Avram Grant was reportedly furious that last night’s Premier League clash away to Everton was brought forward two days for the benefit of Sky Sports. While title favourites Manchester United had a full week’s rest following the win over Arsenal, Chelsea were forced to play two games in four days. But we can reveal that the Israeli was secretly delighted as he would have struggled to get back from Merseyside in time for the first night Pesach seder but will now be free to help wife Tzofit in the kitchen of their St. John’s Wood home. Crack open the matzahs.
Foreign secretary David Miliband put a highly undiplomatic boot into overseas players following Arsenal’s Champions League defeat by Liverpool. Letting rip on his blog, he blasted the “dodgy” Swedish referee, accused a Dutch player of falling over “rather too easily” and complained that Swiss defender Phillipe Senderos “left half of North London cursing that he was ever let into the country”. Not very PC David.
Knockout blow… another unhappy Gooner, WBO super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, was punch drunk after watching the Emirates’ club European exit at Anfield. Sitting in the Centenary Stand, a hardcore of 25 Gooners had never felt safer.