Weekly Football News, December 17 2012
No time to dwell on Club World Championship defeat: Lampard
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has conceded that the Blues do not have any time to dwell on their Club World Championship defeat to Corinthians in Japan.
Lampard captained the Chelsea side that lost 1-0 to the Brazilians after almost two months on the sidelines following a calf tear and afterwards conceded that the team must now focus on reeling in runaway leaders Manchester United in the Premier League.
United beat Sunderland 3-1 over the weekend, while champions Manchester City also secured three vital points in the defence of their EPL crown with a win over Newcastle United.
Chelsea are now 13 points behind the leaders and face six games in 18 days over the Christmas period, starting with Wednesday's quarter-final against Leeds United in the League Cup.
"We now have to go on a run of games in the league to keep ourselves in the hunt," said Lampard. "We have the FA Cup and League Cup as well so we have to keep pushing on."
Wilshire hints at Arsenal extension
England midfielder Jack Wilshire has given his strongest hint yet that he is prepared to buck the trend at Arsenal and agree a new long-term deal.
Since Wilshire, 20, broke into the Arsenal first team, he has seen Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Alex Song all leave the club, who now languish in eighth place in the Premier League, 18 points behind leaders Manchester United.
However, unlike team-mate Theo Walcott, who has postponed contract talks until the New Year amid fears he will leave the Gunners for free at the end of the season, Wilshire is committed to the club he joined as a nine-year-old.
"I am talking to the club and probably will be committing my future in the next couple of weeks," he said.
He added: "I know the team are going through a bad stage at the moment, but that is like any team."
"We can still realistically win everything we are in. I know we are a long way behind in the Premier League, but football changes quickly.
"If we win three games and another team loses a couple and draws one, we are back in it. It is not in our hands, so we need a bit of luck.”
Title defence over: Mourinho
Jose Mourinho has conceded that Real Madrid's La Liga title defence is over after slipping to 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Mourinho's stuttering Real could only draw 2-2 against Espanyol, while Barca beat second-placed Atletico Madrid 4-1 with Lionel Messi moving onto 90 goals for the calendar year.
"The league is now impossible," said Mourinho. "It is the first time that I have been in a situation like this where my team are a long way off their objectives.
"Thirteen points is too big a gap to overcome but what we have to do is go out and play each game. We shouldn't be thinking about who is first, second or third.
"We have to be stronger. I don't want to make a drama out of it, I will treat it as another stage of my life.
"I have never dropped so many points before but we will try and finish the season as well as possible and fight for the titles which are available."
Cosmi leave Siena
Siena coach Serse Cosmi has paid the ultimate price for the club's poor recent form.
Cosmi oversaw the club's 4-1 defeat to Fiorentina before being told that the game would be his last in charge of struggling Siena.
"AC Siena has dismissed coach Serse Cosmi," the statement said on the club's website stated. "The club would like to thank the coach and his staff for the work they have done in recent months with dedication and professionalism."
Although the loss to Fiorentina was the third straight Serie A defeat for the club, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table, they have been severely hampered by the six-point penalty they were given in the wake of the match-fixing scandal.
Compiled by Marc Fox
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