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This [the operation] has made me look at things in a different perspective

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This [the operation] has made me look at things in a different perspective.. I want to savour this team because I made it.". Arsenal received a boost for their double challenge yesterday when it was revealed that Ashley Cole's knee injury is not as bad as first feared. Although Cole will miss this weekend's game against Tottenham, the club revealed his injury is judged to be "short-term" and he should be fit for the rest of their league and FA Cup run-in, as well as England's World Cup campaign.Cole was substituted after just 28 minutes of Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Charlton on Monday, which took the Gunners to the top of the table with a game in hand on their two main rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United.There is still one potential cloud on the horizon for the Gunners. Patrick Vieira picked up his ninth yellow card of the season against Charlton, putting him one more caution away from a two-game ban.The Football Association grants an effective amnesty after 14 April but Vieira must escape a booking in the two games before then to prevent any automatic suspension coming into effect two weeks later.Everton's Jesper Blomqvist has put his Goodison career in doubt after showering the bench with a drinks bottle.Blomqvist was fuming with the Everton manager David Moyes for substituting him in the win over Bolton on Monday and he took his anger out on the plastic container as he went to his seat on the bench. Moyes reacted angrily by going to Blomqvist's seat in the back of the dug-out to give him a lecture.Blackburn's Matt Jansen is to delay surgery on a hernia until the season is over in order to help his side's attempts to stave off relegation.The Portsmouth reserve-team manager Neil McNab has left the club by his own request with immediate effect. The former Manchester City midfielder departed less than a week after Harry Redknapp took over as manager in place of the sacked Graham Rix.Leicester City will be playing at the Walkers Bowl next season, after selling the name of their new £35m ground to the local crisps manufacturer.

Walkers have paid £1.5m up front for a 10-year dealThe Watford captain Filippo Galli's season is over. The 38-year-old Italian defender fractured his collarbone in a collision with his team-mate Paul Okon during Monday's 2-1 defeat at Stockport.The West Bromwich manager, Gary Megson, has been named as the First Division manager of the month for March after steering the Baggies to third place, behind Wolves only on goal difference.Billy Dearden has been rewarded for turning round Notts County's fortunes by claiming the prize in the Second Division Luton's Joe Kinnear won the award in the Third Division. The Hatters won all seven of their games in March.Fifa, the sport's world governing body, has confirmed Sepp Blatter and Issa Hayatou as the candidates for the presidency of football's world governing body. Hayatou, the president of the African Football Confederation, is the only person who has come forward to oppose the sitting president, Blatter.. Speaking for the first time since the open-heart surgery which saved his life, the Liverpool manager, G?rd Houllier, said his team was "10 games away from greatness", which would be achieved by winning both the Premiership and the European Cup. "We now have a double vision; to win the title and the Champions' League The players are special, they are my true heroes.

When you take into account the adversity they have had to endure in losing a manager and then taking some criticism, they have bounced back wonderfully."The same might be said of Houllier, who said that of the 6,000 get-well cards and faxes sent to him after his surgery at Broadgreen Hospital, one stuck in his mind: "It was from a fan who wrote: 'You would not allow a player to come back unless he was 100 per-cent fit, and don't you dare not do the same to yourself'. "It is very hard to score against Liverpool's strong defence because of their aerial power," he said. "But we have to play like real men and accept the physical battle. If we do that, we can make the semi-finals."Liverpool (probable, 4-4-2): Dudek; Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise; Smicer, Hamann, Gerrard, Murphy; Heskey, Owen.Bayer Leverkusen (probable, 4-4-2): Butt; Sebescen; Lucio, Ramelow, Placente, Schneider; Ballack, Basturk, Ze Roberto, Neuville, Brdaric.Houllier's relish, page 23. When Alan Shearer struck his 199th Premiership goal inside three minutes at Villa Park last night, Bobby Robson's Newcastle looked to have every chance of taking another major step towards a place in the Champions' League next season. Indeed, Graham Taylor saw his side carve out most of the goal chances, even though the home debut equaliser from the £5m signing Peter Crouch was the only one made to count.The result leaves Newcastle three points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea rather than five, although Robson felt on reflection that such an advantage was satisfactory. "It is a hard place to come for a point so it is a valuable one to gain," he said.

"We have a game in hand on Chelsea and they would be happy to be in our position, so we should be." After their 6-2 thumping of Everton on Good Friday, Newcastle had travelled in such good heart that the absence for a seventh consecutive game of Craig Bellamy did not noticeably damage their confidence, especially after Shearer's predatory instincts had brought them such an early reward.Kieron Dyer, inspirational in the Everton romp, was a key player again. His cross from the right was headed away by Steve Staunton only as far as Laurent Robert, who was unlucky not to score himself with a low left-foot drive from 20 yards that hit Peter Schmeichel's left-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten. Shearer reacted quickest, however, and Newcastle were in front.The setback posed a test for Villa, still with only one win under Taylor, but their response was to play as well as they have since he took charge. George Boateng drew a full length save from Shay Given almost immediately, and Thomas Hitzlsperger twice found the head of Crouch without reward. The 6ft 7in striker then marked his home debut with a splendid equaliser after 22 minutes, stretching in front of Nikos Dabizas to meet Gareth Barry's cross from the left with a controlled, angled header that gave Given no chance.It was Villa who then threatened to add to their tally. Juan Pablo Angel, preferred to the out-of-sorts England World Cup hopeful Darius Vassell, was close to getting on the end of another Barry cross, Boateng and Mark Delaney forced more fine saves from Given and Ian Taylor had a powerful effort deflected for a corner by Dabizas.Newcastle, relieved to reach half-time without going behind, were much more sure-footed in defence during the next phase of play. Even though the home side maintained their dominance of possession, Villa could not achieve the degree of penetration that had been a feature of the first 45 minutes.

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