recent thrashing at the hands of Sir Alex’s squad are the main highlights of a horror reel that seems to have put the attitude beyond repair.

When it begins to go bad against Arsenal, it seems anything that can go wrong, will, and the players panic. The new additions will do their part to settle the side, and the youth injection may unearth future leaders in the way Wilshere and Szczesny have been able to contribute significantly immediately.

But Wenger’s reluctance to address key issues in the past few seasons has weakened the squad to the point that the title returning to North London seems an outlandish dream, and even qualifying for, and advancing beyond the Champions League group stages, has looked to be an ominious task.

Progress from the group stages is surely possible, and only four matches into the season it is impossible to say that Arsenal will not have the quality to qualify for the Champions League for another consecutive year. But what once seemed a string of unlucky coincidences has transformed into a clear pattern of failures when it matters most, with no end in sight.

Chelsea prepare for their UEFA Champions League, Group E opener against Bayer Leverkusen tonight, with European football offering an opportunity for renewal.

The German side, Genk and Valencia are the Londoner’s opponents in the group-stage and whilst they will obviously pose a threat, the challenge is not so daunting that the Blues can’t afford to risk blooding some of their younger players.

The game has also been awarded a new sub-plot following Fernando Torres’ comments to the Primera Liga website that are alleged to have pointed out the obvious, that the Chelsea team “play very slowly”.

Pundits and commentators have been saying the same thing at the beginning of the new season, drawing contrasts between the Blues’ plodding and the incisive passing and lightning quick attacking of Premier League rivals, Manchester United and noisy neighbours, City.

Torres claims his comments were mistranslated, although Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is keen to get a copy of the tape recorded interview and examine them himself. It appears that in the Portuguese manager’s mind, Torres has definitely spoken out of turn and espoused an opinion he is not comfortable with.

“I don’t think it’s a perspective that the manager shares. I don’t have to share my players’ ideas sometimes.

“I think we have competence, apart from the ‘age problem’, which for me is not a problem,” Villas-Boas told a press conference.

The camera lens pointed at Fernando Torres as he sunk into his seat on the substitutes’ bench at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and the gaze will be even more intense following the Spaniard’s latest comments, mistranslated or otherwise, regarding his team-mates. Will the £50m man find himself on the sidelines again this evening?

Is age such an issue for the Blues or just the latest media stick to beat them with in light of the scintillating start to the campaign by the two Manchester clubs? Michael Ballack, now 34-years-old, returns to Stamford Bridge with Leverkusen tonight, having spent four relatively successful cup winning years at the club.

The much-decorated former German international has been praised in the build-up to the match by Mirror columnist Martin Lipton, for his influence both on and off the pitch while at Chelsea. Lipton notes his contribution of 25 goals in 168 games as well as numerous assists. Also, “if there was a truth that needed to be said, he (Ballack) said it and he was the glue that helped hold the club together on more than one occasion.”

Perhaps if Ballack was still sauntering around the Kings Road today, he might give Fernando Torres a few home truths about his attitude and barren scoring run.

Alas, all of the talk surrounding the old detracts from the focus on the new. The group-stage draw has been kind to Chelsea and it’s time to blood youngsters Josh McEachran and Oriol Romeu and keep faith with weekend goalscorer, Daniel Sturridge, against the likes of Leverkusen and Genk.

Re-invigorated performances in Europe could help inspire Chelsea in the league, where they are already in danger of being overshadowed by United and City.

Sunday’s match-up between the Blues and Manchester United at Old Trafford will be the perfect opportunity for Chelsea to signal their intent and a youthful tune-up this evening could be the ideal tonic providing all goes to plan.

Torres might have given a sharp assessment of his colleagues but he did have a point. Is AVB going to be the alchemist, capable of enchanting the fountain of youth from whence as a manager he came? Or is he destined to be another fly-by-night incumbent, one more in Abramovich’s growing succession of those in the hot-seat who leave with unfinished business? Over to you, Andre.