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Drogba's double sinks ArsenalSoccer Betting Lines02/07/2010 - London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Didier Drogba's first-half brace allowed Chelsea to claim an important 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, returning the Blues to the top of the Premiership table. Drogba opened the scoring inside of eight minutes and he added a second goal 15 minutes later, giving Chelsea a two-goal lead they never looked like giving away. Chelsea moves two points clear of second-placed Manchester United with the win, while Arsenal's title hopes have all but disappeared as they are now nine points off the pace. John Terry endured a terrible week leading up to the match as he was stripped of the England captaincy amid a scandal involving former teammate Wayne Bridge, but he had a hand in the opening goal early in the match. A corner kick was played to the near post and Terry was able to flick it on to Drogba at the back post, where the striker easily stuffed it home from two yards out. Arsenal responded well and they had Chelsea pinned back following the goal, but their best chance came in the 17th minute when Andrei Arshavin's volley eight yards from goal was hit into the legs of goalkeeper Petr Cech. The hosts sat back and soaked up the Arsenal pressure before hitting the Gunners on the counter attack in the 23rd minute to take a 2-0 lead. Frank Lampard carried the ball through midfield and played it wide to Drogba, who cut back past two defenders inside the area and lashed a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. Arsenal wasn't able to create any real good opportunities until the 69th minute when a Cesc Fabregas free kick made its way past the wall and through traffic, only to be turned away by a good save from Cech. It would be Arsenal's last decent chance as Chelsea easily cruised through the final 20 minutes, with Drogba nearly completing his hat trick six minutes from time with a 30-yard free kick that came back off the crossbar. Sunday's other match saw Birmingham's Kevin Phillips come off the bench in the second half and score two goals in the final 10 minutes of a 2-1 Birmingham win over Wolverhampton.
<< Czechs win doubles match to advance in Fed Cup
Brno, Czech Republic (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Czech Republic reached the semifinals of the Fed Cup after disposing Germany in the decisive doubles match. The tandem of Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke defeated Anna-Lena Groenefe
<< Italy tops Ukraine in Fed Cup quarters
<< Stricker six clear after three rounds at Riviera
<< England draws Wales in EURO 2012 qualifying
<< Canadiens invite struggling Bruins to Montreal
Thrashers recall G Lehtonen >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have recalled goaltender Kari Lehtonen from a conditioning assignment with the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Lehtonen has yet to play in the NHL this season after undergoing back surg
Dodgers ink Brian Giles to minors deal >>
Eintracht rallies to beat Borussia Dortmund >>
Turner leads Ohio State over Iowa >>
Cilic defends Zagreb crown >>
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana Should be in: Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it? Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel. Work left to do: Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third. Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim. Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either. Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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