Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal

Chelsea's Ramires and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta (left) battle for the ball.

Robin van Persie’s hat-trick inspired Arsenal to an incredible victory against Chelsea as their recovery gathered momentum in a Stamford Bridge thriller.

The Gunners captain demonstrated his importance to the team by taking his tally to an outstanding 28 goals in 27 Premier League games as Chelsea slumped again after their shock defeat at QPR last week.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas impressed by ‘amazing’ Oriol Romeu

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has hailed Oriol Romeu’s performance against Fulham in the League Cup as being “amazing”.

The Portuguese was impressed with the 19-year-old’s display against Fulham, suggesting that his development at Barcelona has solidified his ability to keep possession.

Impressed with the Spanish defensive midfielder’s composure and technique, the £5 million signing from Barcelona is already being considered as a contender for the first team.

“He had an amazing game,” said boss Villas-Boas when speaking to reporters. “His ability to receive the ball is something out of this world.

Chelsea 2 – 0 Bayer Leverkusen

Luiz scored a fine goal as Chelsea made a late breakthrough against Leverkusen

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas got his Champions League campaign off to a bright start as the Blues beat Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge.

Both teams had goals disallowed in an open beginning before Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge saw shots saved. Leverkusen were more dangerous after the break but Petr Cech stopped Michael Ballack’s close-range shot.

David Luiz eased the growing tension by curling a shot in from 20 yards before Juan Mata tucked home late on. Mata could have made the game more comfortable minutes after Luiz’s 67th-minute goal, but was denied by Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno, who tipped his shot over.

Fernando Torres quizzed over ‘slow’ Chelsea comments

Torres was on the bench for Chelsea's win over Sunderland on Saturday

Fernando Torres has been told to explain an interview in which he seemed to criticise Chelsea team-mates. Torres, 27, spoke to the website of Spain’s Primera Liga last week, with a translation appearing on his personal website which quoted him as saying the club’s older players were “very slow.”

The striker has insisted he was misquoted in the English translation. However Chelsea, who are seeking an original Spanish version, are unlikely to fine the player.

Torres’ interview was authorised by the club – had it not been he would have faced heavier censure – but he is still set to have to explain the contents to manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Fergie is the people’s champion

MANCHESTER UNITED will run away with the title this season – if their fans are anything to go by. More than 75 per cent of the United faithful believe Alex Ferguson will deliver a 20th title. But supporters of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are nowhere near as confident.

Fergie has been the big player in this summer’s transfer market with around £50million spent already. And with the arrival of Ashley Young, David De Gea and Phil Jones, 76 per cent of Red Devils are sure they will be top dogs again this term.

Chelsea target Andre Villas-Boas resigns from Porto job

Villas-Boas looks likely to join Chelsea

Chelsea target Andre Villas-Boas has tendered his resignation as Porto coach, the Portuguese club have said. They made the announcement in a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission.

Villas-Boas, 33, has been linked with Chelsea in recent days following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti in May. Porto insisted on Monday that Villas-Boas could leave if a rival club paid £13.2m to activate a release clause in his contract.

“FC Porto was today notified of the intention of Andre Villas-Boas to resign from his contract with the club by triggering the release

Australian widow allowed to use dead husband’s sper

New South Wales does not usually allow IVF treatment without the consent of the donor

An Australian woman who had discussed fertility treatments with her husband before he died has been allowed by a court to use his frozen sperm for IVF. Justice Robert Hulme in the New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that Jocelyn Edwards was entitled to use the sperm.

It had been extracted posthumously from her husband, Mark Edwards, after he died in an accident at work. The case was a landmark in a state where IVF treatment is banned without the consent of the donor. Ms Edwards will need to move to another state to have the sperm inseminated.

Scaled Composites and Northrup Grumman’s new Firebird spy plane: pilot optional

Scaled Composites is best known for creating commercial spaceships for Sir Richard Branson, but it turns out the firm can construct more conventional flying machines, too. The company has joined forces with Northrop Grumman to build the Firebird, a flexible new plane that’s a veritable surveillance Swiss Army knife. Part Predator UAV and part traditional aircraft, the Firebird can take to the skies with or without a human at the controls as it combs the earth for enemies of the state. What’s more, the airframe’s HD video and infrared cameras, radar, and communications gear in the fuselage are able to gather info simultaneously to find the bad guys, and those payloads are easily swapped for other equipment through a universal interface. It’s scheduled to strut its intelligence-gathering stuff during a military exercise in a couple weeks, and if all goes according to plan, it’ll become another terrorist tracking tool in the U.S. arsenal. Video of the brand new bird in action is after the break.

Press Release

Northrop Grumman Unveils Newest Intel Gathering Aircraft System

Allows Users to Operate Multiple Sensor Payloads Simultaneously
SAN DIEGO, May 9, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Military users will be able to get real-time high-definition video, view infrared imagery, use radar and even listen in on communications signals – all at the same time – using a new intelligence-gathering aircraft system unveiled today by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC).

Firebird offers a large internal payload bay and an ability to operate multiple intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and communications payloads simultaneously through a universal interface. The system is designed to be flown as a manned or unmanned aircraft.

As lead for the Firebird program, Northrop Grumman developed the unmanned systems architecture, control and mission systems. The company chose Scaled Composites to design, build and test the aircraft – with first flight occurring just 12 months after the initial concept discussions.

“We’ve harnessed the innovative techniques of Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites to deliver an unprecedented information-gathering capability,” said Paul Meyer, vice president and general manager of advanced programs and technology for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “Firebird addresses future budgetary constraints by combining the best of our piloted and unmanned ISR systems into a single solution ready for a variety of ISR missions.”

Firebird’s universal interface is similar to plugging a memory stick into a personal computer that is automatically recognized without needing to load additional software.

“Not only have we increased the number of ISR sensors working simultaneously in an aircraft of this size, but we can also incorporate various sensors that complement each other – greatly enhancing Firebird’s information-gathering value for warfighters,” said Rick Crooks, Northrop Grumman’s Firebird program manager. “Firebird is an adaptable system that makes it highly affordable because of the number of different missions it can accomplish during a single flight. It’s a real game changer.”

From inception, Firebird was designed to be flown as a manned or unmanned aircraft and can be quickly modified for either option.

“Military users will also find it much easier to exploit intelligence data from Firebird because the information is put into a single tool that allows them to easily make decisions,” said Crooks. “The internal payload bay also does away with the need to carry external pods to house sensor payloads that can cause drag and affect how long the aircraft can stay in the air.”

Firebird is set for an operational demonstration in an optionally-piloted configuration from May 23 – June 3, 2011, during Empire Challenge 2011, a military exercise run by U.S. Joint Forces Command.

Source: Engadget

Gaga falls off a piano on stage

Lady Gaga briefly misplaced her dignity at a show in Houston, Texas, after a stage stunt left her flat on her back.

The singer was perched on top of her piano, which also happened to be on fire, when she slipped on the tricky dismount, ending up underneath the keyboard.

She was performing the track ‘You And I’ as the fall happened, while wearing just a pair of vertiginous stilettos and underwear.

But playing the consummate professional, she continued the song without missing a beat, and didn’t even refer to the fact that she had ended up under her own piano.

“It was in the middle of the show,” said fan Eric Souklnary, who filmed the slip. “She was really high up and it looked really bad. I only just managed to keep the video steady.

“The crowd all saw it and I don’t think anyone would have minded if she’d walked off the stage to get checked out by medics.” [Daily Mail]

Chelsea 0 – 1 Man Utd

Manchester United took a firm grip on the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea as Wayne Rooney’s winner gave them a crucial first-leg advantage at Stamford Bridge.

Rooney rounded off a fine move involving Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs after 24 minutes to put United in the ascendancy as they battle with Chelsea to face Inter Milan or Schalke 04 in the semi-final.
After being hit with an Football Association charge for swearing into the camera after scoring in United’s win at West Ham United on Saturday, Rooney was all smiles as he delivered the away goal his manager Sir Alex Ferguson had demanded ahead of the all-Premier League confrontation.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti paired Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres in attack – but it was another fruitless and frustrating night for the Spaniard as his goal drought goes on since his £50m British record transfer from Lverpool.
Drogba struck a post and Patrice Evra cleared off the line from Frank Lampard in first-half injury time, while Chelsea and their supporters were infuriated when two penalty claims were rejected by Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco in the dying seconds.

Ramires tumbled under challenge from Evra while Torres went down as he tangled with Antonio Valencia. Chelsea’s demands went unanswered – and Torres saw insult added to his injury when he was booked for diving.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who had Rio Ferdinand available for the first time since February, was elated at the final whistle as all his pre-match demands were fulfilled in the fight to face Inter Milan or Schalke 04 in the last four.
And victory will have tasted sweet for Ferdinand after he was taunted by Chelsea’s fans following Fabio Capello’s decision to reinstate John Terry to the England captaincy in place of the Manchester United defender.
United were industrious and well-organised, with goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar presenting a formidable barrier with a performance that once again suggested his decision to retire at the end of the season may be premature.

He was outstanding throughout and distinguished himself with one late save from a Torres header that demonstrated his enduring powers of athleticism.
Chelsea now face a huge task at Old Trafford to rescue the tie and keep their main hope of silverware alive this season, as well as easing pressure on Ancelotti.

Ancelotti had pinned much of his hopes on the pairing of Drogba and Torres, but they were kept at bay until a late flurry of first-half activity finally unsettled United’s defence.
Torres made an energetic start and Drogba forced a fine fingertip save from Van der Sar with a rising drive from the angle as Chelsea attempted to apply early pressure.
It was United, however, who took the lead with a superbly constructed goal after 24 minutes as they delivered the away goal Ferguson had insisted upon in the build-up to the tie.
Carrick, whose range and accuracy of passing was a feature of United’s play, found Giggs with a raking ball and when the veteran displayed superb touch and control to find Rooney, he scored with a low finish past Petr Cech.

Chelsea offered their increasingly frustrated supporters some hope seconds before half-time when United somehow survived a desperate scramble. Torres failed to apply a touch to Drogba’s effort and when Lampard looked certain to score from the rebound Evra made a desperate, and decisive, block.

Drogba was trying manfully to spark life into Chelsea and he fashioned a chance for Ramires that the Brazilian, arriving at pace in the area, could only divert wide of the target.
United suffered a blow when the unlucky Rafael was hurt in a touchline collision with Drogba and, despite his efforts to play on, was stretchered off and replaced by Nani.
As United held firm, with an ever-present menace on the counter-attack, Ancelotti made a double change with 20 minutes left, replacing Yuri Zhirkov and Drogba with Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka.

Torres almost broke the barren spell he has endured at Chelsea moments after the change with a fine looping header from Ramires’ cross that was clawed away to safety by Van der Sar as Chelsea looked to build momentum.
Van der Sar had been a model of composure when Chelsea did pierce United’s defence and his handling was secure once more when Lampard’s free-kick found a way through the defensive wall.
United had anxious moments as they survived two penalty appeals – but their satisfaction at their night’s work was evident as they celebrated with their supporters in a corner of Stamford Bridge at the final whistle.

By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Stamford Bridge

Rooney (left) directs an angled shot into the Chelsea goal to put Man Utd ahead