Lampard Leads England To Victory

Frank Lampard celebrated claiming the England captain's armband by scoring the goal that secured victory against World Cup holders Spain at Wembley. Lampard - leading his country in the absence of rested Chelsea team-mate John Terry - headed in from close range in the 49th minute after Darren Bent had struck the woodwork. The world and European champions dominated possession and territory for long periods and almost equalised late on when David Villa struck a post and substitute Cesc Fabregas wasted a chance. But England held on with real resilience for a win that will inject new reserves of confidence into Fabio Capello's side. Capello was missing his son's wedding in Milan to take charge - yet his reshaped England team gave him cause for a double celebration as they overturned the odds in front of a delighted Wembley gallery.

Bacelona And Arsenal Finally Agree Fabregas Deal

Arsenal and Barcelona have confirmed they have reached an "agreement in principle" over the sale of Cesc Fabregas to the Spanish club. It means the 24-year-old Gunners captain is set to return to the team he left as a 16-year-old in 2003. He will now discuss personal terms and undergo a medical on Monday. "We understand Cesc's desire to move to his home-town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. "We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success." Barcelona have been chasing Fabregas since last summer. As BBC Sport revealed on Friday, Arsenal will receive a guaranteed £30m transfer fee, with a further £5m dependent on the number of games played and trophies won by the Spaniard during his time at the Nou Camp. News of the deal was confirmed at half-time of the first leg of Barcelona's Spanish Super Cup match against Real Madrid on Sunday, which ended 2-2. The Spanish champions later stated on their official website that Fabregas will undergo a medical at Barcelona hospital at 0700 BST on Monday, before having a further test at Barcelona's medical centre at 0930 BST. He is then scheduled to sign his contract at 1130 BST before being unveiled to the media at 1300 BST. Meanwhile, Wenger will have to face the media ahead of Tuesday's Champions League qualifier against Udinese. Fabregas trained with his Arsenal team-mates for the final time on Friday morning and was not part of Wenger's squad for Saturday's Premier League opener against Newcastle, which finished 0-0. He had missed the club's summer tour of Asia as well as other pre-season games, including the Emirates Cup, because of a hamstring injury. The Spaniard, who has 58 caps for his country, made 303 appearances for the Gunners during his eight-year spell in north London, scoring 57 goals in all competitions. In October 2003, he became Arsenal's youngest first-team player when he made his debut against Rotherham United in the Carling Cup aged 16 years and 177 days. He also became the club's youngest goalscorer when he netted against Wolves in a 5-1 win that December. Fabregas was part of the Arsenal team that beat Manchester United on penalties to win the 2005 FA Cup, which turned out to be his only major trophy with the Gunners. He went on to become Arsenal captain in November 2008. Striker Robin van Persie is likely to take over as the new permanent Arsenal skipper, although he will be suspended for the Udinese match after being shown a red card against Barcelona in the Champions League last season. When quizzed on the futures of Fabregas and Samir Nasri - who BBC Sport understands is close to a move to Manchester City - at a news conference on Friday, Wenger had said he expected "nobody to leave" Arsenal.

Fabregas to miss final

Arsenal have the chance to snatch their first bit of silverware for six years – but they’re going to have to do it without their talismanic captain Cesc Fabregas.
Fabregas was ruled out of the Carling Cup final this Sunday with a hamstring injury he picked up playing in a midweek match against Stoke. The Gunners won the contest 1-nil, and though they closed the gap on league leaders Manchester United to one point, manager Arsene Wenger will be ruing the fact that the team will walk out of the tunnel at Wembley without his most influential player.

The Spanish international’s absence was confirmed by Wenger on Thursday. “It is a very small injury but certainly Cesc will be out for Sunday,” he said. “For how long [after that] I don’t know.” Arsenal fans were given some hope from Fabregas’ Twitter page, where he posted, “I dont know if ill make sunday or no, but all i know is that from this moment to sunday 16′30 i wont sleep if its necessary. Ive waited…”, and “…Too long to captain a final for arsenal and i wont give up till the last second.” It wasn’t to be, though, and Fabregas will be joining teammate Theo Walcott in the stands, as the English international was also ruled out due to a sprained ankle. But before any Arsenal fans start having a panic attack, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Gunners with the news that on-fire striker Robin van Persie would be fit for Sunday, as well as defender Laurent Koscielny and midfielder Abou Diaby

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Arsenal 1 - 0 Stoke

Sebastien Squillaci was the unlikely hero as Arsenal beat Stoke to move to within one point of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.
But the win was tarnished by concern over captain Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, who both came off injured.
Walcott had already hit the post before defender Squillaci headed home Nicklas Bendtner's cross to put Arsenal ahead.

Stoke improved and Gunners keeper Wojciech Szczesny denied John Carew before Robert Huth headed over the bar.
Arsenal's delight at moving into United's slipstream will be tempered by worry over Fabregas and Walcott.
Fabregas will have his hamstring injury assessed on Thursday morning but Walcott's ankle sprain has already ruled him out of playing in Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham at Wembley.

With the Gunners fighting for trophies on four fronts, manager Arsene Wenger can ill afford to lose two of his key players at such a crucial stage of the season.
The injuries came in each half of the first meeting between the sides since Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey broke his leg in a tackle from Stoke centre-back Ryan Shawcross.
But on this occasion, the injuries occurred in fairly innocuous circumstances, with Fabregas feeling a tweak off the ball and being withdrawn as a precaution, and Walcott twisting his ankle in the turf as he fell under a challenge from Dean Whitehead.
It had not taken long for Fabregas and Walcott to demonstrate exactly whey they are so important to the north Londoners.
With a minute gone, Jack Wilshere dribbled past two defenders and found Fabregas, whose through ball picked out Walcott well inside the box, but the England winger's close-range shot cannoned back off the far post.
The home side were rampant and Walcott had two more opportunities to score before Squillaci gave them the lead in the eighth minute.
A Wilshere corner passed through to Bendtner at the far post and the Dane controlled the ball before teeing up Squillaci for the most straightforward of headers.
The loss of Fabregas, who was replaced by Andrey Arshavin after 14 minutes, seemed to have a negative effect on Arsenal's players, their attacks lacking finesse and tending to peter out with a misplaced pass on the edge of the visitors' box.

With the Gunners monopolising possession, Szczesny might as well have been sat at home with a pipe and slippers. But, when he was finally called upon, he displayed the reactions and agility that have made him Arsenal's undisputed number one this season.
A Stoke long ball was headed back by Jon Walters for Carew, whose powerful first-time drive was palmed away by the Pole as he dived full-stretch to his right.
Perhaps sensing vulnerability in Arsenal, the visitors started the second-half on the front foot and came close to equalising when Shawcross - captaining Stoke almost exactly a year after the Ramsey incident- met Jermaine Pennant's cross with a header that was deflected over the bar by Johan Djourou.
Shortly afterwards, Szczesny was beaten to a Rory Delap long throw by Huth but the German centre-half's header sailed over the bar.
At the other end, Arshavin jinked past Shawcross before pulling the ball back for Walcott, who sliced wide under pressure from Huth.
Following the England wideman's withdrawal, Stoke continued to press for an equaliser and Pennant came agonisingly close with a free-kick that floated past the post.
But the visitors could not conjure a breakthrough and eventually succumbed to their fifth away league defeat in a row.

Xavi "Ces will play for Barcelona"

Barcelona star Xavi has urged Arsenal's Ces Fabregas to join him at the Nou Camp.Gunners captain Fabregas started his career in Barca's youth team,and is a long time target of the Spanish champions.
Arsenal will seek revenge for last season's Champions League defeat,with the first leg of their last sixteen showdown at the Emirates on Wednesday week.
Midfielder Xavi has thrown down the gauntlet to Arsene Wenger by insisting Fabregas wants to join them.
Xavi said "I believe that Ces will play for Barcelona as it is his desire to do so".
"Dreams come true,and  his greatest wish is to return to the club.He would adapt to Barcelona easily as he grew up here and posses the Barcelona DNA".