Real Madrid Vs Barcelona 2-1 [4-4] All Goals and Match Highlights Au...

Julio Cesar's emotional reaction to joining QPR*

FC Barcelona - Vilanova: "Hem fet més a la segona part"

54TH BD M JACKON

I love you daddy!' Michael Jackson's children

it! Prince Michael Jackson I and Paris Jackson return to their father's hometown of Gary, Indiana as they mark his 54th birthday

I love you daddy! Paris shared this picture of herself next to one of Michael Jackson as she and her siblings celebrated his 54th birthday today

Paris spent the day with her brothers Prince, 15, and Blanket, 10, on a family trip to the music legend's boyhood home in Gary, Indiana.
They were joined there by their aunt La Toya Jackson and the trio's co-guardians, grandmother Katherine Jackson and their cousin TJ Jackson.
A candlelight tribute to the Beat It hitmaker – who died in June 2009 aged 50 – will be held at 9pm this evening outside his boyhood home at 2300 Jackson Street.

I love Gary! Prince and Paris celebrate their father's hometown on their visit to Gary, Indiana

Family together: Jackson matriarch Katherine and daughter LaToya, also seen yesterday. The family are planning a four-day tribute starting tonight (Wednesday)

Quality time: On Monday the children went to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Indiana, Prince Michael and Paris seen here on a ride

Karen Freeman-Wilson, the Mayor of Gary, will host a special dinner on Friday to commemorate the life of the King of Pop as well as honour Michael's mother Katherine, and a tribute concert will take place on Saturday at the local West Side Theatre Guild.
Michael died from acute Propofol intoxication in June 2009, and his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray is currently serving a jail sentence for the singer's involuntary manslaughter.

Paying their respects: These fans gathered at Michael's gravesite in Los Angeles

Happy birthday! Paying tribute to Michael were fans from around the world, who arrived with floral tributes

Still remembered: Three years after his death, Michael's music till moves many

AFRICAN PERFORMANCE

Africa Unplugged Stopped before Chameleone, Fally and Ashawo Performances

Jose Chameleone, Uganda’s only representative at the Africa Unplugged concert held at Wembley Arena yesterday was among the many African stars that never got time to perform after the concert was ended prematurely. While chatting with this reporter, yesterday night, a disappointed Jose Chameleone said that he had been lined up to perform in the same category with Fally Ipupa but the show was stopped before he could step on to the stage. Fred Zink, Chameleone’s international manager also noted that the concert had organization failures that saw it start late and thus many of the stars could not get the chance to entertain revelers. Chameleone later posted on his Facebook account, highlighting what exactly happened. “Apologies to all the fans who turned up to Wembley Arena. Africa Unplugged. Time couldn't favor the many acts like: ME, FALLY IPUPA, MIC INITY, ASHAWO (Mr Flavour) and many more! Next time folks,” Chameleone said. HiPipo.com

GAGA NEW FASHION

Lady Gaga greets Finnish fans with a bizarre feathered headpiece covering her face

She’s worn some bizarre outfits in her time, so it wasn’t a shock for fans as Lady Gaga emerged from her hotel in Finland yesterday dressed as a giant bird.The eccentric performer, who regularly sets tongues wagging with her outlandish take on fashion, has stunned fans with outfits ranging from Kermit the Frog to a piece of meat.
Wearing a long black dress, teamed with a black cape, Gaga stepped out onto the streets of Helsinki in true dramatic fashion, greeted by a sea of screaming fans.

Unusual: The star chose the startling adornment as she met with fans on the second day of her Born This Way tour in the Finnish capital

Clearly in a theatrical mood, she certainly gave her fans a treat, drawing a number of excited gasps from the crowd as she breezed past them.
In the Finnish capital as part of her Born This Way tour, the star was clearly trying to grab as much attention as possible during her short stay, bringing a bit of her stage show to the streets of Helsinki.
Later in the evening, the extravagant star even went as far as to flash her bottom on stage, leading fans to draw comparisons with Madonna’s similar on-stage flash in Italy a few months ago.

The crow: Gaga's quirky headpiece almost covered her entire face

4 SUPERCUP FOR SPECIAL ONE

Jose's men are Super kings

Real Madrid secured their first Spanish Super Cup since 2008 on away goals after a narrow victory over arch rivals Barcelona in Wednesday's second leg at the Bernabeu. The hosts had failed to win in their last seven home meetings with Barca but went about ending that record early on with goals in the first 20 minutes from Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Trophy hunters: Pepe (L) and Cristiano Ronaldo

Super kings: Real Madrid celebrate

Real deal: Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates victory

MADRID 2-1 BARCELONA

Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (Agg: 4-4): Madrid wins on away goals

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Los Blancos triumphed on away goals after the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate, but it should have been a much wider margin after a shambolic defensive start from Tito Vilanova's men.

A missed clearance from Javier Mascherano saw Gonzalo Higuain gifted the opener, and an outrageous move from Cristiano Ronaldo on Gerard Pique put him in position to make it 2-0 after 19 minutes.

Adriano's red card just before half an hour seemed to signal the the end of Barca's hopes, but Lionel Messi dragged the club back to its feet with a fantastic free kick on the stroke of halftime.

The second half was far more tense as a much-improved Barca had chances to score again, but there was no way back for the visitors as Madrid hung on to claim the first trophy in Spain this season.
Pepe returned from a concussion to start alongside Sergio Ramos in defense, but there was no place for new signing Luka Modric, who began the game on the bench.
An injury to Dani Alves during the warmup forced Tito Vilanova to draft Jordi Alba in at left back, with Adriano shifting to the opposite flank. Carles Puyol was another notable absentee after fracturing a cheekbone in the 2-1 win over Osasuna on the weekend.
The Barcelona captain may have well had a thing or two to say after a dreadful defensive opening that saw Madrid storm into a two goal lead after 20 minutes.
Mascherano had already allowed Higuain to slip past him for an early one-on-one that was saved by Victor Valdes, and the Argentine gifted his compatriot an even greater chance in the 11th minute, when his missed attempt at a clearance allowed the striker to steal in and slot home the opener.
It went from bad to worse for Barca eight minutes later, as Madrid struck again after pouncing on another lapse at the back. Pique was left bamboozled by a heel flick from Ronaldo, who advanced on goal and had time to steady himself before blasting in via the leg of Valdes.
Valdes was called into action once more to deny Higuain, who was again able to get behind the defense, while Madrid saw a third goal questionably disallowed for an infraction after Pepe nodded in a free kick.
The visiting side was all at sea, and the chances seemed to be virtually extinguished just before the half hour mark when Adriano was shown a straight red card for pulling down Ronaldo on a clear break towards goal for the Portuguese.
Vilanova was forced to throw on Martin Montoya for Sanchez in a bid to shore up his defense as Madrid continued to dominate. Sami Khedira’s volley was thwarted from point blank range by Valdes, before a last ditch challenge from Mascherano halted Higuain as he bore down on goal.
However, there were a few signs of life from Barca as the first half drew to a close. Montaya came within inches of connecting with Andres Iniesta’s low cross, and then, in stoppage time, a moment of magic from Messi gave the visitors a fighting chance.
The Argentine took charge of a free kick after Xavi was felled 30 yards from goal, and bent a breathtaking effort around the wall, past the outstretched arm of Iker Casillas and into the back of the net.
Still, Madrid nearly responded in the dying embers of the first half. Ronaldo’s 35-yard drive bounced inches wide, and Higuain also narrowly missed, after cutting onto his left foot deep inside the area.
Barca headed into the break knowing that it still had a lot of work to do, and looked to wrest control from the home side as the second half unfolded.
Madrid seemed content to sit back and protect the advantage, which allowed the Blaugrana the chance to dictate proceedings with their famed tiki-taka football.

WHO WILL WIN?

Messi, Ronaldo or Iniesta? Sportsmail assesses the contenders for European Player of the Year

The 32-strong long list has been painstakingly whittled down to just three and on Thursday evening we will discover who was the best player in Europe last season.

The three shortlisted – Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – have already beaten off competition from some of the finest footballers on the continent – and the bizarrely included Les Davies, of Welsh side Bangor.

And as part of the glittering Champions League group stage draw in Monaco, we will discover which of the stellar trio will receive the prestigious accolade.

The award - renamed the Best Player in Europe Award last year to replace the Club Footballer of the Year gong previously bestowed on David Beckham, Kaka and Zinedine Zidane among others - is currently in the possession of Messi, who won by a landslide 12 months ago.

All three finalists have a strong claim and Sportsmail presents the argument for each.

And the winner is... Andres Iniesta (left), Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) and Lionel Messi are shortlisted for UEFA European Player of the Year

 

Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona)

2011-2012: Appearances for Barcelona 47, Goals for Barcelona 8, Appearances for Spain 13, Goals for Spain 1

Trophies won: Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercopa, UEFA European Championships, UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament

Barcelona’s puppet-master started the season acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the moment and ended it with a claim to be among the greatest of all time.

His inauguration as the best player at the European Championships was popularly acclaimed, reflecting the Europe and World-wide admiration for a modest and unassuming character who has shone on the highest of stages.

His former manager at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, neatly summed up his midfield master: ‘Iniesta doesn’t dye his hair, he doesn’t wear earrings and he hasn’t got any tattoos. Maybe that makes him unattractive to the media but he is the best.’

Puppet-master: Iniesta still manages to get his pass away despite the attentions of Markel Bergara Larranaga (left) and Asier Illamendi in Barcelona's opening La Liga game with Real Sociedad

At 28, he has five La Liga titles, three European Cups, a World Cup and two European Championships and with that haul a rightful claim to be considered by history alongside Zidane as the greatest to come from this continent in the modern era.

In fact, Zidane heaped praise on his ‘successor’ during the tournament: ‘Iniesta is really impressing me. He reminds me of myself. But he is more pale than me.’ An observation about Iniesta's white complexion, which has earned him the nickname 'Pale Knight.'

One man band: Iniesta charges at the Italian defence during the Euro 2012 group game in Gdansk. He was named Player of the Tournament after guiding Spain to their third successive major tournament win

If not for his excellence in Poland and Ukraine, it would have been considered a disappointing season for Iniesta in that Barcelona fell short in La Liga and the Champions League. This was despite his phenomenal consistency in pulling Barcelona’s strings across 47 games.

But his performances in that glorious month for Spain are good reason enough for Iniesta to win this award.

Video of Iniesta's goals and assists for Barcelona last season

Video of Iniesta at Euro 2012

 

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

2011-2012: Appearances for Barcelona 60, Goals for Barcelona 73, Appearances for Argentina 10 Goals for Argentina 11

Trophies won: Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercopa , FIFA Ballon d’Or

The statistics say it all – 84 goals in 70 outings for club and country on just about every continent of the world, Lionel Messi sent records tumbling on an almost weekly basis during a fantasy season.

There is very little that hasn’t been said or written about the Argentine, and no superlative has been left unused, but 2011-2012 was the season Messi left his indelible imprint on the history of the game.

He became Barcelona’s second highest all-time goalscorer, the highest scorer in a season in Spain and then Europe, the top scorer in the Champions League for the fourth consecutive season and the first to score five in a Champions League match since its inception in 1992. The list goes on.

Euro Star: Lionel Messi celebrates the second of his two goals against AC Milan in the quarter-final of the Champions League last season

And what’s even more frightening about the player who apparently has everything is that Messi is 25 and, by common footballing logic, approaching the peak of his career.  

But his epic goalscoring feats – not to mention the record 29 assists for his teammates - returned just a Copa del Rey medal as Real Madrid finally reasserted themselves as Spain’s premier team.

Before Christmas, he was rightly recognised as the finest player in the world, winning the Ballon d’Or for the second successive year. Logically, this European award should follow.

Quick out the blocks: Messi already has five goals in his first three games this season, including two against Osasuna last weekend

It remains to be seen whether Messi will continue to be so devastating in the post-Pep Guardiola era though admittedly the early signs look good – he already has five goals in three matches this season, the kind of ratio he was able to maintain throughout last year.

And there are very few football lovers around the world who don’t want that to happen.

All Messi's goals and assists from 2011-2012 in one video

 

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

2011-2012: Appearances for Real Madrid 55, Goals for Real Madrid 60, Appearances for Portugal 14, Goals for Portugal 8

Trophies won: La Liga

At the end of last season, when cradling his first La Liga medal, Ronaldo claimed that he’d played better than his nemesis Messi all year.

‘Some people say I’m better,’ he said. ‘Other people say it’s him, but at the end of the day, they’re going to decide who is the best player at the moment, which I think is me.’

Well, as football’s awards season approaches, they are going to decide which is better and Ronaldo has as strong a claim as his rival. In any other season in history, his 60 goals and dozen assists for Real Madrid would have been lauded as an unprecedented achievement. But then there is Messi.

Shot across the bows: Ronaldo landed an early blow in his team's battle with Barcelona and his personal duel with Lionel Messi when he scored in the Super Cup first leg last week

At least Ronaldo could take satisfaction in beating Barcelona to the Spanish championship, though another Champions League crown eluded him.

And the European Championships would frustrate him further. Ronaldo carried his team through to the semi-finals but the tournament he thought would immortalise him ended in ignominy as he didn’t get his kick in the shoot-out with Spain.

Disbelief: Ronaldo's Euro 2012 ended in immense disappointment as Portugal crashed out on penalties to Spain at the semi-final stage

While he may rue the passing of another chance to achieve on the international stage, Real will be desperate to prove that their Spanish superiority is a proper power shift rather than a Barcelona off-season.

Ronaldo was third in this award last season, collecting a measly three votes, but in the ensuing 12 months he has become a player of even greater importance to both his club and country.

All aboard the showboat! Ronaldo trickery 2011-2012

 

25.08.2012::AMICAL INTERNATIONAL::TP MAZEMBE VS RED ARROWS::0-1

NEW FCBK UPDATE DELETE MILLIONS OF PHOTO

Facebook finally deletes millions of embarrassing pictures from its servers after years 

Facebook users who delete inappropriate or embarrassing images from their accounts - with the the benefit of hindsight - can now have peace of mind that the files will be permanently destroyed.

Until recently, any pictures erased from an account would in fact remain stored by Facebook and anyone who had the direct link to that picture could therefore still view it.

The news may come as some relief to young people in the throws of trying get a job or impress a new employer, knowing that many companies today show an interest in the social network accounts of their staff.

Until recently any pictures deleted by an account holder would remain stored on Facebook's server and accessible with the correct link

Pictures now erased by an account user will be permanently wiped from the system within 14 days, but with a potential maximum delay of 30 days. They will be immediately removed from view on a user's account from the moment they delete the picture.

'It has taken them a very long time to do it because this change probably represents a huge engineering effort,' said Cambridge PhD student, Joseph Bonneau, quoted in The Sunday Times.

It was three years ago that the 28-year-old discovered that pictures he had deleted from the site were still available for all to see if they had saved a link to them.

Neil Armstrong - 1930-2012 - The Sky's no longer the limit.

NIEL ARMOSTRONG DIED

Neil Armstrong dead at 82: First man to walk on the Moon passes away

One giant leap: Neil Armstrong, who made the first mission to the moon in 1969 and was the first to step foot on the lunar surface, has died, aged 82

Legacy: A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon

Touchdown: Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong leaves a footprint on the surface of the Moon at Tranquility Base on July 20, 1969

Lunar landing: Astronauts Neil Armstrong, left, and Buzz Aldrin, righ

INTER MILAN 3-PESCARA

Pescara 0-3 Inter: Sneijder, Milito and Coutinho secure dominant win

Getty Images

Inter opened its Serie A campaign with an impressive victory over a newly-promoted Pescarain Abruzzo on Sunday evening.

The host played its part in an absorbing opening to the game at the Adriatico but it was left reeling after the concession of two goals in three minutes, with Diego Milito creating the opener for Wesley Sneijder before netting himself moments later after being set up by new signing Antonio Cassano.

Milito then squandered an excellent opening to grab a second in the closing stages but the veteran striker made amends by crossing for substitute Philippe Coutinho to seal victory for the visitors.

Pescara actually began the brighter of the two, with Jonathas flashing a shot wide with less than three minutes played before a driving run from Gianluca Caprari forced Inter goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi to rush off his line and concede a corner.

However, the Nerazzuri gradually began to settle and it was they who broke the deadlock, veteran right-back Javier Zanetti cutting infield before cleverly slipping the ball through for fellow Argentine Milito, whose low ball across the face of the six-yard box was converted by Sneijder at the far post.

[HD] Pescara 0-3 Inter Milan All Highlights And Goals 26/8/2012 - Italia...

Stoke City vs Arsenal 0-0 Full Highlights 26.08.2012

Getafe Vs Real Madrid 2-1 All Highlights And Goals 26-8-2012 HD

Liverpool Vs Manchester City 2 2 All Highlights And Goals 26 8 2012 HD

MAN CITY 2- 2LIVERPOOL

Liverpool 2 Manchester City 2

One of Roberto Mancini’s favourite current mantras is that champions need to improve if they are to stay ahead of the rest.

At the moment, though, the opposite is true of Manchester City. Two games into the defence of their Barclays Premier League title and the Italian’s team look a shadow of their true selves.

City more than played their part in a lively game at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. One thing last season’s championship has given them is belief. For the third league game running, City came from 2-1 down to earn something from the match.

Capitalise: Carlos Tevez popped up to score Man City's second equaliser

deserved.

Boom: Martin Skrtel opens the scoring for Liverpool

Roar: Skrtel enjoys a wild celebration

One would imagine they will improve. Players such as David Silva and Mario Balotelli look as though they are still finding their sharpness after post-Euro 2012 lay-offs. The same can be said of England midfielder James Milner.

Mancini, though, will hope that improvement arrives soon. Games against Stoke City and Arsenal are on the horizon, as is the Champions League, and City need to find a better stride.

On Sunday, they found themselves facing a Liverpool team still settling down under the guidance of a new manager, Brendan Rodgers. After last week’s defeat at West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool’s anxious supporters came hoping for an afternoon of reassurance — and, for a while, looked as though they might get it.

One of the most impressive things about Rodgers’ management is its confidence. He chose a 17-year-old, Raheem Sterling, on the left side and left three products of the Kenny Dalglish era —  Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson — on the bench.

Back level: Yaya Toure levels from close range

Nice one: Yaya Toure is congratulated

In the centre of the field, meanwhile, young Joe Allen — bought by Rodgers from his old club Swansea — looked an assured and confident footballer. Allen looked comfortable in his surroundings, passed the ball rhythmically and, though his influence waned late on, was the most impressive player on the pitch.

With City so uncertain early on, there was opportunity for Liverpool to impose themselves. For a while they didn’t really take it. Fabio Borini volleyed a chance wide from a Sterling cross, while at the other end Carlos Tevez ran on to a Samir Nasri pass to roll a shot against a post.

Midway through the half,  however, Liverpool began to gather momentum. A Borini shot was charged down by Kolo Toure, while another from  Suarez cannoned away off  Vincent Kompany.

Then, 10 minutes before half-time, a goal. Steven Gerrard curled a corner in from the right and Martin Skrtel, leaving  Aleksandar Kolarov in his wake, thundered in from the edge of the penalty area to send a punishing header high into the net.

Precision: Luis Suarez curls home Liverpool's second

BARCELON 2- OSASUNA

Osasuna 1-2 Barcelona: Messi double earns comeback victory

Getty Images

Barcelona escaped from the Estadio El Sadar with a 2-1 victory over Osasuna in their La Liga encounter on Sunday.

The Blaugrana were second best for much of the game, and fell behind in the 17th minute to a goal from Joseba Llorente.

Their woes continued in the second half as Osasuna kept them on the back foot, while coach Tito Vilanova was sent to the stands in the 73rd minute for protesting to the linesman.

However, a controversial equalizer from Lionel Messi brought them back into the match in the 76th minute, and Osasuna captain Patxi Punal was sent off for protesting the goal.

The Argentine would pop up once again four minutes later to poke home the winner, and give the Catalans a win that they scarcely deserved, after a spirited and purposeful 

Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Girondins de Bordeaux: Ancelotti's men record third straight draw

T

Gettyimages

Paris Saint-Germain is still seeking its first Ligue 1 victory of the season after once more being frustrated to a 0-0 draw, this time at the Parc des Princes against a Girondins de Bordeaux side which was seeking its ninth-successive top-flight win.

Opportunities were at a premium over the course of the match, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic providing much of the inspiration for the hosts. The visitors, meanwhile, offered menace on the break but were rarely allowed to trouble the home goal.

Bordeaux traveled to the capital with the aim of stifling their opponents, and for much of the first period their five-man defence was unmoved against an attack that was often too static and too disjointed.

Ibrahimovic was a threatening presence at the head of the home side’s attack, hinting at his class after only five minutes when he clipped an effort just too high.

PSG struggled to get in behind the visiting defense, but on the one occasion they really achieved this, Javier Pastore had an effort brilliantly turned over by Cedric Carrasso.

There was a flourish from the hosts just before the break, with Nene having a fierce drive from range pushed wide and then Alex heading narrowly wide from the resultant corner.

If Francis Gillot’s side was content to play a containing game in the first half, there could be little doubt that it was somewhat more expansive after the break as its confidence steadily grew. Landry Nguemo fizzed an effort wide of Salvatore Sirigu’s goal, but its big opportunity came when Ludovic Obraniak and Mariano combined down the right to set up Cheikh Diabate. Despite a good first touch, though, he was denied by a fine block from Mamadou Sakho.

Despite more positive intentions from the Garonne side, though, it did start to be pinned back in the final quarter of the game. Ibrahimovic, who had fired a terrific free kick just past in the opening moments of the half, nearly proved to be the matchwinner with a fine turn-and-shot following a corner.

Although for a period the passing of the home side became sharper and more intricate, it largely lacked incision in the final third. Substitute Jeremy Menez did offer some promise, but his best efforts inevitably flew straight into the midriff of Carrasso, who has now gone 11 career games without losing against PSG.

IS BOLT A NEW ROONEY? EPL UPDATE

Is this Rooney's replacement? Sir Alex and Bolt spotted in talks after United match

Sprint king Usain Bolt claims he provided the inspiration for Manchester United's 3-2 Premier League win over Fulham on Saturday - and was later seen having a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson, who could do with someone to replace the injured Wayne Rooney.

Bolt was guest of honour at Old Trafford and received a reception almost as warm as those reserved for new-boys Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa.

Both opened their United accounts as Ferguson's men came from behind to seal their first win of the season.

Secred meeting? Usain Bolt and Sir Alex Ferguson were pictured having talks - and a giggle - together

And Bolt, a lifelong United fan who urged supporters to persuade Ferguson to sign him, likes to think he played his own part in the success.

'I shook their hands before they went on the field so I guess I was a good luck charm,' said the charismatic Jamaican.

There was clearly more to the triumph than an audience with the most famous sportsman on the planet and a chance to look at his three Olympic gold medals from London 2012.

United front: Red Devils fan Bolt with Robin van Persie and Ryan Giggs (right)

'It couldn't have gone much better,' said Van Persie of his full debut, and his first appearance at Old Trafford since being on the wrong end of that 8-2 United mauling of Arsenal last August.

'We were only 10 minutes in and it was a good cross from Patrice Evra.

'I wasn't thinking about what to do. I only had one thing on my mind. I saw a little bounce. I had to hit it well.

'Some go over, some go in. You need to be lucky sometimes and it went into the far corner, exactly as I wanted.

United he stands: Olympic legend Usain Bolt was presented to fans at Old Trafford before the match against Fulham, to chants of 'Sign him up'

 Arsenal 0-0 Stoke

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta rued his side's inability to convert chances after they registered a goalless draw against Stoke - their second consecutive Barclays Premier League stalemate.

The Gunners dominated possession but, just like last week's match against Sunderland, could not make the most of it.

'It (two points from the first two games) is not good enough. We wanted the three points, but it is a hard place to come and try to get the points,' Arteta told Sky Sports 1.

Blocked out: Arsenal enjoyed much of the possession but couldn't break Stoke doArsene Wenger accepted his new-look Arsenal strike force need to forge a better understanding after they failed to score in a frustrating goalless draw against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

Podolski, Giroud and Gervinho were unable to make a breakthrough despite a dominant display in midfield led by Santi Cazorla

Heads up: The Gunners are finding life in front of goal without Robin van Persie difficult

'Offensively we still have some work to do because we missed a bit of accuracy in the final third in our movement and in our passing,' Wenger said.

'We are used to finding each other in the final third and there's something missing but I still think we should have won the game 1-0.

'[It is] an understanding because you have Cazorla and Podolski who one month ago, they didn't know each other, so that will come.

'We have some work to do on the training ground but I believe we have the potential but you can see as well that something is missing.

'They're not spontaneous enough in some situations. I'm very positive about my team. People will say: 'You did not score in two games' and I cannot deny that.

'We played against two teams who as a unit defend very well, Sunderland and Stoke, and overall I believe we can be a good surprise in this Championship.'

Last season, Arsenal saw their bid for the title take an early dent as defeats against Liverpool and Manchester United followed an opening day 0-0 draw at Newcastle.

 

However, Wenger conceded winning a poi

SAMSUNG FINED 1 BILION $ OVER APPLE

Samsung ordered to pay Apple over $1BILLION after losing patent case

Apple has been awarded more than $1 billion in damages as it prevailed in its patent-infringement case against Samsung.

The jury decided that the majority of Samsung smartphones and tablets violate patents held by Apple including features such as the zoom in and out inovation achieved by tapping the screen.

The jury also decided that Samsung's infringement was intentional and said that Samsung's countersuit for $399 million against Apple was without merit.

Kevin Johnson, (right), and Victoria Maroulis, (left), attorneys for Samsung, leave the US Courthouse and Federal building after a jury reached a decision in the Apple Samsung trial on Friday, Aug 24, 2012 in San Jose, California

The iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S II: Apple claims Samsung ripped off their phone with the Galaxy 

The verdict in the complex case came after the nine-member jury began deliberations on Wednesday.

Apple Corp. filed its lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged legions of the country's highest-paid patent lawyers to demand $2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million.

But the day belonged to Apple as the jury rejected all Samsung's claim against Apple. The jury did reject some of Apple's claims against the two dozen Samsung devices at issue, declining to award the $2.5 billion Apple demanded.

A Californian court has decided that Apple's iPad was copied by Samsung Electronics' Galaxy tablet 10.1 (right) and that the South Korean firm must pay over $1 billion in damages

Samsung conceded that Apple makes great products but said it doesn't have a monopoly on the design of rectangle phones with rounded corners that it claimed it created.

The trial came after each side filed a blizzard of legal motions and refused advisories by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to settle the dispute out of court.

Samsung has sold 22.7 million smartphones and tablets that Apple claimed uses its technology. McElhinny said those devices accounted for $8.16 billion in sales since June 2010.

Apple and Samsung combined account for more than half of global smartphone sales.

As part of its lawsuit, Apple also demanded that Samsung pull its most popular cellphones and computer tablets from the U.S. market.

Apple's lawyers argued there is almost no difference between Samsung products and those of Apple, and presented internal Samsung documents they said showed it copied Apple designs. Samsung lawyers insisted that several other companies and inventors had previously developed much of the Apple technology at issue.