EPL: Van Persie gets Arsenal back on track

Chelsea 1 - 2 Arsenal

Robin van Persie put Arsenal back into the Premier League title race with a superb second-half double in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Van Persie struck twice in three minutes after the Blues had taken a first-half lead through a fortuitous Johan Djourou own goal.

But while the Dutch striker's second goal was sheer class, his equaliser was clearly scored from an offside position.

Chelsea remain top on goal difference from Liverpool but the Merseysiders will replace them if they get at least a point from their home clash with West Ham on Monday night.

The victory helped Arsenal to move back into the top four and cut the gap between them and Chelsea to seven points.

There was no hint of an Arsenal revival after a first half which saw them largely outplayed by the league leaders.

Arsenal's season, dogged by dressing-room unrest and five league defeats, looked in danger of imploding completely.

The opening 45 minutes was typically frenetic for a London derby and although Chelsea started brightly, the visitors almost snatched the lead in the 13th minute.

A cross to the far post from Emmanuel Adebayor was expertly controlled by Samir Nasri at the far post.

His drilled shot was only kept out by the outstretched arm of the giant Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal.

But Chelsea weathered Arsenal's early fire and almost opened the scoring themselves in the 23rd minute when a cross from Jose Bosingwa was met by the unmarked Frank Lampard.

The England midfielder sent his header goalwards only for Manuel Almunia to grasp it with both hands.

But Chelsea went ahead in the 29th minute thanks to some comedy football from Arsenal.

Almunia threw the ball straight to Bosingwa and when the Portugal right-back had exchanged passes with Nicolas Anelka, he sent over a dangerous low cross that Djourou could only turn into his own net from six yards.

But the first portent of an Arsenal revival arrived in the 32nd minute when Van Persie forced Cech into another fine save after the Arsenal midfielder had got the better of Branislav Ivanovic and unleashed a low drive towards the bottom corner.

Arsenal could have gone further behind five minutes before the interval but Almunia denied Salomon Kalou after Lampard's audacious headed flick had put him clear.

Chelsea had not conceded a second-half goal all season and so any chance of an Arsenal fightback was deemed remote at best.

The home side should have gone two in front four minutes after the restart but Lampard saw his shot flash just wide of Almunia's left-hand upright.

It was the last Chelsea attempt before Arsenal, against all the odds, turned the game on its head with two goals in three minutes.

The first was a controversial one as Van Persie was clearly yards offside when Denilson found him on the edge of the penalty area.

But with no whistle from referee Mike Dean, the Arsenal midfielder smashed the ball into the net for a 59th-minute equaliser.

Three minutes later the Dutchman put Arsenal in front. There seemed little danger as Van Persie shielded the ball on the edge of the penalty area with his back to Cech's goal.

But a superb shot on the turn sent the ball through the legs of Lampard and beyond the surprised Cech and into the bottom corner to the delight of the Arsenal fans. It was his ninth of the season.

Chelsea were stunned but the introductions of both Florent Malouda and Miroslav Stoch in place of John Obi Mikel and Deco, proved fruitless for Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Chelsea have not won at home now for three games and the flowing football that allowed them to destroy Sunderland 5-0 at the start of the month has deserted them.

Scolari's side ran out of ideas as the game wore on and even when they fashioned a rare chance to get back in the game, it was squandered by poor finishing.

Malouda sent a shot high into the crowd with four minutes remaining when the Frenchman should have at least hit the target.

Arsenal were clearly in no mood to allow Chelsea to get back in the game and despite a spell of injury-time pressure, Wenger's side clung on to defy the critics and keep themselves in the hunt for the title.

Wenger: Tough campaign won't 'break' young stars

Arsene Wenger maintains the experiences of this season, however tough, will not "break'' his young Arsenal squad - and insists they have the quality to become a major force once again.

The Gunners travel to Premier League title rivals Chelsea on Sunday in need of a victory to breathe fresh life into a campaign which threatens to unravel before Christmas.

A string of injuries - with key men such as Tomas Rosicky and now England winger Theo Walcott unavailable - have forced Wenger to turn to teenagers like Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere for cover, while 20-year-old Brazilian Denilson has emerged as the regular partner for new captain Cesc Fabregas at the heart of the midfield.

Having lost five Premier League matches already, Wenger accepts there is now no more margin for error if Arsenal, currently down in fifth place, are to reclaim a championship they last won during the 'Invincibles' campaign of 2003/2004.

However, even if they should endure another season of frustration, the renowned French coach is in no doubt his young Gunners will be all the stronger for it.

"How can you break this squad?'' Wenger declared. "They are a very young team and have 15 or 20 years in front of them. They are already at the top, some at the age of just 19.

"This squad has a fantastic future, despite all of the efforts from outside the club to break them. It will not happen.

"I feel this team can be one of the forces in Europe for many years, but we have to convince people - and that is not to talk too much, just to go out and play well.

"The definite opinion is always the last game. If you win you are a hero, even if the other team hits the bar 10 times. If you lose, and you hit the bar 10 times, you are useless.''

Arsenal head into tomorrow's showdown under the guidance of 21-year-old Fabregas, who was promoted to the job following the unceremonious axing of outspoken William Gallas.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari feels his skipper John Terry was "born a captain''.

Wenger, though, believes it is more about developing the skills necessary to take a team forward.

"For me there is no such thing as a born leader,'' he said.

"I believe leadership is something you learn and grow into when you are given responsibility.

"I have never met someone who was a born leader - but I believe Cesc can develop it.

"He knows about the job, he understands the problems within a team, and he will quickly adapt to the role.''

Wenger added: "As for his age I do not think being a captain is necessarily linked with that.

"Tony Adams was 21 when he became Arsenal captain and don't forget Cesc has already played more than 200 games for us.''

Wenger will come up against one of his former proteges tomorrow in striker Nicolas Anelka, who left Arsenal in 1999 after making a major impact at Highbury as a teenager where he helped them win the Double.

Stints with Real Madrid, Paris St German, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton followed, but with limited success.

However, now back at one of the top sides, Anelka has found his form in front of goal once more and with 12 so far this season is the leading marksman in the Premier League.

Wenger said: "I feel he had a strange career because he had a fantastic start and after he played in some clubs who were mid-table clubs, now he is coming back to the top.

"I am not surprised because he always had the same talent, but that was not always coming to the top.

"No disrespect to Bolton, but it is easier to be a top-level goalscorer when you play in a big team instead of teams who do not create as many chances.''

La Liga: Barca Beat Sevilla

Sevilla FC 0-3 Barcelona

Lionel Messi struck two late goals as Barcelona brushed aside Sevilla 3-0 to move six points clear at the top of the Primera Liga.
Samuel Eto'o gave the Catalans the lead after 20 minutes and Messi sealed the points with a fine solo effort late on.

And the Argentina forward scored again at the death after Sevilla had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Luis Fabiano.

Barca had seen fierce rivals Real Madrid lose 3-1 at Getafe earlier on and sensed a great opportunity to move further clear at the top of the table.

But they were up against a Sevilla side with aspirations of breaking into the top four.

Sevilla genuinely believed they could get a result from this game and matched the Catalans early on.

Luis Fabiano shot over the bar from distance after 10 minutes as the match began to liven up.

Barcelona took a while to find their rhythm, but soon showed why they had won nine league games in a row prior to last weekend's disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Getafe.

Messi shot just wide after 16 minutes as Barcelona signalled their intent.

Four minutes later they went ahead and Messi, inevitably, was involved.

The Argentinian lost possession on the edge of the Sevilla area, but the rebound fell kindly to Eto'o, who clinically smashed the ball past the helpless Andres Palop and into the top right-hand corner.

The goal had an element of fortune, but Eto'o took his chance superbly to set Barca on their way and claim his 14th league strike of the season in only the 13th round of Primera Liga matches.

Sevilla almost hit back four minutes later, but Luis Fabiano dragged his shot just wide.

At the other end, Palop did well to deny Eto'o as Barca threatened to double their lead.

But Sevilla looked the better side in the remainder of the first half and came close through both Enzo Maresca and Frederic Kanoute in the build up to the break.

And the latter really should have equalised when he was presented with a glorious opportunity three minutes before the interval.

Kanoute was left alone in the box as Barca got their offside trap all wrong following a Sevilla free-kick, but the former Spurs striker lifted the ball onto the crossbar with only Valdes to beat.

Barcelona were the better side in the second half and missed several good chances to add to their tally.

Thierry Henry was guilty of squandering several good openings, while Dani Alves was also twice denied by a busy Palop.

But Barcelona went two up after 78 minutes, when Messi headed down a long pass before unleashing an unstoppable left-footed drive past Palop.

It was a moment of brilliance and from then on there was no way back for Sevilla.

Luis Fabiano was sent off for an elbow on Sergio Busquets as the home side fell apart in the last few minutes.

Eto'o and Messi missed good chances in the closing stages, but the Argentinian did add another goal in injury time, when he ran onto Aleksander Hleb's pass, rounded Palop and slotted into the empty net.

Barcelona are now six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, but Villarreal could close to within four points of the Catalans with a win at Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.

Sevilla will stay fifth, whatever happens on Sunday.
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Former Gunner Flamini backing Cesc as captain

Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini believes Cesc Fabregas deserved to be named the Gunners' new captain after William Gallas was relieved of the duty following his comments about his team-mates.

New Milan signing Mathieu Flamini was asked about his old club.
Flamini spent four years at Arsenal before signing for Italian giants AC Milan in the summer on a free transfer, but was back in England on Thursday for Milan's 2-2 Uefa Cup draw at Portsmouth.

Speaking after the game, he backed Arsene Wenger's decision to appoint Fabregas as skipper, telling Sky Sports News: "I am not surprised by the choice. I have talked with him [Fabregas] a bit about it and he is very happy.

"It is great for him, for the club and for the fans. He is a big player in that team. I think he deserves it."

When asked if he understood Gallas' criticism of his team-mates, Flamini said: "It is difficult to say. William Gallas wanted maybe a reaction from his team-mates.

"It is never easy to know what to do. Maybe it will be positive and there will be a reaction from the team."

Of Arsenal's testing start to the season, he added: "Big clubs can have difficult periods. But there is a lot of quality at Arsenal so I am sure they will go forward. The important thing is to keep working hard and I am sure they will be okay. They have some amazing players."

Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsey has voiced his desire to become a permanent fixture in Arsenal's starting XI.

Ramsey has made nine appearances for Arsene Wenger's side this term but faces stiff competition in securing a regular role in the Frenchman's side.

He said in The Sun: "I want to kick on and force my way into the starting XI. I want to play week in, week out, and become an established first-team player at Arsenal. I'm an ambitious person and I've always had high expectations."

Champion's League: Five-star victory for Barca

Sporting Lisbon 2 - 5 Barcelona

Barcelona sealed top spot in Group C of the Champions league courtesy of a night of high farce among the Sporting Lisbon defence.
Barcelona were 3-0 up within 50 minutes courtesy of goals from Thierry Henry, Gerard Pique and Lionel Messi, before Sporting pulled two back in two minutes through Miguel Veloso and Liedson.
Barca responded immediately with a Marco Caneira own goal and once Rui Patricio was sent off for the foul that led to Bojan Krkic's penalty, the Sporting defence had played their part in all five of Barca's goals.
The onslaught began in the eighth minute as Xavi's curling free-kick from 20 yards beat Patricio but struck the top of the crossbar.
Barca took the lead in the 14th minute, when Henry played in Messi down the right.
The Argentina forward shrugged off a weak challenge from Daniel Carrico before pulling back for the France striker, who finished with ease.
A miserable defensive night for Sporting continued three minutes later as they allowed Barca in for an inelegant second.
Xavi's cross from the left struck the back of Eidur Gudjohnsen at the far post and found its way back into the danger zone, where Pique just about got the final touch to turn the ball into the back of the net.
Sporting's Brazilian defender Anderson Polga was equally as responsible as Pique, but the former Manchester United man was credited with the goal.
At the other end Polga found himself unmarked in the Barca box, but the whistle went, somewhat harshly, for offside.
But in the main the first half fizzled out with Barca content to sit on their two-goal lead.
The third came five minutes after the break in controversial circumstances, with Polga again involved.
The Brazilian handled just outside the box and Alves took the free-kick quickly, much to the chagrin of the of the Sporting players, slipping Messi through to score.
The match then see-sawed in a wild 10-minute period which saw four goals and a red card.
Veloso grabbed one back for Sporting in the 65th minute, though he should never have had the opportunity.
Rafael Marquez was adjudged, wrongly, to have handled 20 yards from goal and was booked, while Veloso thundered the set piece into the net.
And the deficit was reduced to one a minute later as Marquez could only flick on a hopeful Sporting long ball and Liedson finished well.
But Barca were restored to a position of comfort a minute later when Caneira, under pressure from Sergio Busquets, lifted the ball over his own keeper and into the net via the bar.
And things got worse for Sporting after 73 minutes as another defensive calamity led to Patricio being sent off.
Leandro Grimi inadvertently nodded the ball into the path of Bojan and Patricio, despite getting a touch on the ball, hauled down the youngster inside the area and duly saw red - Sporting's fifth dismissal in six matches.
Bojan converted the spot-kick, though substitute goalkeeper Tiago got his fingertips to the ball.
It was an ignominious night for Sporting, though they could console themselves with the knowledge they had already secured their place in the knockout stages.

Champion's League: Bendtner late show

Arsenal 1 - 0 Dynamo Kiev

Cesc Fabregas' reign as Arsenal captain began with a 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev at Emirates Stadium tonight which guided his Gunners into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has pledged to take the club "as far as it can go" after being handed the armband to succeed deposed William Gallas, stripped of the role following a public outburst criticising the squad's fighting spirit.
And while tonight's display may not have been vintage Arsenal - victory eventually secured by a late strike from substitute Nicklas Bendtner from a quickly-taken long free-kick by Fabregas - the end result was all which mattered as Arsene Wenger's men go into Sunday's crucial Barclays Premier League showdown against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with renewed belief following one of the most testing spells of the past decade.
Gallas, meanwhile, will have restored some of the burned bridges with an assured display at the back which on another night could well have been capped with a goal.
It was a bright start by the young Gunners, whose bench had an average age of just 19 such were the current injury problems for Wenger with some nine players unavailable.
Mexican Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey combined down the right to set up the attack-minded Welshman for a near-post effort which was turned behind by the goalkeeper.
After 17 minutes, Robin van Persie sent over a teasing free-kick which looked to be dropping for Gallas in the six-yard box, only for Stanislav Bogush to make a timely punch clear.
The Dutch forward continued to press high on the Kiev back line, as did the busy Vela, yet without any real impact in the final third.
At the other end, some good link-up play from the visitors found Olexandr Aliyev in space, and his shot on the turn was held by Manuel Almunia.
Arsenal then created another opening when Vela's low ball across the six-yard box was missed by the defence and fell to Ramsey at the far post, but his snap shot under pressure flew high into the stands.
A slip by Gallas almost proved costly when he let Ismael Bagoura in down the left, but fortunately for the former captain, the Guinea striker's shot struck the upright.
With five minutes to go to half-time, Van Persie sent in another good delivery from a free-kick on the right which Mikael Silvestre poked over the bar in front of the keeper.
In stoppage time, Gallas flicked the ball into the net from a downward header after a corner, but celebrations were cut short by the assistant's flag for offside.
The defender was then in the thick of the action in front of goal again at the start of the second half, this time deflecting a shot from Van Persie clear when any sort of touch the other way would have steered the ball past the keeper.
Kiev, though, continued to look dangerous on the break and Bagoura saw his low shot flash across goal from the edge of the penalty area.
Vela was now the main outlet for Arsenal as the Mexican teenager continued to make progress down the left.
With 21 minutes left, Wenger replaced the hard-working Ramsey as big Danish striker Bendtner, sporting pink boots, was sent on to freshen up the attack.
However, it was the Ukrainians who continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock with a spell of sustained possession.
Wenger again looked to the future when 16-year-old Jack Wilshere was given another taste of first-team action with 14 minutes to go, replacing Vela, to become Arsenal's youngest European debutant.
A stunning reaction save from Almunia kept Arsenal in it when he raced out to block Artem Milevskiy's snap shot at the far post.
Van Persie drilled a low centre across the six-yard box which was just too far ahead of Bendtner.
The Dane, though, arrived on cue with just three minutes left to latch onto a quickly-taken, long free-kick from Fabregas to hold off the defender and fire Arsenal into the last 16 of Europe's elite club competition.
Kiev's frustration was compounded when Aliyev was show a second yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct after appearing to barge into referee Alain Hamer at a free-kick.

Fabregas replaces Gallas as Arsenal skipper

William Gallas will line up with his Arsenal team-mates when they face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, but not as captain.

Wenger has ended Gallas tenure as skipper.
Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the 31-year-old has been permanently replaced as the Gunners skipper by 21-year-old Cesc Fabregas.

The controversial defender was axed from the trip to Manchester City on Saturday, which Arsene Wenger's men lost 3-0 as their Premier League title hopes were dealt another blow, after publicly making critical remarks about the team and questioning their fighting spirit.

However, Wenger - who named goalkeeper Manuel Almunia his captain at Eastlands - maintained former Chelsea defender Gallas, 31, still had a future at the club.

Although the Arsenal manager refused to discuss the reasons behind the player's absence, Wenger confirmed Gallas would be reinstated, but not in a leadership role on Tuesday.

''William will play against Kiev, but the captain of the team will be Fabregas,'' said the Arsenal manager. ''I do not think I have to especially explain why I make the decisions, but it is a permanent thing.''

Wenger felt it had been an ''interesting'' few days for Arsenal, whose season is threatening to unravel.

He said: ''When you do not win, nobody jumps off the roof, but the frustration does kick in. It is a good opportunity now for us to show we have strength and ability - you know how it works, you go from fantastic to a catastrophe, but real life is somewhere in between.''

Wenger insisted: ''So even if we are at the moment frustrated, it is not all doom and gloom. We have a strong belief in our ability and we have a good opportunity to show we care about the club and that we can qualify tomorrow.''

Wenger, though, maintained the future of the club was in safe hands, led by 21-year-old Spain international Fabregas.

The Arsenal manager said: ''I believe the captain is the voice of the club towards the outside, and is one of the leaders of the team.

''However, I do not believe in just one man in the dressing room who sorts out all of the problems. A successful team is a shared leadership inside the dressing room. He (Fabregas) will be one of the leaders, but not the only one.''

Fabregas told Arsenal's official website: "It is a great honour for me to captain one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"It is a proud moment. I know it's a big responsibility but together with my team-mates, I know we have the spirit and commitment to get back to winning ways and fulfil our potential.''

Wenger continues to keep the faith this group can produce the results needed to compete for honours.

He said: ''It is a learning trade, to be a top player in a top club, you need to be mentally very strong and to deal with these types of concentration. We have quite a good way to protect the players here and they know how much we believe in them and how much confidence we have in them.

''My trust in my players has not be affected. I have to stand up for my players in the criticism we get, but we are a strong team and that will come out.

''I am focused to do things well, the right way. I am strong enough to let people have opinions, and do what I feel is right.''

Gallas arrived from Chelsea as part of the deal which took full-back Ashley Cole to Stamford Bridge in August 2006, and Wenger insists he has no regrets about making the outspoken Frenchman Arsenal captain following the departure of Thierry Henry.

''William is a player and a man whom I rate, I have a big respect for him,'' he said.

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Eto'o would welcome Benzema at Barcelona

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o has urged his club to make another addition to their galaxy of attacking talent by signing Lyon and France star Karim Benzema.

Benzema, the French league's leading scorer and stand-out talent, last week spoke of his desire to play for one of Europe's heavyweight teams in the coming years.

And he would be welcomed with open arms at Barca by Eto'o, even though the Spanish giants already have the likes of Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi on their books.

"Barca are the biggest club in the world and the biggest club in the world need the best players in the world," he said. "Benzema is in that category at the moment."

Eto'o, in his interview with French daily L'Equipe, poured cold water on speculation linking him with a move to AC Milan by saying he wanted to stay at Barca until his contract expires in 2010.

The 27-year-old is now flourishing with the Blaugrana after appearing to be on his way out during the summer, when he was given the cold shoulder by new coach Pep Guardiola and placed on the transfer list.

When his time at the Catalan side comes to end, he has set his sights on drawing the curtain on a distinguished career by playing a season in France and having another year at old club Mallorca.

"I dream of one day playing for Marseille, even though I am a Parisian," added Eto'o, who grew up in the French capital and owns an apartment in the city. "France, for me, is like Cameroon. So at the end of my career, when the time comes where my body is telling me to stop, I will perhaps play a last season in France.

"And also a season in Mallorca. I really owe them that."
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Clichy fears inconsistency will cost Gunners

Arsenal full-back Gael Clichy has expressed his fears that the Gunners could again end the season without a trophy after he scored an own goal in the home defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.


After a thrilling win over Manchester United was followed by such a damp squib to leave Arsenal nine points behind leaders Chelsea, Clichy feels Arsenal need to improve his consistency, and called for the right "desire and attitude". "Those are the key words in football today, being consistent and working hard as a team," said the France defender on Arsenal TV Online.

"It was a great performance against Manchester United and if we do that every week we'll be fine. But we did the opposite (against Villa) and we cannot work like this.

"There is time and there's a way to go. There is time to catch and for other teams to drop points but if we play like we did (against Villa), after a few months the season will be finished."

Clichy added: "We realised the win against Manchester United counted for nothing. We have to give them (Villa) credit, look at ourselves and ask the right questions.

"We have to work like we did against Manchester United. If we play with that desire, the quality will make the difference.

"Of course, we have to be positive. The game against Manchester United was the perfect example of a team display and desire. We have to play with the right desire and attitude."

Fuel price down by 15 sen

The new retail price of RON97 unleaded petrol is RM2 per litre, RON92 will be at RM1.90 and the price of diesel is RM1.90. The new price will be effective tomorrow.

La Liga: Messi and Keita stretch Barca lead

Barcelona 2-0 Recreativo Huelva

Barcelona opened a three-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga on Sunday after goals from Lionel Messi and Seydou Keita gave them a 2-0 win at struggling Recreativo Huelva.


Spain midfielder Xavi fooled the Recreativo defence by playing a short ball to Messi from a freekick and the Argentine smashed the ball into the roof of the net for his seventh league goal of the season.

Thierry Henry shot against the bar and a post before Keita sealed the win near the end with a simple tap-in from Samuel Eto'o's mishit shot.

Premier League: Villa rock Gunners

Arsenal 0 - 2 Aston Villa

Arsenal suffered a major setback in their Premier League title challenge as Gabriel Agbonlahor earned a 2-0 victory for Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.

Ashley Young had a first-half penalty saved by Manuel Almunia but then helped set up the opener when he crossed for Agbonlahor, who celebrated despite Gael Clichy appearing to get the final touch.

Agbonlahor then added the second 10 minutes from time when Villa broke, with Arsenal cancelling out the good work of last week when they beat Manchester United.

Since that victory Arsenal fans were given a glimpse of the future when Wenger fielded his youngsters in the Carling Cup, and the stars of tomorrow may be breathing down the necks of the current team following the type of defeat which has undermined Arsenal's recent title challenges.

Villa were played off the park by Chelsea during their last trip to London but there was no repeat and they should have gone into the interval ahead, regardless of Young's miss from the spot.

Arsenal's passing was sloppy and their attack lacked an edge while they had Nicklas Bendtner up front on his own, with Emmanuel Adebayor only on the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.

Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey were among the substitutes but there was no room for the precocious talent of Jack Wilshere. His time may be coming sooner than expected.

Wenger used his programme notes to highlight the speed of Agbonlahor and Young and they caused the hosts all sorts of problems, with a warning sign coming in the opening minute when Young fired straight at Almunia.

Brad Friedel fumbled a straightforward shot from Cesc Fabregas, with Curtis Davies required to hack the ball clear as William Gallas lurked, but apart from that it was Villa dictating play.

Young missed his penalty in the 20th minute after earning the spot-kick himself.

Mikael Silvestre had cleared only as far as Young after a deep cross caused chaos, with Theo Walcott sliding in when the Villa winger surged back in the box.

Almunia went the right way with the weak penalty but it still required a brave tackle from Gallas as Young chased the rebound.

Young may not have even been taking the penalty had Gareth Barry not been injured in the build-up, with Fabregas getting a yellow card for clattering into the England midfielder.

Villa were still taking the game to the hosts and former Arsenal trainee Steve Sidwell volleyed straight at Almunia.

Young almost atoned for his penalty miss with a drive that went just wide of Almunia's post, and he had another effort that went straight at the Arsenal goalkeeper after a mazy run.

Almunia was made to work harder when Agbonlahor pulled the ball back for Barry, the Spaniard down sharply as Villa threatened again.

Arsenal were struggling for fluency so Wenger made his move just after the hour mark, with Adebayor coming on to replace Abou Diaby.

Now playing a 4-4-2 formation, Arsenal appeared more threatening, although Wenger still looked frustrated on the touchline. Vela was the next to come on, replacing Bendtner, but it was Villa who took the lead.

Sagna was injured during the build up after falling awkwardly, with Villa raiding forward. Young crossed for Agbonlahor and the ball glanced past Almunia into his far corner as Clichy challenged.

Agbonlahor claimed it and there was no argument about the second when he chased a long ball, held off Gallas and fired home.

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Carling Cup: Young Guns claim Prem scalp

Arsenal 3 - 0 Wigan

Arsenal's youngsters sent Premier League rivals Wigan crashing out of the Carling Cup with another scintillating display after a 3-0 stroll at the Emirates Stadium.

The average age of Arsenal's starting line-up was just 19 but they tore woeful Wigan apart with the same kind of exciting football that despatched Sheffield United 6-0 in the previous round.

Two goals from Jay Simpson capped his first start for the club and a third from Mexican star Carlos Vela put Arsene Wenger's side into the fifth round in some style.

The attacking potency of Wenger's youngsters had been evident as early as the 12th minute when Vela burst through the Wigan defence.

He attempted to round Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal but the keeper managed to get a hand to the ball and divert it to safety.

But Wigan's inability to clear their lines only served up another chance for the Gunners and this time Simpson rattled the crossbar with a ferocious effort.

Arsenal were now beginning to pick holes in the Wigan defence at will and when Vela set-up Kieran Gibbs in the 17th minute, it required another stunning save from Kirkland to keep the scores level.

But Wigan hit back and Arsenal had Lucasz Fabianski to thank for denying Daniel de Ridder with a fine save.

Vela was causing all kinds of problems for the visiting defence and in the 20th minute he won a free-kick when Titus Bramble sent him tumbling 25 yards out.

Wigan almost paid a costly price for the foul as Aaron Ramsey's free-kick was only just kept out by a superb one-handed stop from Kirkland.

Seconds later Kirkland repeated the feat to keep out a long-range Vela effort that was destined for the top corner.

The impressive striker had attempted to curl the ball into the corner but Kirkland somehow managed to get his fingertips to it.

Arsenal were controlling the game and their refreshing attack-minded display was a joy to watch.

However, Wigan still had their moments and Amr Zaki was again unable to direct his header on target when De Ridder had managed to engineer some space on the right flank to send over a dangerous cross.

But Arsenal continue to pile forward and Maynor Figueroa had to time his tackle well to prevent Simpson from moving in on goal in the 35th minute.

A corner by Jack Wilshere moments later presented Johan Djourou with a chance to open the scoring but the ball would just not come down quick enough for the defender to get his shot away and Wigan cleared the danger.

In the 39th minute Arsenal's Fran Merida cut in from the left wing and sent a low drive heading towards goal only for the ball to take a deflection and spin just wide.

Arsenal's Mark Randall was penalised for a foul on De Ridder in the 41st minute but Fabianski dealt comfortably with the subsequent free-kick.

But Kirkland's heroics counted for nothing when he was finally beaten a minute later.

It was a typically clever Arsenal move as Simpson latched on to a superb through-ball from Wilshere and poked the ball beyond the keeper despite a late lunge from Mario Melchiot.

Wigan began the second half far brighter and Zaki should have done better from the edge of the penalty area in the 51st minute but his shot was dealt with easily by Fabianski.

But Arsenal responded quickly with Simpson heading a cross from Merida just over the crossbar.

In the 57th minute Merida forced Kirkland into another fine save with a low 20-yard drive that swerved all the way.

A minute later Wigan boss Steve Bruce replaced midfielder Jason Koumas with striker Henri Camara.

In the 62nd minute Arsenal almost went 2-0 up when a wonderful piece of skill from Ramsey set up Gibbs who sped into the penalty area and unleashed an angled drive that Kirkland saved with his feet.

Mexican Vela also went close a minute later when his drive rose just too high to trouble Kirkland.

But in the 67th minute, a stunning counter attack brought Arsenal their second.

Vela ran the length of the Wigan half, leaving Emmerson Boyce trailing in his wake, before crossing for Simpson to apply a simple finish.

The Mexican made it three for Arsenal in the 70th minute when he produced a superb chip over Kirkland from 18 yards to finish another wonderful night for the young Gunners.

Wigan's night was made more miserable two minutes from time when they were robbed of a consolation goal by a fantastic double save from Fabianski.

Cahaya SPK: Year End Bonanza

Fancy a brand new Toyota Camry? Or an adventerous trip to the Gold Coast Australia, Korea, or Hong Kong? Then join in the fun and put yourself in the running to stand a chance to win these exciting prizes when you purchase a new home in Precinct 2B, The Park Superlinks @ Cahaya SPK.

Read a brief pictorial review of the latest 2B show house in the forum to view the spacious 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom superlink nestled within 78 acres of lush primary forests, water canals, and gentle rolling hills in the 500 acre development of Cahaya SPK in Shah Alam.

Or come down to the show houses yourself to discover a new “living with nature” experience!

To see the Year End Bonanza Promotion, click here.

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Shahrir: Fuel price to be cut further mid November

As expected, there will be another round of fuel price revisions coming mid-November (likely the 15th of November 2008, this Friday) and Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Shahrir Samad indicates that it will most likely be a price cut.

The government announced previously that it aimed for the fuel prices to be revised every 2 weeks and it has kept to this for the past month or so quite diligently. Each round of revisions brought cuts, with the most recent being a 15 sen cut to RM2.15 per liter for RON97 petrol and RM2.05 per liter for RON92 petrol and diesel. This came into effect on the 1st this month.

~murshidism~

RM1.92 maybe....and to be the final one....before they announce the new system next year?

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La Liga: Barcelona 6-0 Valladolid

Samuel Eto'o struck four first-half goals as Barcelona thrashed Real Valladolid 6-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday night.

The Cameroon striker was left on the bench for Tuesday night's Champions League draw at home to Basle, but was restored to the starting line-up for this match by coach Pep Guardiola and fired a brilliant quadruple in the first half to set Barcelona on their way to an eighth successive Primera Liga victory.

Eto'o opened the scoring after 12 minutes, adding a second on the half-hour mark and completing his hat-trick in the lead-up to half-time.

The African striker then added a fourth goal a minute before the interval to round off a superb first half for the Catalan side.

That strike also saw Eto'o match the feat achieved earlier in the day by Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, who bagged all four goals in Real Madrid's 4-3 win over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Eidur Gudjohnsen and Thierry Henry also netted late on to complete a fantastic win for Guardiola's side.

Barcelona were without Andres Iniesta in midfield, but the Spain star was barely missed as the Catalans got off to a flying start.

Lionel Messi had a goal ruled out for offside after 6 minutes and Gudjohnsen fired a header just over the bar shortly afterwards following good play by Xavi.

Messi then missed a couple of great chances in the next few minutes as Barcelona pressed for an early goal.

And it duly arrived after 12 minutes when Eto'o latched onto Dani Alves' pass in the area, evaded two defenders and poked the ball between Sergio Asenjo's legs to put Barcelona in front.

It was a classy finish by the Cameroonian and Barcelona deserved their lead.

Guardiola's side played with less intensity after the goal, but Eto'o bagged a second for his team on the half-hour mark.

The former Mallorca forward teed up Henry and was at hand to smash home the rebound after the Frenchman's volley had been saved by Asenjo.

Eto'o set up Henry again after 40 minutes, but this time the former Arsenal man screwed his shot wide and was jeered by the home fans.

But those jeers soon turned to cheers as Eto'o grabbed his hat-trick three minutes later.

The Cameroon striker this time ran onto Messi's pass, rounded Asenjo and rolled the ball into the empty net.

And just a minute later, three became four for Barcelona and Eto'o, who fired home with ease after Messi had charged forward from midfield and left the striker with a simple finish.

After the break, Victor Valdes did well to push away Jonathan Sesma's cross as Valladolid looked for a way back into the game.

But it was all Barcelona after that and Henry missed a good chance to extend the Catalans' lead after 53 minutes.

The Frenchman appealed for a penalty shortly afterwards, but his protests were waved away.

But it was all about Eto'o. The frontman was unable to add to his impressive tally, but did square unselfishly for the unmarked Gudjohnsen to make it five after 71 minutes.

The African was given a richly-deserved standing ovation by the Nou Camp when he departed with 15 minutes remaining.

But Barcelona wanted more and continued to pile forward in the closing stages.

Alves blasted a 40 yard free-kick just wide and Messi saw his goalbound effort well saved by Asenjo.

However, the Valladolid keeper could do nothing to stop Henry from sliding home from close range after Messi played an intelligent one-two with substitute Alexander Hleb with seven minutes remaining.

And there was still time for Messi to see a second goal disallowed in the final minutes.

The Argentina winger put in another virtuoso performance and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, but this game will be remembered for Eto'o's four goals, which take his league total to 13 for a season in which he had been expected to no longer be a Barcelona player.

Barca's win keeps them two points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid, but Villarreal can draw to within a point of the Catalans if they beat Almeria on Sunday.

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Premier League: Nasri leads Gunners to win

Arsenal 2 - 1 Man Utd

Arsene Wenger got the response he wanted as Arsenal bounced back from turmoil to defeat Manchester United 2-1 thanks to a brace from Samir Nasri.

Gunners manager Wenger admitted dressing room morale was low after their 4-4 draw with rivals Tottenham and the defeat at Stoke - but this win at the at the Emirates Stadium breathes life into their campaign and lifts them above United in the Barclays Premier League.

Wenger had Emmanuel Adebayor injured and Robin van Persie suspended but Nasri provided the attacking threat, taking advantage of slack marking in each half to grab his fourth and fifth goals of the season.

Rafael da Silva, on as a substitute, volleyed home a late strike to give Sir Alex Ferguson's men hope - but there was no repeat of the memorable Spurs comeback.

It was Arsenal's first test this season against their traditional top-four rivals - and Wenger's men passed the examination.

This clash between two heavyweights had everything - chances, yellow cards, counter-attacking and also four penalty shouts.

Referee Howard Webb, who was kept busy throughout, turned down appeals when Dimitar Berbatov was bundled over by Denilson, as well as when Gary Neville and Gael Clichy touched the ball with their arms.

Then in the second half, Nasri appeared to be bundled over by Nemanja Vidic.

Between those moments, there was absorbing end-to-end football, with United given an early opportunity following a mix-up involving one of their former players.

Mikael Silvestre clipped a backpass to Manuel Almunia and the goalkeeper picked up the ball. Anderson's free-kick was blocked by team-mate Ji-Sung Park, then Michael Carrick fired the rebound wide from the edge of the area.

Berbatov also had the ball in the net but was ruled offside when he followed up Rooney's shot.

Then it was Arsenal's turn to attack. Nicklas Bendtner headed over from Clichy's cross, before the striker was millimetres away from contact when Nasri swung a ball over.

Abou Diaby had a clear sight of goal when Edwin van der Sar flapped, but his effort was blocked by Carrick.

United took their turn to apply pressure, with Cristiano Ronaldo raiding down the flanks and Carrick creating his angles in midfield.

Wayne Rooney was guilty of wasting their clearest opportunity of the opening period when he flashed a shot over after Ronaldo's intelligent pull-back.

First blood went to Arsenal, with Nasri's opener coming midway through the first half after Patrice Evra fouled Bacary Sagna on the right touchline.

Berbatov headed away the free-kick as far as Nasri, who fizzed a volley at goal that took a deflection off Gary Neville to wrong-foot Van der Sar and fly in.

United almost replied when Clichy only just headed wide of his own goal as he tried to clear a free-kick. William Gallas had been booked for his trip on Evra to lead to the set-piece.

Arsenal, meanwhile, tried to counter-attack and Cesc Fabregas shot just wide of the post with one effort, while Van der Sar stuck out a hand to stop Silvestre stabbing home from a corner.

The intensity, already sky-high, stepped up a level before the break and Evra and Sagna both received yellow cards from Webb.

Nasri's second came three minutes after the restart.

Fabregas wriggled around Neville and spotted Nasri unmarked on the penalty area, with the France youngster given enough space to bide his time and lash past Van der Sar.

Ronaldo was presented with a chance to pull a goal back but his finish, after meeting Park's cross with a first-time volley, went just the wrong side of Almunia's post.

Clichy then clattered into Ronaldo and earned a booking, with the action almost non-stop at this stage.

Rooney had a header saved by Almunia and he was inches from getting on the end of a Ronaldo cross, while Carrick picked up a yellow when he caught Almunia with a boot to the head.

Almunia's injury forced him off and Lukasz Fabianski was required off the bench for the last 12 minutes.

Rafael, on as a substitute, pulled one back with less than a minute left - but Arsenal held on after six minutes of stoppage-time for the win they needed.

~murshidism~ : yooohoooooo!!!!

Bali Bombers Executions are Imminent

The execution of the three Bali bombing convicts is imminent, and may be carried on Friday 7 November at 3.00 am, sources indicate. As previously reported, the executions are to take place at Nirbaya Hill, three kilometres from the Batu prison where the three are jailed and held in isolation on Nusakambangan Island. Wooden posts to secure the three men for the firing squads were erected last night. It is expected that the bodies of Amrozi and Muklas will be transported to Lamongan, East Java and Imam Samudera’s to Serang in Banten. Two helicopters are deployed at the penitentiary with helipads coordinated at the reception sites.

Dates for the executions have been “final” before but delays have continued nonetheless. Terrorist groups reportedly plan to deploy anthrax bombs in retaliation for the executions. Their targets are institutions which receive aid from the USA and other donor countries, sources indicate, claiming that terrorists have met in Angean Island, Madura (East Java) to prepare. Funds for the operation have been raised from recent gold shop robberies. 

Raja Petra Freed Too

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin is to be freed Friday. He succeeded Friday in his bid to obtain a release order from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) via his habeas corpus application.

Langkawi Seafood Review :Wonderland Food Store

Last month my family had a vacation in Langkawi and we stayed at Pantai Cenang. It was a memorable and wonderful trip. My aim there was to have a good seafood and after asking around the locals, they suggested us to have a try at Seafood Wonderland located at Pekan Kuah. 

Wonderland Food Store actually is one of the food store located near to Bella Vista at Persiaran Mutiara 2 off Jalan Padang Matsirat, Pekan Kuah. If you guys plan to go to this Seafood Wonderland, you land mark is Bella Vista...if you find Bella Vista than you can't miss Seafood Wonderland.

The main attraction of this store is price, good customer service and off course delicious seafood. First time we went there, we ordered Seafood Tom Yam, Sweet Sour Fish, Butter Prawn and Oyster Omelette. Tom Yam Seafood is the best ever tom yam I ever tasted, dethroning Kota Bharu Horizon's tom yam. Oyster Omelette not so bad but the butter prawn was dried....I prefer Kuching's Top Spot butter prawn which is more succulent and sweet...yummy!

The dishes that we ordered came to our table in less than 15 minutes although there were so many customers that night.

The next day, we went there again to taste the tom yam. We ordered Fried Mantis Prawn with Dried Chillies, Chilly Crab, Fried Squid, Tom Yam and Deep Fried Sea Bass "Tiga Rasa" style...and coss us less than RM100. The "taukey" also very friendly and greeted us politely.

To readers, I recommend this place if you are looking for nice seafood with affordable price and also good customer service.

Enjoy!

~murshidism~

Champion's League: Frustrated Gunners

Arsenal failed to lift the gloom surrounding the Emirates Stadium as wasteful finishing ensured they were held to a frustrating stalemate by Fenerbahce.

The Gunners, derided for their lack of courage after last weekend's calamitous defeat by Stoke, barely needed a strong constitution as they toyed with the Turks' defence in a one-sided first half.

But yet again their accuracy in front of goal lacked the precision of their approach play with Robin van Persie the most wasteful.

Van Persie, banned from the next three Barclays Premier League games after being sent off against Stoke, could have put them out of sight at half-time on his own.

Impressive Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel played a crucial role in keeping Arsenal at bay but his heroics will be of scant consolation to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

Wenger yesterday bristled at claims his side lacked bravery against physical teams and he craved a similar response to that seen after the domestic upsets by Fulham and Hull earlier this season.

Following those defeats Arsenal put Twente and Porto to the sword but there was to be no morale-boosting European rout tonight as they endured another setback.

The defeat by Stoke and the draw with Tottenham have caused the Gunners to lose ground in the Barclays Premier League title race and they host Manchester United on Saturday on the back of a three-match winless streak.

Wenger sprung a couple of surprises by naming Lukasz Fabianski in goal and Aaron Ramsey at right midfield, while Johan Djourou was selected ahead of Alexandre Song at centre-back.

Fenerbahce picked Roberto Carlos at left-back and the Brazilian endured a nervy start that almost set up the opener for Van Persie.

The former Real Madrid star's tame clearance landed straight at the feet of Ramsey who played a square ball to the unmarked Cesc Fabregas.

The Spaniard lofted a sweet pass into the box and Van Persie timed his run to perfection only to see his prodded shot slip inches wide of the right post.

Ramsey, making his first start in the group stage of the Champions League, was showing no sign of nerves as he eased into the box only to find the arms of Volkan.

Samir Nasri - another summer arrival at the Emirates Stadium - showed less composure as he flailed at a deflected cross by Van Persie.

It was then the Dutchman who let another chance go begging, drilling the ball into the ground and over the crossbar after Volkan got fingertips to a Fabregas lob.

Arsenal showed far greater invention in attack but still had nothing to show for their obvious superiority. Kolo Toure, playing at right-back, created space for Van Persie who brilliantly turned Diego Lugano inside-out before seeing his shot from point-blank range pushed onto the crossbar by Volkan.

Nasri drew a good save from the Turkey goalkeeper as the first half remained goalless.

A swift counter-attack by Fenerbahce shortly after the interval saw Fabianski come to the rescue by nudging Ugur Boral's low strike wide of the right post.

The ineffective Nicklas Bendtner and impressive Ramsey were replaced by Carlos Vela and Abou Diaby with half an hour to go and they watched as Van Persie nodded a superb opportunity over the crossbar.

Chances were arriving less frequently as Arsenal began to run out of ideas, their play frustrated by a Fenerbahce rearguard that knew it had successfully dealt with their opponents' best efforts.

Defender Mikael Silvestre went off clutching his nose with five minutes to go and the Gunners failed to mount another meaningful attack.

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Nissan Navara Launched in Malaysia

ETCM just launched Nissan Navara to compete with Hilux, Triton and D-Max. The price in the official website of this Mother Trucker is at RM103,721.90 which is higher than Hilux and Triton.

We will be getting the powerful common rail intercooled direct injected version with a Variable Nozzle Turbo (VGT) producing a powerful174 PS at 4,000rpm and 403Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

Unlike the Frontier which came with a 5-speed manual only, the new Nissan Navara will come with a 5-speed automatic transmission with an easy rotary switch for shifting between 2WD and 4WD modes. 2H and 4H modes can be shifted on the fly at speeds of under 100km/h. You will likely have to stop to switch into the low-ratio 4L mode, but the rotary switch makes it easier than a shift lever.

This is probably also the first pick-up truck in Malaysia equipped with Xenon HID headlamps, which ETCM carefully states on the site is fully JPJ-compliant. The vehicle also has dual SRS airbags for the front passenger and driver. A version with leather seats will also be available, while in-car audio is served by a 2-DIN audio system with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters.
The specs of the Navara indicates a rather premium positioning - leather seats, the powerful engine and the xenon headlamps are proof of that. The microsite does not indicate a price and I’m not sure whether a cheaper version with less specs but retaining the powerful engine (or a manual version) will be available.

For more info, you guys can visit www.navara.com.my

Logo Evolution

I got this from e-mail and thought it is good to share with you guys.  It is the logo evolution of top companies in the world. Check it out!

Microsoft (USA)

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation, which rose to dominate the home computeroperating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s, followed by the Windows line of operating systems.

It develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Microsoft's best-selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.

Throughout its history the company has been the target of criticism for various reasons, including monopoly status and anti-competitive business practices including refusal to deal and tying. The U.S. Justice Department and the European Commission, among others, have ruled against Microsoft for various antitrust violations

Motorola (USA)

Motorola Inc. is an American, multinational, Fortune 100, telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It is a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, also designing and selling wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission base stations and signal amplifiers. Motorola's home and broadcast network products include set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and network equipment used to enable video broadcasting, computer telephony, and high-definition television. Its business and government customers consist mainly of wireless voice and broadband systems used to build private networks and public safety communications systems.

Nokia (Finland)

Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation, headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki. Nokia is focused on wireless and wiredtelecommunications, with 112,262 employees in 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries and global annual revenue of 51.1 billion euros and operating profit of 8.0 billion as of 2007.It is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile telephones: its global device market share was about 38% in Q3 of 2008, down from 39% in Q3 2007 and down from 40% sequentially.Nokia produces mobile phones for every major market segment and protocol, including GSM, CDMA, and W-CDMA (UMTS). Nokia's subsidiary Nokia Siemens Networks produces telecommunications network equipments, solutions and services.

LG (South Korea)

LG Group is a large South Korean conglomerate (chaebol), that produces electronics, mobile phones, and petrochemical products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Telecom, Zenith Electronics and LG Chem in over 80 countries. LG Group sponsors the LG CupGo Tournament.

Created as an appliance company in 1947 named GoldStar, it later merged with the chemical company Lucky. Many consumer electronicswere sold under the brand name GoldStar, while some other household products (not available outside South Korea) were sold under the brand name of Lucky. The Lucky brand was famous for its hygiene products line such as soaps and Hi-Ti laundry detergents, but most associated with its Lucky and Perioe toothpaste.

In 1995, it was renamed "LG", the abbreviation of "Lucky GoldStar". More recently, the company associates its tagline "Life's Good", with the letters LG.

Mozilla Firefox (USA)

Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite, managed by the Mozilla Corporation. Firefox had 19.97% of the recorded usage share of web browsers as of October 2008, making it the second-most popular browser in current use worldwide, after Internet Explorer.

To display web pages, Firefox uses the Gecko layout engine, which implements some current web standards plus a few features which are intended to anticipate likely additions to the standards.

Apple (USA)

Apple Inc.,  formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation with a focus on designing and manufacturing consumer electronics and software products. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of personal computers, the iPod line of portable media players, and the iPhone. Apple's software products include the Mac OS X operating system, iTunes media browser, the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, and Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio- and film-industry software products. The company operates more than 200 retail stores in eight countries and an online store where hardware and software products are sold.

Established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated January 3, 1977, the company was called "Apple Computer, Inc." for its first 30 years, but dropped the word "Computer" on January 9, 2007  to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. Apple has about 28,000 employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of US$24 billion in its fiscal year ending September 29, 2007. For reasons varying from its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the United States.Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States.

IBM (USA)

International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue" (for its official corporate color), is a multinationalcomputer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and offers infrastructure services, hosting services, and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology.

IBM has been known through most of its recent history as the world's largest computer company; with over 388,000 employees worldwide, IBM is the largest information technology employer in the world. Despite falling behind Hewlett-Packard in total revenue since 2006, it remains the most profitable. IBM holds more patents than any other U.S. based technology company. It has engineers and consultants in over 170 countries and IBM Research has eight laboratories worldwide. IBM employees have earned three Nobel Prizes, four Turing Awards, fiveNational Medals of Technology, and five National Medals of Science. As a chip maker, IBM has been among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders in past years, and in 2007 IBM ranked second in the list of largest software companies in the world.

Nortel (Canada)

Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, is a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Google (USA)

Google, Inc., is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online mapping,office productivity, social networking, and video sharing services as well as selling advertising-free versions of the same technologies. The Google headquarters, the Googleplex, is located in Mountain View, California. As of 30 September 2008 the company has 20,123 full-time employees.

Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on 4 September 1998. The initial public offering took place on 19 August 2004, raising US$1.67 billion, making it worth US$23 billion. Google has continued its growth through a series of new product developments, acquisitions, andpartnerships. Environmentalism, philanthropy, and positive employee relations have been important tenets during the growth of Google, the latter resulting in being identified multiple times as Fortune Magazine's #1 Best Place to Work. The unofficial company slogan is "Don't be evil", although criticism of Google includes concerns regarding the privacy of personal information, copyright, censorship and discontinuation of services.

Canon (Japan)

Canon Inc. (キヤノン株式会社 Kyanon Kabushiki Gaisha) is a Japanese multinational corporation that specializes in imaging and optical products, including cameras, photocopiers and computer printers. The headquarters are in 30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ōta, Tokyo.

Palm (USA)

Palm, Inc. is a personal digital assistant and smartphone manufacturer headquartered in Sunnyvale, California that is responsible for popular products such as the Zire, Tungsten PDAs, Treo smartphones and the LifeDrive. Previous product lines include the Palm Pilot, Palm III, Palm V and Palm VII. While most of their devices run Palm OS, a recent edition of the Treo runs Windows Mobile.

Xerox (USA)

Xerox Corporation is a global document management company which manufactures and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (moved from Stamford, Connecticut in October 2007), though its largest population of employees is based in and around Rochester, New York, the area in which the company was founded.