Serious vendors dropping prices to ensure a sale.

July 25, 2010 – 2:25 pm

Serious sellers in Tenerife and Spain drop prices to ensure the saleA growing number of vendors trying to sell their homes are dropping their asking prices, according to new research by one of Spain’s leading property portals. Asking prices for 18,007 resale properties in the Idealista database were reduced in June, 30% more than same time last year, and the highest level for 2 years. The number of price reductions has been on the rise every month since January, causing the 12-month average trend to rise after falling for about a year. But if the number of discounted properties is growing, the average discount value is not. Discount values peaked at the beginning of last year and have been declining ever since, so it’s a story of more, but smaller discounts.

The markets where the biggest proportion of vendors decided to drop prices were Madrid (9.3%) and Barcelona (7.4%). That means vendors in Spain’s two biggest markets are becoming more focused on finding a buyer.

- Asking prices were down just 0.5% in Q1 over Q2, to 2,374 €/m2.
- Prices rose in 5 regions: The Balearics (+2,4%) Galicia (+1,6%), Castilla y León (+1%), The Basque Country (+0,9%) y La Rioja (+0,6%).
- Prices rose just by 2 €/m2 in Barcelona, to 4,084 €/m2. Even so, prices there are still below where they were 5 years ago in Q1 2005. They are down 16.4% from the peak of 4,888 €/m2 in Q1 2007.
- Madrid fell 0.4% in Q1, to 3,831 €/m2, 11.2% below the peak of 4,315 €/m2 in Q2 2007.
- Valencia fell 0.7% to 2,335 €/m2, 18.4% below the Q2 2007 peak of 2,861 €/m2

Sellers in Tenerife and the Canary Isles are  also following this trend to ensure a quick sale.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Fines in Salou for tourists with bare chests.

July 10, 2010 – 6:36 pm

Appropriate dress required when off the beaches in Spain

Appropriate dress required when off the beaches in Spain

British tourists face fines of nearly £250 for failing to cover up their bikinis or bare chests on the streets of a popular Spanish seaside resort.
The resort of Salou on the Costa Dorada, south of Barcelona, has become the first place in Spain to ban shirtless and bikini-clad tourists in a bid to clean up its reputation, which has been badly damaged after becoming a haven for drunken British students.

In a set of new by-laws passed by the town council those who flout the ban could be fined between €100 (£81) and €300 (£245). Those caught drinking alcohol on the streets or having sex on the beach could also be prosecuted and beachwear will be banned from all but beachfront bars and restaurants.

“We want to ensure that Salou has a good image,” said the mayor, Pere Granados, explaining the move. Earlier this year locals complained about the drunken behaviour of British students who flocked to the resort for the Easter holidays. More than 5,000 British students aged between 18 and 23 crowded into the town 70 miles south of Barcelona to attend “Saloufest” an annual party organised by university sports clubs. Residents complained of “streets running with vomit” after scantily clad students spent their nights binge drinking and indulging in “anti-social behaviour”. Paramedics treated at least a dozen tourists for alcohol induced illnesses and several arrests were made, including one student accused of raping another.
The event caused an “anti-British backlash” that pitted Spanish families taking an Easter break by the sea with businesses reliant on tourism to survive.

The bikini ban signals a growing unease in Spain against those sunburnt northern European tourists who offend the local population by walking in the streets, dining in restaurants and even doing their shopping in little more than beachwear.

“It is not normal to go the market with your packet on show or round the tourist sites in a thong.” said Alberto del Hierro, councillor for Tourism in Salou. “One shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets or enter public buildings in unseemly apparel. It gives the city a low-class look.”

Earlier this year the regional capital Barcelona stopped short of introducing a similar ban but has embarked on a campaign urging tourists to dress appropriately when away from the beach. Posters showing a stick figure couple in swimming costumes with a red line across it have been plastered at sites across the city ahead of the summer season and hotels, bars and restaurants in the tourist areas have been asked to display the signs. “We want to make people understand that it’s an attitude that we don’t like,” said a spokesman for Barcelona city hall. “It’s not banned or punishable but it’s something we don’t think is polite.”

It might not be too long before a similar stance is taken in Tenerife and the other Canary Isles.

 

 

 

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Upturn in Spanish housing sales.

April 10, 2010 – 10:43 am

Upturn in Spanish property market

Upturn in Spanish property market

There was a small upturn in Spanish housing sales during the fourth quarter of last year, according to recent data released by the Spanish Ministry of Housing.

The increase was small, but enough for the Government to get excited about: “The transactions in the fourth quarter represent a rise of 4.1% with respect to the same period last year, this being the first year-on-year rise since the fourth quarter of 2006″.

In fact, if you just look at the ordinary housing market, the upturn was even better. Excluding social housing there were 116,664 house sales in Q4, a rise of 5.5%. Regrettably, that’s where the good news ends.

Take the year as a whole, there 413,112 transactions last year, a fall of 19% compared to the previous year, and a whopping 46% down on 2007. Even the Q4 was down 33% compared to 2 years ago.

Some regions did better than others. Looking at a selection of regions popular with holiday home buyers, the inland province of Teruel suffered the most in 2009, down 36%, followed by Las Palmas in The Canaries, down 32%. At the other end of the scale, Spain’s two big cities did the best, down just 1.7% in Madrid and 3.9% in Barcelona.

The small national upturn in Q4 that got the Ministry excited was almost entirely driven by big increases in Catalonia and Madrid (Barcelona +35%, Madrid +41%). Why the big surge in home sales in those two cities in the last quarter of 2009? I don’t know. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it had more to do with banks shifting Spanish property around their balance sheets than families buying homes to live in.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Property discounts are they what they seem?

January 17, 2010 – 2:54 pm

Property discounts in Spain and Tenerife,are they all that they seem?

Property discounts in Spain and Tenerife,are they all that they seem?

There is no shortage of price promotions being touted, for example Metrovacesa’s December promotion of 1,500 homes with alleged discounts of up to 52%, and Banesto’s November promotion of 1,200 homes with alleged discounts of 40% (Metrovacesa is one of Spain’s biggest developers, and Banesto one of its biggest banks).

But when  real estate experts what they thought of the discounts, scepticism was the order of the day. “One has to interpret these discounts and ask what levels they are calculated fromDi,” said Ernesto Tarazona, Corporate Recovery Director at Knight Frank España.

After all, what good is a discount if it is applied to some unreal starting price? According to the experts consulted for article, in many cases today’s discounts are based on the demented valuations used at the height of the boom, arguably irrelevant in today’s straightened economic circumstances. Supporting this position is a recent report on the Spanish property market  stated that prices are still close to 30% over-valued, and the valuations used by banks and savings banks (cajas) “do not reflect true values and result in a general over-valuation of property.”

That said, you might still get lucky and get the odd bargain,  especially holiday homes on the coast.

Just look at the published accounts of developers for the third quarter of this year, says the article. Their gross margins are still positive, implying that they are selling above the crazy prices they paid for land in the boom, if they sell at all, that is.

The real question is why are prices so high, even with the alleged discounts? Because neither banks nor developers are prepared to sell at a loss whether in Tenerife or Barcelona, explains the article. New accounting rules from the Bank of Spain may change that, but for the time being the discounts on offer are not really discounts at all, at least not compared to today’s market prices.

For my money I would say that will all change in 2010, one way or another.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Barcelona,”pickpocket capital of the world”

September 27, 2009 – 12:21 pm

Barcelona's La Rambla, a pickpockets paradise.

Barcelona's La Rambla, a pickpockets paradise.

Beware of pickpockets in Barcelona - the Spanish city has just been named as the ‘pickpocket capital of the world’ in a new survey by travel website TripAdvisor.com, which found that the city’s famous boulevard, La Rambla, was the most notorious spot for losing your valuables to those with sticky fingers.The rating was based on the opinions of travel editors and the comments that thousands of tourists post on the site each day to recount their experiences of different elements of traveling.

The Catalan capital was ranked even worse than the Eternal City of Rome, which is known to have a severe case of pickpocketing to which thousands of visitors fall prey every year. This is despite Barcelona having four different types of police patrolling the city. Rome came second in the list.Particularly notorious is Barcelona’s well known La Rambla, which is a pedestrianised walkway bursting with restaurants, shops and pickpockets.

The TripAdvisor review said “La Rambla, the famous wide, pedestrian walkway full of life, music and people at all hours of the day and night, is the perfect place to get your purse poached.” La Rambla has never had a particularly clean-cut reputation, but restaurant owners and shopkeepers along the road have become increasingly incensed about crime and prostitution of late.

There have been renewed calls for a crackdown on both from both locals and tourists. Tenerife like all holiday hotspots has its share of pickpockets too.

Here are some tips to help avoid falling victim to pickpockets:

Hide all tourist maps and guides that make you stand out as a visitor

Don’t wear flashy watches, clothes, jewellery or carry expensive handbags as these will only attract unwanted attention

Turn your rings so the stones are facing your palm rather than being on show

Wear a money belt rather than keeping your wallet in your back pocket - an invitation to any robber

Don’t leave your handbag under the table or draped over your seat back in restaurants or bars - keep it in your lap instead

Make sure you leave some cash or credit cards in the hotel room safe, just in case you do fall victim to a pickpocket whilst out exploring the city.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Long Term Rental Property costs fall in areas of Spain yet increase in Tenerife

February 26, 2009 – 4:25 pm

The average cost of renting a home in Spain fell 7% in 2008, according to the latest report jointly prepared by Fotocasa.es – one of Spain’s biggest property portals – and IESE – one of the world’s leading business schools.

Residential rents are now back to where they were in December 2006, when Fotocasa and IESE first started collecting data to track the rental market.

Rents reached their peak in May 2007, at 10.12 Euros/m2/month, and have now fallen to 8.98 Euros/m2/month, a fall of 11.3% in nominal terms. Average Spanish residential rental prices have fallen continuously since March 2008.

The type of rental property most in demand is a flat of 60m2. The average monthly rent for this type of property is 539 Euros per month.

Residential rents rose in 6 region: Galicia +7.6%, Cantabria +5.8%, The Basque Country +5.6%, Extremadura +3.8%, Asturias +1.4%, and The Canaries +0.6%.

Residential rents fell the most in The Valencian Region -8.8%, Catalonia -8%, Castilla-La Mancha – 6.3%, Madrid -4.4%, and Aragon -4.2%.

By province, rents fell the most in Valencia -9.1%, Alicante (Costa Blanca) -8.3%, Girona (Costa Brava) -7.8%, Toledo -7.4%, and Lleida -6.8%. They rose the most in Huelva (Costa de la Luz) +18.8%, Cadiz (Costa de la Luz) +13.7%, Leon +7.8%, Vizcaya +7.5%, and Ourense (Galicia) +7.4%.

Rents were most expensive in Barcelona (12.15 Euros/m2/month) and cheapest in Ourense (4.66 Euros/m2/month).

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Holiday, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Football review

January 19, 2009 – 4:59 pm

Premier League

Manchester United reached the top of the English premier league for the first time this season with a 90th minute winner against Bolton scored by Berbatov. It was a day of late goals with Chelsea defeating Stoke City by 2-1 with two goals in the final minutes of play, the winner coming from Frank Lampard in the 94th minute.

Samuel Eto'o scores twice for Barcelona

Manchester City beat 10 men Wigan by 1-0 whilst Aston Villa continued their run of form coming from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1.

Arsenal gained revenge over Hull beating them 3-1. West Brom enjoyed a rare victory over Middlesborough and West Ham continued a good run with a 3-1 victory over Fulham.

The visit of Portsmouth to Tottenham was a case of several players turning out against a former club. It ended all square with Defoe scoring for Tottenham against his former club and David Nugent finally breaking his premier league duck scoring for Pompey.

Primera Liga

Halfway through the campaign in Spain and Barcelona are threatening to run away with the title.

They have already accumulated 50 points for the season and proved far too strong for Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday as Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry inspired the Catalan giants to a 5-0 win.

Reigning champions Real Madrid lead the chasing pack, but sit 12 points off the pace despite securing an impressive come-from-behind 3-1 victory over rock-bottom Osasuna at the weekend.

Sevilla are also in the hunt and kept their hopes alive with a narrow 1-0 win at home to Numancia.

Valencia’s dreams are fading fast and were not helped by a 3-2 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, while Villarreal still have eyes on a top four finish after Joan Capdevila and Giuseppe Rossi helped them to a 2-0 success over Real Mallorca.
Serie A

Inter Milan’s lead at the top of Serie A has been cut to just three points after a disappointing weekend for Jose Mourinho’s men.

The Nerazzurri were humbled 3-1 away at Atalanta on Sunday, with the hosts three goals to the good by half-time.

Juventus missed the opportunity to move within a point of the summit after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Lazio.

David Beckham was once again in action for AC Milan and played a starring role in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fiorentina at the San Siro.

Genoa’s fine form shows no sign of abating, and they saw off Lecce 2-0, while Julio Baptista’s last minute strike at Torino helped Roma secure back-to-back victories.
Ligue 1

It proved to be a productive weekend for those sides at the top in France, with seven of the top eight taking three points apiece from the latest round of fixtures.

Lyon remain in pole position for now, with their one point lead remaining intact courtesy of 2-0 win away at Grenoble.

Bordeaux are providing stiff competition for top spot, though, and proved too strong for Nantes on Saturday - prevailing 2-1 on the road.

Marseille eased to a 2-0 victory over struggling Le Havre at Stade Velodrome and Toulouse put three past Nancy without reply.

Paris St Germain had Peguy Luyindula to thank for securing them a 2-1 win at home to Sochaux, while Lille edged a tight contest with high-flying Rennes 1-0.
Eredivisie
AZ Alkmaar’s advantage in Holland remains at three points after the top three all won over the weekend.

Alkmaar made light work of rock-bottom Volendam on Sunday, with a 2-0 success secured with the minimum of fuss.

Ajax remain hot on their tail, though, and claimed a fifth consecutive victory as they saw off NEC Nijmegen 4-2.

Steve McClaren’s FC Twente are also still in with a chance of title glory and took another crucial three points from a 2-1 win against lowly Vitesse Arnhem.
SPL
Celtic lost for only the third time this season as the Scottish title race was blown wide open on Sunday.

The Hoops fell to a 4-2 defeat away at Aberdeen, with an unlikely brace from Zander Diamond helping the Dons home.

The setback ensures that Rangers are now just two points off the pace after they recovered from an early shock to overcome Falkirk 3-1 on Saturday.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle suffered a seventh straight defeat to remain rooted to the foot of the table, while Hearts got back to winning ways at Kilmarnock.
Best of the rest
Olympiakos continue to dominate in Greece and remain nine points clear of their closest challengers after claiming a 1-0 win at Panseriakos.

Benfica and Sporting Lisbon are locked together at the top in Portugal, with both emerging victorious over the weekend, while Porto slipped from the summit after being held to a goalless draw by Trofense.

Joint leaders Sivasspor and Trabzonspor both took three points from their latest fixtures in Turkey, while Galatasaray took derby honours from a six-goal thriller against Besiktas.

By Angela | Posted in Premier League football, Sports Desk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

European weekend soccer review

December 22, 2008 – 12:53 pm

Premier League

Liverpool missed the chance to extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League  as they drew against 10-man Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. The Reds never truly gained the upper hand or threatened Manuel Almunia’s goal.

Manchester United celebrating victory in the Club World Cup final in Japan

Manchester United celebrating victory in the Club World Cup final in Japan

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and Adebayor were both left fuming over the red card, with referee Howard Webb not helped by Alvaro Arbeloa’s theatrical reaction to the challenge from the Togo international.

Liverpool have now drawn four of their last five matches and, although they remain strong contenders for the title, further dropped points in the second half of the season could see their wait for the top-flight crown extend into a 20th year.

Aston Villa continue  to try to upset the status quo in the Premier League and climbed into third place on Saturday with a late victory over West Ham at Upton Park.

West Ham will spend Christmas only one point above the relegation places with further upheaval predicted in the January transfer window.

Mark Hughes’ festive celebrations may also be somewhat muted with Manchester City after  a last-gasp defeat at the hands of bottom club West Brom. Roman Bednar’s late header ensured that while the Baggies will be bottom on 25th December, they are at least in touch with the teams above them. The Hawthorns outfit are also the only side in Premier League history to beat the drop having been bottom at this stage of the season.

Blackburn are the occupants of the third relegation place, but they too have cause for optimism after Sam Allardyce made an immediate impact on his return to football management by guiding his new club to a 3-0 victory over Stoke City bringing an end to Stoke’s four-game unbeaten run and leave Tony Pulis’ men just two points clear of the bottom three.

Newcastle have managed to put some distance between themselves and the drop zone, with substitute Damien Duff grabbing a last-minute winner against Tottenham at St James’ Park on Sunday. For all Spurs  improvement under Juande Ramos’ replacement the White Hart Lane side are only a point above the relegation trapdoor.

Sunderland claimed arguably the most impressive result of the weekend as they followed up their 4-0 home win over West Brom with a 4-1 triumph away to high-flying Hull City.

Fulham, unbeaten in the last six games move into the top half of the table and can also boast a defensive record which is only bettered by Chelsea and Manchester United. They triumphed 3-0 over Middlesbrough in a clash which saw some questionable decisions by the match officials.

Bolton climbed above Portsmouth and into ninth place in the table after a 2-1 victory at the Reebok Stadium.

Primera Liga

Barcelona extended their lead at the top to 10 points after they came from behind to win away at Villarreal with goals from Seydou Keita and Thierry Henry.

Juande Ramos secured his first league win as manager of Real Madrid at the second time of asking as a Gonzalo Higuain goal was enough to see off Valencia.

Second place Sevilla could only draw 0-0 away at Mallorca while Atletico Madrid recorded their fourth successive league win to move them up to third after a 3-2 victory at Espanyol.

Serie A

Leaders Inter Milan remain six points clear at the top after a Maicon double handed them a 2-1 win away at Siena, the winner coming in the 83rd minute.

Juventus sit second after they won away at Atalanta 3-1.

Roma’s 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions ended as they went down 3-2 away at Catania meaning they slip to 11th.

AC Milan sit third as they thumped hapless Udinese 5-1 at the San Siro with Brazilian pair Kaka and Alexandre Pato helping themselves to two goals apiece.

SPL

Rangers briefly cut Celtic’s lead at the top to just a point after Kris Boyd scored the only goal of the game at home to Hibernian on Saturday.

However the Hoops restored their four-point advantage 24 hours later when they beat Falkirk away 3-0.

Ligue 1

Leaders Lyon remain three points clear of Bordeaux in second after they defeated Caen 1-0 away with Karim Benzema getting the goal.

Laurent Blanc’s men remain hot on their heels after a thrilling contest at Monaco winning 4-3.

Marseille slip to fifth after they suffered a surprise 3-0 home defeat by mid-table AS Nancy.

Eredivisie

AZ Alkmaar temporarily stretched their lead at the top to six points after a 2-0 win over FC Utrecht.

Second-place Ajax emphatically reduced the gap back to three points when they hammered De Graafschap away 6-0.

PSV remain nine points off top spot in fourth place after a 1-0 home win over Feyenoord.

Steve McLaren’s FC Twente lie third five points off the leaders after they beat Willem II 2-0 at home.

Meanwhile in Japan, Manchester United pictured above were crowned  winners of the  Club World Cup beating Ecuador’s South Amercian champions Liga de Quito 1-0 in the final.

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Football title races intensify across Europe

December 15, 2008 – 4:38 pm

In the Premier League, Liverpool continue to lead the way after fighting back from 2-0 down to draw against newcomers Hull City. Manchester United toiled too managing a draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Meanwhile Chelsea could only muster a point at home to West Ham. Arsenal drew 1-1 at Middlesborough, but Aston Villa won a great football game against Bolton by 4-2.

Wigan defeated Blackburn by 3-0 and West Brom’s woes continued with a 4-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Sunderland.

Manchester City showed that  money can’t always ensure success with a home defeat in the final minute to Everton by 1-0. Newcastle showed the signs of recovery with a 3-0 win at Portsmouth whilst Stoke and Fulham played out a 0-0 draw which will best be remembered for the panto season like dive when Paintsil placed his face into Fuller of Stoke and then threw himself to the ground. He is deserving of the best simulation at this years Football Oscars and was like the game- pathetic.

Eto scores in El Clasico

Eto'o scores in El Clasico

Primera Liga
Juande Ramos faced a baptism of fire as Real Madrid lost 2-0 to Barcelona at Camp Nou in his first league game in charge. Samuel Eto’o missed a penalty but made amends seven minutes from time with the opening goal and Lionel Messi then added a second.

Valencia are eight points adrift in second after beating Espanyol 2-1 in Saturday’s other game, with Villarreal losing 1-0 to Sevilla on Sunday and Atletico Madrid climbing above city rivals Real with a 2-0 victory over Real Betis.

Serie A
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a brace for Inter Milan as they beat Chievo 4-2 to stay six points clear of Juventus. Claudio Ranier’s men beat AC Milan by the same scoreline later on Sunday with Amauri netting twice and Gianluca Zambrotta sent off for the Rossoneri.

Napoli moved up to third after easily beating Lecce 3-0 on Saturday while Marco Di Vaio netted a hat-trick to inspire Bologna to a 5-2 win against fellow strugglers Torino.

SPL
Celtic were forced to come from behind to draw 1-1 against in-form Hearts, with a late Stephen McManus header cancelling out Andrew Driver’s opener.

Rangers, who drew 2-2 with Dundee United earlier on Saturday, remain four points behind Gordon Strachan’s men.

Bundesliga
Bayern Munich moved to the league summit for 24 hours despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Stuttgart on Saturday, while Hertha Berlin and Hamburg also kept up the pressure at the top.

Hoffenheim reclaimed their place above Bayern as they played out a 1-1 draw against nine-man Schalke on Sunday, while the weekend started with a victory for Borussia Dortmund against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night.

Ligue 1
Defending champions Lyon remain three points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after being held to a goalless draw by title rivals Marseille.

Bordeaux joined Marseille on 32 points as they defeated Le Mans 3-2, while Paris St Germain won 2-1 at Auxerre.

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Premier League and European football round up

December 9, 2008 – 10:59 am

Abdoulaye Faye celebrates Stoke's equaliser against his old club Newcastle

This  weekend  Manchester United left it late against Sunderland, Chelsea set a record for consecutive away victories and Liverpool and Arsenal ground out wins against Blackburn and Wigan respectively.

On Sunday at Goodison Park, Aston Villa showed just why they are this season’s most likely gatecrashers to the most exclusive of UEFA Champions League parties. A highly entertaining game finished with a last second winner from Ashley Young, this after Everton’s Lescott having equalised for Everton second earlier.

Hull City seem to be having the rub of the green this seaon as they took the spoils against Middlesbrough, a debatable penalty and a lucky rebound off the goalkeeper giving them victory by 2-1

Fellow top flight new boys Stoke have been deemed to be dour and physical, but Tony Pulis and his band of giants deserve only praise for coming away from Newcastle with a 2-2 draw after trudging in at the half-time break trailing 2-0. The second half showing was one of neat football as they outplayed Newcastle

West Brom remain rooted to the division’s basement after a 1-1 stalemate with Portsmouth, while the same scoreline ensued at Craven Cottage as Fulham and Manchester City could not be separated.

Chelsea beat Bolton  and Nicolas Anelka was the man of the match, the former Trotter did not disappoint as his 15th goal of the season reminded those in white just what they’ve been missing.

Deco’s spectacular second from a clever Michael Ballack nod-down allowed Chelsea to ease into a record breaking 11 successive away win in the league, with 26 goals scored and just one conceded away from Stamford Bridge.

Blackburn put on a  spirited  display against top of the table Liverpool, whose 3-1 victory was somewhat flattering.

It was a similar tale at Emirates Stadium for Arsenal, who are on the rise (in beating Chelsea) or on the wane (being beaten by Stoke) on a week-to-week basis. One goal being enough to beat Wigan  and please Arsene Wenger

Manchester United squandered chances in front of goal and it was left to Vidic to score the winner in the last seconds of the game.

In the Monday game Spurs beat West Ham 2-0 at Upton Park and the slide continues for the Hammers.

Scotland

Rangers closed the gap on Celtic with a great win  7-1 against Hamilton whilst Hibernian defeated Celtic 2-0

An error from goalkeeper Artur Boruc followed up by a Colin Nish strike handed Hibs a 2-0 success as the champions’ 12-game winning streak was ended.

Spain Primera Liga

Barcelona extended their lead at the top to six points as they brushed aside Valencia 4-0, with striker Henry netting a hat trick  at Camp Nou. Real Madrid played 24 hours later and slumped to back-to-back league defeats as Renato snatched a thrilling 4-3 victory for Sevilla on the champions’ home turf.

Villarreal and Valladolid both staged rousing comebacks to claim 3-3 draws versus Getafe and Osasuna respectively. There were seven goals at Sporting Gijon as Atletico Madrid recorded a 5-2 success, while Recreativo Huelva mustered their first win since the season’s opening day, disposing of struggling Real Mallorca.

Italy Serie A

League leaders Inter Milan continued their impressive march at the top as they beat Lazio with the powerful Zlatan Ibrahimovic among the goals. Juventus ensured they remain within six points of Jose Mourinho’s charges, as Amauri’s 89th-minute winner claimed the spoils versus Lecce.

Bundesliga

On Friday evening, Bayern Munich claimed a significant scalp against table-toppers Hoffenheim, with Luca Toni scoring at the end to move level on points with Ralf Rangnick’s charges, who remain at the summit on goal difference.

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