Torres to the rescue in day of shocks

Rafael Benitez's side held by Brentford, Fernando Torres's late goal kept Chelsea in the FA Cup.

Rafael Benitez’s side are only in the draw for the fifth round thanks to a late equaliser from Fernando Torres away to Brentford. The League One side opened the scoring at Griffin Park, where Chelsea play in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League, through Marcello Trotta, but Oscar equalised in the second half.



Brentford regained the lead from Harry Forrester’s penalty but, with seven minutes remaining, Torres’s curled effort earned a replay at Stamford Bridge at a date yet to be announced. Should they beat Brentford Chelsea will travel to Middlesbrough in the fifth round.



Ross Turnbull played in the Chelsea goal after Petr Cech was withdrawn with an injury. Benitez did not specify who would be in goal to face Reading on Wednesday in the Barclays Premier League.

Brentford 2 Chelsea 2 (High quality highlights)

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Top-selling official EPL player jerseys

Robin van Persie’s popularity at Manchester United since joining from Arsenal in the summer is demonstrated by news that his is the best-selling official Barclays Premier League shirt in North America this season.



Figures released by Sporting ID, which produces the names, numbers and sleeve badges of the Barclays Premier League, show that the United forward, who has scored 11 Premier League goals so far, leads his United strike partner Wayne Rooney, who was found to have had the best-selling shirt in the League’s history. In third is Chelsea striker Fernando Torres.

"North American soccer fans support the Barclays Premier League as fanatically as anywhere else"

Robert Thayne

United States striker Clint Dempsey is the biggest mover, rising to sixth after his move from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur in August. Dempsey is the first US player to make the top 10 in North American sales.

"North American soccer fans continue to support the Barclays Premier League as fanatically as anywhere else, often waking at 4am to catch games on TV," said Sporting iD’s global sales and marketing director Robert Thayne. "Players like Van Persie, Eden Hazard, Clint Dempsey, Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere are top-class players playing for the biggest clubs in the world and their fans in North America are really no different than the ones who live in the UK.

“They are clearly showing their support of these players and their club by personalizing jerseys with official Premier League player names, numbers and sleeve badges.”



Top-selling official Barclays Premier League player jerseys in North America : -



1. Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

2. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

3. Fernando Torres (Chelsea)

4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

5. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

6. Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur)

7. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

8. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)

9. Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United)

10. Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Five reason why team-mates won't pass to Torres

Jason Burt on the lessons that Rafael Benítez will draw from his side's Champions League rout.

1. Apathy has replaced anger

There was a smattering of boos as he emerged from the tunnel but Rafael Benítez was largely ignored by the Chelsea supporters. There were the now obligatory placards and the chants of “One Di Matteo” but there wasn’t the bear-pit atmosphere of his past two home games. Maybe that was because of this flat Champions League occasion. Maybe the anger aimed at Benítez is subsiding. He will desperately hope it’s the latter.



2. David Luiz can be a leader

The Brazilian defender is so often pilloried for his lapses but here he took responsibility. After Eden Hazard’s woeful penalty was saved, and with Fernando Torres dithering, Luiz took the ball and drilled it into the net for Chelsea’s next spot-kick to gain the first goal. He was also a relatively vocal presence on the pitch and helped to drive his lacklustre team forward adding much-needed dynamism.



3. Team-mates are reluctant to pass to Torres

He may have scored twice but there’s a clear sense that the struggling striker has lost the faith of some of those around him. Time and again Juan Mata, Hazard and Ramires thought twice about picking out Torres’s runs and when they did find him the move often broke down. The celebrations for his goals were also muted. It did not add up to any sense of unity.



4. Ivanovic is struggling

He is not alone but, until recently, the Serbian defender had been a model of consistency. There were signs of frailty against West Ham, when he was bullied by Carlton Cole, and last night he was beaten far too often and failed to close down Joshua John for the visitors’ goal.



5. Hazard should dribble more

The Belgian started the season on fire, running with the ball, beating opponents, creating goals but has suffered a dip to his confidence while – rightly – his lack of work off the ball, especially defensively, has been criticised. However, he comes alive when he runs at defences as he showed when creating Torres’s second goal and needs to be encouraged to do more of the same.



Source - Telegraph

Tuesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente has confirmed he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.



- Fernando Torres has insisted that he wants to see out the rest of his contract and is looking to win more trophies at Chelsea.



- Chelsea have once again watched Bayer Leverkusen striker Andre Schurrle in action as they weigh up a January bid for the Germany international, according to Sky Sports.



- Chelsea and Manchester United are on alert as Jose Mourinho is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.



- Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old Brazilian right-back Wallace from Fluminense in the January transfer window.



- Senad Lulic, the Lazio midfielder linked with Chelsea, is on Inter Milan's radar.



- Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who is believed to be a target for Barcelona and Real Madrid, has reiterated that he sees himself playing abroad in the future, stating: "If the time comes and a team that's right comes in for me, then I'll look at it seriously. I'll see what happens. Everybody wants to be playing in the Champions League."



- Manchester City target Stefan Jovetic has no intention of leaving Fiorentina - yet.



- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants to sign Schalke goalscorer Klass-Jan Huntelaar next month and he could be available for a cut-price £6million, according to Dailymail.



- Tottenham have made an enquiry for Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who has also been linked with Liverpool, according to Goal.com.



- Daniel Sturridge's agent has denied the Chelsea striker has demanded £80,000 a week and a guaranteed role up front if he's to join Liverpool.



- Liverpool's hopes of signing Barcelona starlet Cristian Tello have been hit after news emerged that the forward is set to sign a new deal.



- Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has rejected talk of a possible swap between Wesley Sneijder and Paris Saint-Germain star Javier Pastore.



- Arsenal and Chelsea could be forced to ramp up their interest in Paris St. Germain’s Marco Verratti after Juventus emerged as serious contenders to sign him.



- Frank Lampard's hopes of heading out to the US to play in the MLS have been dealt another blow after David Beckham told his former club LA Galaxy to sign Real Madrid midfielder Kaka.



- Brazilian forward Neymar has insisted that he is happy at Santos for the moment and does not want to move to Europe yet.



- Barcelona star Ibrahim Afellay wants to make his loan move to Schalke permanent - dashing the hopes of Arsenal and Liverpool.



- AC Milan have rejected rumours linking Robinho with a move away from the San Siro in January.



- Atletico Madrid are desperate to agree a new contract with Adrian to ward off interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool.



- PSV Eindhoven striker Jeremain Lens, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, has admitted to Elf Voetbal that he is interested in playing in the Premier League.

Campbell: I can 'fix' Torres

Former Olympic sprint champion Darren Campbell has claimed he could solve Fernando Torres' goalscoring problems for Chelsea.

Campbell, who won gold in the 4x100m at the Athens Games eight years ago, believes Torres needed just a fortnight's specialist training to recover most of his lost pace.



Torres briefly worked with Campbell during his first year at Stamford Bridge, prior to the departure of Dr Bryan English as Chelsea's medical director during Andre Villas-Boas' reign.



Interim manager Rafael Benitez suggested on Tuesday that Torres needed to do gym work to regain his explosive power.



And Campbell, a sprint coach in football and rugby union, told the Daily Telegraph: "It's something that is best done in pre-season but I think Fernando just needs two weeks when he hasn't got to worry about playing on the Saturday and just put in a nice two-week training programme that I think would definitely bring the majority of his speed back.



"I'm sure I could fix him. It doesn't have to be a lengthy process because these guys are already extremely fit. That's the great thing about working with footballers and rugby players. You're not having to worry about the base fitness so you just go in and teach the raw speed.



"In the case of Fernando, I think he would also probably need to do a bit of weightlifting as well as the running and the speed drills to put some power back into his muscles. That's why sprinters lift weights, to gain that explosive speed and power."



Meanwhile, Los Angeles Galaxy chief executive Tim Leiweke has admitted he is "honoured" his club have been linked with a move for Frank Lampard.



Lampard has long been touted with a move to Major League Soccer as a big-name replacement for David Beckham, who is quitting Galaxy at the end of their season.



Leiweke told Sky Sports News: "Chelsea is a club we have a great relationship with.



"We've heard of other players mentioned that are playing in Europe and we want to respect their clubs and where they're at."



But he added: "When you mention the likes of Frank Lampard to me, he's one of the class acts of football. I'm a huge fan of him as an individual, a huge fan of him as a captain and a huge fan of him as a player.



"We're honoured that anyone would even speculate that Frank would want to come here, that's a good day."

Benitez insists he can help Torres

Rafael Benitez insists he can help Fernando Torres rediscover his form and win over the Stamford Bridge faithful.



Benitez got a frosty reception from sections of the club's support when he made his first appearance in the dug-out against Manchester City on Sunday.



But he is adamant that he can revive the fortunes of the club and Torres - and get the fans back on side in the process.



"I understand the fans and how they feel," he told Sky Sports News. "I will try to prove I am here for the right reasons and I want to win.



"Imagine if you are a player who is struggling. I would say 'Stay focused, try to do your job, don't get distracted, concentrate on your football'.



"For me it is the same, I want to concentrate on coaching, improve the players and bring the fans back.



"I understand the feeling of the fans because of my time at Liverpool. We had a rivalry which was quite difficult.



"Torres can come back, but how far? I don't know. It depends on the team. Yes he can improve, I am sure he can improve, but it depends on the team to help him.



"I am not under pressure to pick him because Daniel Sturridge is still injured so I don't have many options."

Torres dropped for Eden Hazard against Juventus

Fernando Torres has been dropped by Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo for the crunch Champions League clash with Juventus.

The £50million Spanish striker will be replaced by Eden Hazard as the visitors look for at least a point to keep their European campaign alive.



The idea of having the Chelsea failure on his CV certainly irks the ex-Liverpool striker, but he has privately accepted he must leave west London, with Spain his preferred destination.



Potentially, Torres could return to Atletico Madrid as part of Chelsea's move to sign Radamel Falcao.



Torres' disastrous spell at Stamford Bridge plummeted further on Saturday after putting in another lacklustre display in the 2-1 defeat against West Bromwich.



And Roberto Di Matteo is today giving serious consideration to dropping the club's record signing for the trip to Turin.



Last week, Di Matteo admitted any manager would love to have Falcao in his team as Chelsea step up their interest in the Atletico striker.

Abramovich is ready to concede his £50m gamble on Torres has failed and the Blues owner will make funds available for Di Matteo.



Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in the 26-year-old Falcao, who scored a stunning hat-trick against Chelsea in the European Super Cup.

On Friday, Di Matteo said: 'Falcao is one of the best strikers, probably, in European and world football. His ratio of goals per game is quite impressive not just this season but over the last three years, at Porto and Atletico Madrid. If you ask any manager, he'd have him in his team.



'I know the window's nearing and there'll be a lot of speculation for our club, but whatever we do we'll keep it behind closed doors.'

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Torres: I hated being called 'El Nino'

Fernando Torres has revealed he hated the nickname ‘El Nino’ and always found it insulting that team-mates and supporters could not be bothered to learn his name.

The Chelsea striker, who was prolific in the Barclays Premier League when he first arrived at Liverpool from Atletico Madrid, has revealed nobody wanted to talk to him because they felt threatened.

Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Torres said: ‘It’s not easy to come somewhere new and have to find your place. You might feel someone doesn’t like you or you might need to find new friends, it’s not easy and I don’t like this kind of thing. It’s not easy, so you want to protect the players who are alone.

‘It’s what I learned when I was 16 and arrived in Atletico’s dressing room, nobody wanted to talk to me because they were threatened. They called me “El Nino” because nobody knew my name. I didn’t like it and it shouldn’t be like that, but dressing rooms are very complicated with players coming from different parts of the world and with different roles.

‘I was captain in Atletico at 19, playing in the same team as Demetrio Albertini who won three Champions Leagues and Sergi Barjuan from Barcelona, who had won everything, and they were 32, 33.

‘I was a kid as captain, so I wasn’t the real captain, just a kid learning from them. I wore the armband but they were the leaders and I learned a lot from them.

‘I remember when I first came to Liverpool, Pepe Reina helped with everything and he made it easy for me. When I was Atletico Madrid captain I tried to help everyone. These are the basics in football, you need to create an atmosphere and try to create a group of friends. It’s not easy and it doesn’t always happen but you have to try.’

Chelsea are building something of a Spanish mafia at Stamford Bridge, with Torres joined by Oriol Romeu, Juan Mata and most recently Cesar Azpilicueta.





But Torres insists he is not in charge!

‘No, I am not the father figure! You have all the things you learned in your head that you can use for the good of the team, and that’s what I do here, but I don’t like to be a leader, maybe an example as someone to follow if you like.

‘We are all young still, and friends. I have been playing with Juan in the national team since the Confederations Cup in 2009, and since then we have been friends. I was so happy when he came here, and we have helped Oriol and now Azpi to settle. There are also some staff, I think there are seven of us in total in the dressing room, so it makes it easier for the new guys to have people here helping them.

‘There is no leader who has to talk for the others. Helping each other is a job we should do, it’s not a job Juan has to thank me for.

‘(Mata and I) go out to dinner sometimes or meet up at each other’s homes to watch TV shows we all follow,’ Torres confirms. ‘When you’re in a new city you try to be next to people you know, and then after that you make your own friends but we can all join together too.

‘Football is a team sport and not an individual sport. We win as a team and every individual is better if we are part of the team,’ he stresses. ‘If we win trophies we have the chance to win individual awards because it comes with the team targets.

‘If we win the Champions League, everyone is a better, more recognised player, but if you win an individual award and nothing with your team, it means nothing. You have to win with the team, and for the team.

‘In your life you go through a difficult situation or a very good situation and you have different moods, but you learn things from your experiences.’

Torres: Liverpool still a main part of my life

The Chelsea centre forward reaffirms his fondness for his former club and the city as a whole in the wake of recent developments surrounding the Hillsborough tragedy.

Fernando Torres has lost none of his affection for former club Liverpool, despite his move to Premier League rivals Chelsea meaning that he is no longer the icon that he once was at Anfield.



The striker spoke of his love for the team and city in the wake of recent and ongoing revelations regarding the Hillsborough tragedy and its subsequent cover-up, an ordeal that has greatly affected the city of Liverpool over the past 23 years.



"When I heard about Hillsborough I got excited, as I have known a lot of people who lived that, who cried with that ... somehow, I made it mine," Torres told El Pais.



Speaking about football matters, Torres reiterated his appreciation for the time that he spent at Liverpool, singling out the club's fans and former manager Rafa Benitez for specific praise. The striker also hinted that the "truth" surrounding the circumstances of his departure is still not a matter of public knowledge.



He added: "I owe very much to Liverpool, their fans, Benitez ... Liverpool is a main part of my life. I know I'm not well-considered now but I'm sure that will change in the future.



"Finally, I decided to leave because it was a step in my career. It was not the best way of leaving but it was not the way they sold it. Someday people will know the truth."



Torres' performances since leaving for the Blues have attracted plenty of criticism – the 28-year-old having only managed 18 goals in 79 competitive appearances for the club so far – but the Spaniard also spoke of how he has learnt to pay little attention to his detractors.



"The scars hurt in the beginning," he revealed,"but then you learn you're not alone on this. Social networks show you how people follow and support you. But yes, there is a moment you tend to protect yourself.



"I learnt the critics couldn't hurt me, I just had to know how to take advantage of them. You're the only one who can say: 'You're getting wrong; you have to react'.



"I'm not the same who left Madrid some years ago but I still keep the values I learnt there. I've been lucky as I started very young. One can think he knows everything but you don't."

Torres brace eliminates the Republic

Spain have thrashed Ireland 4-0 to take lead of their group at the Euro 2012. With Hibernian officially out of the tournament, Croatia and Italy could still able to leapfrog the reigning World and European champs in the fight for playoffs.

Spain 4-0 Ireland

The Spaniards effectively had no problems in their game against Ireland in Gdansk. Fernando Torres broke the deadlock already on the 4th minute as Vicente del Bosque’s charges were steadily pushing the tempo.



Their dominance brought them three more goals in the second half. First David Silva doubled the lead, elegantly firing home a hidden shot, then Torres converted a one-on-one attempt, before Cesc Fabregas fixed the final score at 4-0.



Despite the loss, thousands of Irish fans warmly welcomed the team on the stands after the game. Ireland hasn’t qualified to the major European competition since 1988, and just playing in Poland was a big achievement for Robbie Keane, Shay Given and rest of the squad.

Italy 1-1 Croatia

Italy had numerous first-half chances from Mario Balotelli, Claudio Marchisio and Antonio Cassano, but it was Andrea Pirlo who gave Italy the lead with a curving free kick in the 39th minute. The Italian veteran sent the ball over Croatia's wall and just inside the near post. Croat goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa could only get a weak hand on it when the ball was already inside his net.



Instead of capitalizing on their advantage, the Italians preferred to sit back and absorb Croatia's attacks. And they were punished for being overcautious. Mario Mandzukic found himself unmarked in the box and equalized 18 minutes from time.



Having already claimed three goals at the tournament, the Wolfsburg forward joined Russia’s Alan Dzagoev and Germany’s Mario Gomez on top of the best goalscorers list.



In the final round of group matches on Monday, Italy, with two points after two games, face underdogs Ireland, while Croatia take on Spain with both teams having 4 points.



“The squad is alive and we'll fight to the end,” Italy’s head coach Cesare Prandelli pledged.

Torres: Chelsea can defeat Barcelona to night

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres believes the London club's battling qualities can help overcome Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final.



Chelsea hold a 1-0 first leg advantage going into the return tie at the on Tuesday.



"It is clear that Barcelona are a step ahead of all other clubs," Torres told Uefa's website.



"They have reached the last five semi-finals. But this is football: the best team doesn't always win."



Torres has highlighted the influence of Spain team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta for Barcelona and says that Chelsea cannot get drawn into a game in which they are chasing the ball against a side renowned for their passing ability.



"Xavi and Iniesta are players who dictate the rhythm of the game," added Torres. "When you play against them, you need to know that they are guiding the game.

"Many teams who play Barcelona think that you have to steal the ball from them, but I don't think that's possible.



"You have to use different weapons against them. If you want to steal the ball, you won't manage it and you'll get tired, and then create more space for your opponent."



Barcelona have not won a Champions League tie the three times they have trailed from the first leg and Chelsea coach Roberto di Matteo insists his side will be trying to score and not just try to protect their slender lead.



Meanwhile, Chelsea keeper Petr Cech hopes Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir does not add to controversies involving officials which have dogged games between the two sides.



"The referee can be a big part of the game. You could see that in the past," said Cech.



"There were great games between us and Barcelona but there was controversy, which was a shame, overshadowing the great games on the pitch.



"We have an experienced Turkish referee [for the game].



"If you have an experience of refereeing Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in the Turkish league, a game between Chelsea and Barcelona should be fine.



"The referee will have the same professional approach as we had in the first game, which was without controversy."

Di Matteo shows concern for Torres

Chelsea interim boss Roberto Di Matteo admits out-of-touch striker Fernando Torres has a 'psychological problem'.



The Spaniard, who arrived at Stamford Bridge for a record 50 million pounds, has scored just five goals since joining the Blues last January.



Torres did not feature in the 1-0 win over Stoke City at the weekend after a less than impressive outing in Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup replay victory at Birmingham City last Tuesday and is just 23 playing minutes away from a scoreless 24 hours.



Di Matteo admits the 27-year-old’s problems lie in his mental state and insists only the player can resolve the matter.



The Italian told reporters: "He has a psychological problem and only Fernando can unlock it.



"If he needs me, I am always here but it is obvious the change must come from him."



"He must not think about how much he cost the club."



"He must concentrate only on playing and not about scoring, or providing an assist or making a great play every time he touches the ball."



"He should not think about scoring goals, only about playing simple football. The rest will take care of itself."



The coach and former Blues player believes the ex-Liverpool man is still a top striker and just needs to regain some confidence to start performing at the highest level again.



"My approach with Fernando will always be a natural one. Fernando is still a great striker and I am sure he has not forgotten how to score goals."



"He is one of the strongest forwards in the world. He has scored so many goals in recent years and I'm sure he will continue to do so in the future. He will succeed because he is still young."



"He just needs to regain his confidence."



Meanwhile, Di Matteo has torn up the training plans Andre Villas-Boas had laid out for the team’s Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Napoli, according to The Mirror.



The Portuguese manager was sacked just over a week ago, with the Blues' loss to West Brom proving the last straw for owner Roman Abramovich and he removed the former Porto boss after less than nine months in charge at Stamford Bridge.



Chelsea, who have not won any of their last five knockout games at home in European competition and have a 3-1 deficit to overturn on Wednesday, were ordered by Villas-Boas to train in a morning session at their Cobham base before a Champions League fixture.



Going into the game with the Serie A outfit, Di Matteo’s has apparently decided to move the session forward to Tuesday night, clashing with Napoli's pre-match press conference.