England Premier League Media

Stoke defender Robert Huth said that it was a proud moment to captain the team in their FA Cup quarter-final defeat by his former club Chelsea.

“The manager [Tony Pulis] thought I could do the job, which is nice,” defender Huth told BBC Radio Stoke.

“I didn’t know anything about it until an hour before the game, so I didn’t have much time to think about it.”

Goals from England pair Frank Lampard and John Terry condemned the Potters to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

“It was a weird game because normally we play with a bit higher tempo, but they had a lot of opportunities in the game and it was probably a fair result,” continued the Germany international.

Pulis added that the target now for Stoke, currently 11th in the Premier League, is to reach 40 points and maintain their top-flight status for a third year.

“We have to put everything into context, and we have to make sure that we pick up some results in the league,” he told BBC Radio Stoke.

“We’ve had a smashing season so far, but we mustn’t take our foot off the pedal.”

Stoke travel to Burnley on Wednesday, with midfielder Glenn Whelan doubtful after picking up a hamstring injury against the FA Cup holders.

Stoke chairman Peter Coates says that Ryan Shawcross’s tackle which broke Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey’s leg was just part of football.

Shawcross was sent off for the tackle and left the field in tears.

“He’s nothing to reproach himself for, it was very unfortunate,” Coates told BBC Radio Stoke.

“It does happen in professional football. When you’ve got a game as intense and quick as it is in the Premier League, things can go wrong.”

Coates continued: “It’s a real shame, but Ryan simply has got to understand that it’s the game we’re in and it can happen.

“Rory Delap had a double fracture in his first game for us and was out for eight months, but we accepted it as part and parcel of the game.

“Nobody goes out to do these things, but they can happen and I’m sure that some time in the future it will happen again.”

Coates admitted that the events of Saturday took the shine of what should have been a celebratory moment for Shawcross, his first call-up for the full England squad and the first for a Stoke player since Mark Chamberlain in 1984.

“We’re really pleased for him,” he continued. “It’s a recognition of how far he’s come and we’re not surprised [with the call-up] because we think he’s one of the best young centre-backs in the Premier League.”

Shawcross reported for duty with his England team-mates on Monday, ahead of the friendly against Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday.

Brighton and Hove Albion have signed Stoke City midfielder Diego Arismendi on loan until the end of the season.

The Uruguay international joined the Premier League club in the summer from Nacional for a reported 3m.

The 22-year-old has yet to play in the Premier League and has made only two Carling Cup appearances for the Potters this season.

Arismendi will join up with the Brighton squad in time for Monday’s trip to Colchester in League One.

Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross has been defended by his team-mates after his challenge on Aaron Ramsey saw the young Arsenal midfielder suffer a broken leg.

Shawcross, 22, was sent off for the tackle, but Danny Pugh and Rory Delap said he did not mean to hurt Ramsey.

“There was no malicious intent from Ryan, he’s not that kind of player,” midfielder Pugh told BBC Radio Stoke.

Delap said: “He’s a committed player, but he’s never going to go into a challenge looking to hurt someone.”

He added: “Everyone knew straight away what had happened. The referee [Peter Walton] said it wasn’t meant, but because of the injury he had to send Ryan off.”

Pugh continued: “No one wants to go out and hurt a fellow professional, Ryan more than most. He’s a good lad, he’s not a malicious player and he’s been unlucky that that’s happened.”

Shortly after being driven away from the Britannia Stadium by his parents, Shawcross received his first call-up to the full England squad for the friendly against Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday.

Following the challenge there was a lengthy delay while Wales international Ramsey, 19, was treated on the pitch, with players from both sides visibly shaken.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described the tackle by Shawcross as “horrendous” and “not acceptable”, but Pugh refuted claims that Stoke are a dirty team.

“I don’t think we are, we’re fully committed. We don’t go out to hurt anyone, we just give 100% in every game,” he added.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke: “It’s an unfortunate injury, it looks a poor challenge, but Ryan Shawcross has not got any bad blood in him whatsoever.

“There’s no way in a million years that he would ever, ever go out to hurt a person. He’s a lovely kid and he’s been exemplary since he’s been at this football club. It was breaking his heart coming off the pitch.

“The game drops into insignificance really in respect of the injury. We just wish Ramsey all the best, we hope he recovers quickly. It’s a desperately sad blow for Arsenal.”

Shawcross, himself, released a statement on the official club website, reading: “There was absolutely no malice in the challenge. I would never, ever go out to hurt a fellow professional.

“I am deeply upset that Aaron has suffered such a bad injury and my thoughts are with him. I would like to send him my best wishes too for a speedy recovery.”

Burnley’s attempts to nullify the long-throw threat of Stoke’s Rory Delap in Wednesday’s league clash backfired.

The Clarets moved the advertising boards closer to the pitch in an effort to disrupt Delap’s run up and delivery.

However, the ploy failed when Mamady Sidibe flicked on one of Delap’s trademark missiles for Tuncay to score the opener in a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

“We noticed what they had done as soon as we came out but we got on with it,” said Stoke boss Tony Pulis.

His Burnley counterpart Brian Laws had the hoardings moved to within five feet of the touchline in a cunning effort to try and counter Delap and his not-so-secret weapon of mass assistance.

But the 33-year-old simply ran around the lengthy barrier to provide his 10th throw-in assist of the season.

“They have to do what they have to do. You take it and get on with it,” added Pulis.

“I don’t care where a goal comes from. It is always satisfying scoring.

“Because he was a javelin thrower as well, Rory has that technique obviously down to a treat.”

David Nugent’s headed finish earned relegation-threatened Burnley their first point in five games in a scrappy encounter at Turf Moor.

Stoke opened the scoring in familiar fashion when Rory Delap’s long throw was flicked on by Mamady Sidibe for Tuncay to head in from six yards.

Nugent levelled when he rose above Robert Huth to head in Martin Paterson’s deep cross.

But Burnley could not find the winner to take them out of the bottom three.

Stoke’s fine form had seen Tony Pulis’ side six points better off than they were at the same stage last year and almost free of relegation worries.

Burnley on the other hand had won just once in 17 league games and the solid home form that sustained them earlier in the season had deserted Brian Law’s side.

And the difference between the two showed early on, where Burnley too often looked edgy and rushed while Stoke played like a side under no pressure and completely at ease with their gameplan.

Abdoulaye Faye flicked Liam Lawrence’s cross wide with his left foot after just three minutes to signal Stoke’s intent.

And when Burnley did finally fashion an effort, Jack Cork tried to square his pass to Paterson when he should have gone it alone – and his short ball was cut out.

For Stoke, looking to win back-to-back away matches for the first time in the Premier League, the opening goal was to come from a tried and tested formula.

Delap’s fourth attempt at a long throw yielded its usual devastating reward when Sidibe beat three Burnley defenders to flick the ball on towards the edge of the six-yard box.

Tuncay was quickest to react and powered his header past Brian Jensen for his fifth goal of the season.

Burnley should have levelled after 38 minutes, but when Chris Eagles found space and crossed to Paterson unmarked on the far post, the Northern Ireland striker scuffed his shot wide of the post.

However, the home side started the second half with a far higher tempo and were immediately rewarded.

Paterson, bright and full of endeavour throughout, crossed from the edge of the 18-yard box for Nugent to rise highest and score his sixth goal of the season with a strong header.

After the equaliser Burnley looked the better side and the Clarets had chances to secure the win which would have pulled them out of the relegation zone.

Eagles tested Thomas Sorensen with a long-range effort but the Danish keeper got across to make the save diving to his right.

And captain Graham Alexander shot wide as Burnley pressed for the winner.

With the home crowd urging their side on, the chances, albeit never clear-cut, came primarily for Burnley but substitute Kevin McDonald’s cross-cum-shot looped agonisingly wide of Sorensen’s right post.

Burnley manager Brian Laws:

“Everyone expects Burnley not to be in the Premier League next year but we believe it. We have goals in us. We just have to keep it tight at the back.

“I will take a lot of things out of the game particularly the second half performance. They bullied us in the first half.

“The players could have felt sorry for themselves but responded magnificently.

“Nugent’s goal was terrific, it was great ball in by Paterson. It set the tone and I am disappointed we didn’t go on and win the game.”

Stoke boss Tony Pulis:

“We’ve had a lot of games lately against the bigger clubs and it takes a bit out of you. I thought we started the second half really flat.

“Give Burnley credit they had a right go and had the crowd behind them. We were down to the bare bones.

“We are still wearing nappies when the comes to the Premiership and we won’t take any team lightly, certainly not a team near the foot of the league.

“We are desperate to get 40 points, that’s our target.”

Wolves midfielder David Jones remains confident that they will survive in the top flight, despite a tough run-in.

Six of Wolves’ remaining 10 games are away from Molineux, starting with a three successive road-trips to Burnley, Aston Villa and West Ham.

“I don’t think we’ll be afraid to go to the places we’re going away from home,” Jones, 25, told BBC WM.

“I’m sure we’ve displayed this season that we can play well and score goals away from home.”

The former Manchester United player has benefited from manager Mick McCarthy’s switch to 4-5-1, forming a three-man central midfield with skipper Karl Henry and January signing Adlene Guedioura.

“It’s been working quite well, we just need to convert a few more goals,” he noted after the narrow home defeat against Manchester United.

“I’m sure with performances like that in the remaining games of the season we will pick up points.”

Jones has started the past seven Premier League games after recovering from a long-term knee problem, scoring the winner in the home game against Tottenham.

Rafael Benitez has said Wigan chairman Dave Whelan should concentrate on his own club rather than worry about what is going on at Liverpool.

Whelan claimed the Reds were in a “mess” following Wigan’s 1-0 victory over Benitez’s side on Monday.

Whelan said: “Liverpool are in a mess. The owners, being American, I don’t think they feel what we [fans] feel.”

Reds manager Benitez hit back: “I do not talk about Wigan. He [Whelan] should talk about his own club.”

Whelan also admitted he felt sorry for Liverpool fans after Hugo Rodallega’s volley consigned them to a seventh league defeat away from Anfield this season, and their ninth loss in total.

“The big sympathy I have is for the Liverpool supporters because they are a fantastic lot,” Whelan added.

“I’m really, really sorry for their supporters. We went to Anfield earlier in the season and there was absolutely no atmosphere and no heart at all.

“The supporters feel that and I think the players are starting to feel it.”

Monday’s result left Liverpool in sixth place in the Premier League table, one point behind Tottenham and Manchester City who have one and two games in hand respectively over the Reds.

Aston Villa, who are three points behind Liverpool, have three games in hand as the race for fourth spot, and a place in next season’s European Champions League, gathers pace.

Benitez was highly critical of his side’s performance at the DW Stadium, accusing them of lacking attitude and character.

But the Spaniard has little time to dwell on the defeat with the Reds travelling to France to take on Lille in the Europa League on Thursday.

“Hopefully there will be a reaction in Lille,” said Benitez. “This is an opportunity to put things right and try to get a good result.

“In football you sometimes prefer to rest but at this time it is good to have a match quickly after what happened at Wigan.”

Meanwhile, the Football Association has confirmed Steven Gerrard will face no disciplinary action over an apparent ‘V’ gesture at referee Andre Marriner during the game against Wigan.

It is understood Marriner saw the incident at the time but did not deem it worthy of further punishment. Under those circumstances, the FA cannot take retrospective action.

Europa League
Venue: Stadium Lille-Metropole Date: Thursday 11 March Kick-off: 1800 GMT Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra from 1800 GMT and then BBC 5 live from 1900; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobile phones. Also live on Five TV

Yossi Benayoun is doubtful for the first leg of Liverpool’s last-16 Europa League tie against Lille on Thursday after sustaining an ankle injury.

The midfielder suffered discomfort in the defeat by Wigan and his fitness will be monitored ahead of the match.

Centre-back Daniel Agger should be available having recovered from a sickness bug which reduced him to the role of unused substitute on Monday.

The Europa League represents the Reds’ only realistic chance of silverware.

Liverpool team (from): Reina, Johnson, Degen, Agger, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Gerrard, Lucas, Aquilani, Benayoun, Riera, Rodriguez, Ngog, Kuyt, Torres, Cavalieri, Pacheco, Spearing, Darby, Babel, Kelly.

Footballer Steven Gerrard compared sport to science when he opened a new facility at a university on Merseyside.

The Liverpool midfielder toured the 25.5m Tom Reilly Building at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).

The centre will house the School of Sports and Exercise Sciences, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology.

The England star said the university’s sports degrees meant football and other sports were no longer seen as “only a game, but as science”.

‘Everton supporter’

“It’s a great privilege to be launching the building named in honour of Professor Tom Reilly.

“Like me, his two great passions in life were football and family.

“I’ve been told he was actually an Everton supporter but he loved the game as a whole and I’ve been assured that he would have been happy for me to officially launch the new facility.”

The centre houses equipment for each of the schools – from a scanner for measuring body fat, muscles and bone density, to lie detectors and eye-tracking equipment.

LJMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Brown said: “In order to have ‘fit for purpose’ graduates you need ‘fit for purpose’ buildings, where students can gain both a thorough grounding of their chosen academic discipline and secure, vital work-related skills and experience.”