Everton	v	Liverpool	12:45
Aston Villa	v	Sunderland	15:00
Fulham	v	West Ham Utd	15:00
Man Utd	v	Bolton	15:00
Middlesbrough	v	WBA	15:00
Newcastle	v	Blackburn	15:00
Stoke City	v	Chelsea	15:00
Arsenal	v	Hull City	17:30

New Zealand assured themselves of participation at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with victory over New Caledonia on Saturday, a win which also parachuted them into a playoff with Asia's fifth-best for a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. But there was no let-up from Ricki Herbert's men, as they saw off New Caledonia in style once again in Auckland. Elsewhere, Vanuatu picked up their first win of a disappointing campaign.

Match of the day

New Zealand 3-0 New Caledonia

New Zealand were doubly determined to put on a good show in front of their home crowd: not only were they keen to put the gloss on their progression from the Oceania section, but they felt duty-bound to honour the late Charlie Dempsey, who had contributed enormously to the growth of football in Oceania. Dempsey was honoured by a minute's silence prior to the game.

Wellington Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz, in excellent form of late, made an early impression on the game when he headed in Chris James' cross in the 13th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Three minutes later, the visitors too went close when Pierre Wajoka's free kick came back off the upright.

New Zealand finally took the lead five minutes after half-time: once again, James crossed for Smeltz to head in, and this time the goal stood. Substitute Jeremy Christie made it 2-0 in the 69th minute, and fittingly it was Smeltz who completed the rout, firing in from the edge of the box fourteen minutes from the end.

Joy in Port Vila
With Fiji's weekend hero Salesh Kumar otherwise engaged in New Zealand, this was always going to be the perfect opportunity for Vanuatu to pick up their first win of the campaign. Despite losing Geoffrey Gete in the 50th minute, when the defender was dismissed for a second bookable offence, Vanuatu went into the lead soon afterwards through Francois Sakama. Derek Malas made it two in injury time, and Maciu Dunadamu replied for the visitors just before the final whistle.

Results
Vanuatu 2-1 Fiji
New Zealand 3-0 New Caledonia

Standings
1. New Zealand, 15 points from 5 games
2. New Caledonia, 8 points from 6 games
3. Fiji, 4 points from 5 games
4. Vanuatu, 4 points from 6

Remaining fixtures
19 November
New Zealand-Fiji

After two goalless draws in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, and a 1-1 stalemate at the East Asian Championship earlier this year, Korea Republic and Korea DPR are coming to know each other very well. Their clash in Shanghai on Wednesday represents the latest episode in a long-running struggle for bragging rights on the peninsula.

While the South Koreans managed a lacklustre 1-0 win over Jordan in a home friendly on Friday, the North Koreans got off to a flying start by beating the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on the road on Saturday. But despite their neighbours' impressive start to the final phase of the qualifying campaign, Korea Republic will be banking on a match-winning performance from a player who returns to the national team after 13 months' absence.

Although Lee Chun-Soo missed the warm-up game last week with flu, the 27-year-old is likely to win his 79th cap against Korea DPR, whom he has never faced at senior level. Lee, who had been out of the squad after Korea Republic's AFC Asian Cup campaign in July 2007 and the appointment of Huh Jung-Moo as coach in December, struggled to cement a place at his Dutch club Feyenoord, and was subsequently transferred to Suwon Samsung Bluewings on loan during the summer.

Instant impact
Despite the memory of his two-year spell in Spain with Real Sociedad and Numancia, during which he failed to score in 28 games, the local fans still believe that the diminutive forward will immediately return to his form and guide his new club to the domestic championship, as he did with Ulsan Hyundai Horangi in 2005. And Lee was quick to live up to expectations, scoring the winner against Incheon United at home on 27 August.

"I'm so pleased to have scored, and I want to score more," said Lee, whose playing style has earned him the nickname of ‘the Dodger'. "I also want to create scoring chances for others."

When coach Huh called him up to the squad the following day, few raised their eyebrows. It was a commonly-held view that the team needed his guile and guts to break the deadlock against the Chollima's stubborn rearguard.

"It's an emotional moment, because I'm back here after a year's wait. I'm also a bit worried, because this is a hard time for the national team and for myself as well," said Lee upon returning to the National Football Centre. "I thought about a lot of things, but now I want to focus on winning the game. I've also talked to one of the opponents at my club [Korea DPR midfielder An Yong-Hak at Suwon]."

In fact, Lee is the most capped player, bar captain Kim Nam-Il, in the current squad. His experience will be needed, too, as the Taeguk Warriors are entering the fourth and final qualifying round without the experienced trio of Lee Young-Pyo, Seol Ki-Hyun, and Park Ji-Sung.

"It would be good to have Ji-Sung in the squad, but I've heard he's not fully recovered from injury. A funny thing is that we haven't played with each other many times in the national team, actually," Lee admitted. "So I want to play twice as hard, to fill his gap! Frankly, I don't want to hear stories about us missing anyone from the team. We've got enough good players here."

Too much of a burden upon the shoulders of a player who has played only a dozen competitive games in the past twelve months?

"Even if I'm not fully fit at the moment, I told the coach that I'm mentally ready for the game," said an upbeat Lee. "I'm just happy to be on the pitch, because I've had too much rest. I was tired both physically and mentally, not even knowing I'd be back playing again. Now, I want to do my best, and I want to win."

Paraguay scored twice in the first half to beat toothless Venezuela 2-0 in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier on Tuesday, and stay top of the South American group.

Cristian Riveros and Nelson Haedo Valdez scored the goals after poor defending by the visitors, who were equally ineffective in attack as they failed to muster a single shot to test Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar.

Paraguay, who have a 100 percent record from their four home games, top the ten-team group with 17 points, and will complete the eighth round of matches in first position regardless of the outcome of the four games to be played on Wednesday. Paraguay, who have qualified for the last three FIFA World Cups, are five points clear of Brazil, who host Bolivia, and Argentina, who visit Peru.

Riveros stabbed the ball in from close range after 28 minutes when he was quick to react after Claudio Morel Rodriguez's low pass into the area deflected off a Venezuela defender.

Paraguay's second goal came when Julio Manzur's long clearance out of defence was headed on by Roque Santa Cruz into the path of the unmarked Haedo Valdez, who placed his shot under Renny Vega.

Venezuela, the only South American team never to have played at a FIFA World Cup, remained on seven points after their third successive defeat.

Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to join the final round of qualifying matches next year for the 2010 African Cup in Angola and 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

With the victory over Namibia last Saturday and the 0-0 draw between Zimbabwe and Guinea last Sunday, Harambee Stars will finish in either the first or second position in Group 2.

top ranked

Starting in March, the top ranked team in each of the present 12 groups plus the eight best second placed teams will play a final qualification round in five groups with four teams each. The winners of each of the five groups will qualify for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the top three teams in each group also qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

If Harambee Stars earn a victory or a draw against Guinea in Conakry on October 12 then they will remain as the top team in Group Two and qualify for the final round next year. But even if defeated by Guinea in their last match, Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to be one of the eight best second placed teams which also qualify for the final round next year.

second placed

As a result of the withdrawal of Eritrea which left only three teams in Group 11, Fifa decided that the results between the second placed and the fourth placed teams in the other 11 groups will be cancelled before comparing the records of the second placed teams.

Under that Fifa ruling, Harambee Stars have already earned at least seven points with their victories over Guinea (2-0) and Zimbabwe (2-0) and their draw with Zimbabwe (0-0).

As a result of the matches in the other 11 groups last weekend, there are already four second-placed teams who cannot earn more than six points under the Fifa ruling even if they win their final matches in early October.

For example, Cape Verde is second in Group One with nine points. If they win their match against Tanzania on October 11, Cape Verde will end with a total of 12 points. But Cape Verde beat the fourth-placed team, Mauritius, on June 15 (1-0) and June 22 (3-1).

In accordance with the Fifa ruling for comparing the second placed teams, six points will then be deducted from the 12 points earned by Cape Verde leaving a balance of only six points. The same situation prevails for Gabon, the second-placed team in Group Five, and for Congo DR, the second placed team in Group 12. For the contenders for second place in Group Seven, under the Fifa ruling the most they can get is 5 points.

final round

In addition to qualifying already for the final round next year, Harambee Stars are likely the fastest rising team in world football. In just one year the Harambee Stars rose an astonishing 51 places in the Fifa World Rankings, from 137th in July 2007 to 86th in August 2008.

Most of that rise occurred since May 2008 when the joint KFF-KPL Harambee Stars Management Board started managing the team. Since then the Harambee Stars rose 34 places worldwide (from 120th to 86th) and 16 places in Africa (from 37th to 21st).

That is the fastest rise ever in Kenyan football history. Moreover, the latest Fifa World Ranking does not yet include the Harambee Stars victory over Namibia last Saturday.

The highest rank ever achieved by Harambee Stars was in February 2004 when they were ranked 70th worldwide and 12th in Africa.

Gianfranco Zola said he wanted to excite West Ham United's fans with attacking football, as he prepared to be named manager of the east London club. "This is an opportunity in the Premier League, and an opportunity I didn't expect, but it's an opportunity I can't turn down," the Italian told the Daily Mail.

The 42-year-old former Chelsea and Italy forward is expected to be appointed by West Ham on Wednesday, according to British media reports. "I only know one way to play: on the floor, attacking football, the way things should be done," said the Italian. "I want to excite people, that's why we play, isn't it? This is a new era, a new chapter for me. I was an offensive player who only knew one way to play. That's how my teams will always play."

After finding their route to UEFA EURO 2008 barred by Croatia, England have an early chance for revenge when they travel to Zagreb for an encounter that takes star billing on Matchday 2 of European qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

All the members of the continental elite got off to winning starts at the weekend with the exception of France, who saw their status further undermined by defeat to Austria, and must come up with a response when Serbia come calling on Wednesday.

There has been little to choose between the two sides in their five previous meetings, with both teams claiming a brace of wins and the other game ending in a draw. On this particular occasion, however, the pressure is firmly on Fabio Capello's men. England have been unconvincing in their recent friendly outings, and Saturday's narrow 2-0 win over Andorra did little to reassure their worried fans. And while defeat at this early stage would hardly put an end to their qualification hopes, it could have serious implications. Even so, despite an unbeaten record against the English as a player and coach, Slaven Bilic will be taking nothing for granted, especially with the pragmatic Capello lining up against him.

The other games
4-0 winners against Malta at the weekend, Portugal have the chance to confirm their status as Group 1 favourites and open up an early lead when they entertain Denmark, who were held to a goalless draw in Hungary in their first outing.

Latvia and Greece both won on Saturday to make the early running in Group 2. Israel and Switzerland played out a 2-2 draw, meanwhile, and need wins against Moldova and Luxembourg respectively if they are not to lose touch.

Czech Republic's new coach Petr Rada will attempt to continue Karel Bruckner's good work when he makes his competitive debut in an awkward trip to Northern Ireland. Neighbours Slovakia, the early pace-setters in Group 3, have an away day of their own in Slovenia.

After kicking off their Group 4 campaign with an emphatic 6-0 defeat of Liechtenstein, Germany, still deprived of Michael Ballack's services, should have a far tougher assignment when they travel to Finland. Russia, the team most likely to challenge the Germans, entertain Wales in their opening fixture.

Over in Group 5 Vicente del Bosque made a successful start to his tenure as Spain coach when the reigning European champions overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. And even without the injured David Silva and Fernando Torres, the men in red should have too much for Armenia. With a record of 35 wins, 17 draws and 47 defeats, Turkey will be aiming to stay in touch with the Spanish when they play their 100th FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to an improving Belgium side.

While England and Croatia battle it out in Zagreb, Group 6 rivals Ukraine will have an excellent chance to move to the top of the section when they take on Kazakhstan.

Lithuania and Austria face off in a surprise Group 7 summit meeting following respective shock wins over Romania and France. Those unexpected reverses have increased the pressure on Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech and his Romanian counterpart Victor Piturca. Even without a host of injured first-choice players, among them Adrian Mutu, the Eastern Europeans should open their account against the Faroe Islands, while the French, who have yet to emerge from an extended transitional phase, play host to Serbia in a crucial encounter.

Italy's last-minute 2-1 win away to Group 8 rivals Cyprus came at a price. Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Gamberini and Fabio Grosso will all be missing with injury when they welcome Georgia, although the world champions should have little problem in pocketing the points.

Finally, in Group 9 Macedonia will be out to build on their narrow defeat of Scotland when they square off at home to the Netherlands in Bert van Marwijk's first competitive game in charge.

Player to watch
Having struggled to contain lanky Austrian striker Marc Janko on Saturday, France will have to find a solution to the problems Serbia's beanpole forward Nikola Zigic is sure to cause. The 27-year-old Valencia front man has a fine international record, scoring 13 goals in 30 appearances.

The stat
0 - The number of defeats Croatia have suffered at home in 30 FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers. The Croats have won 21 of those games, drawing the other nine.

What they said
"Judge the team after Wednesday's game, because Croatia are ranked fifth in the world. Tonight's game and Wednesday's game will be two completely different animals." England midfielder Joe Cole, after Saturday's 2-0 win over Andorra.

Have your say
Can Russia mount a challenge to Germany in Group 4? Can Fabio Capello get England playing the way he wants? Should France be playing with two men up front? Click on ‘Add your comment' and give us your thoughts.

Theo Walcott may forever be remembered as the 17-year-old called up from nowhere to join England's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ squad. But two years on, and with England facing a crucial qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday, he finally feels ready to make an impact on international football.

The Arsenal striker admits he was star-struck when Sven-Goran Eriksson made one of the most unexpected selections of all time by taking him to Germany, and many critics believe the decision hampered his progress. His selection, ahead of players such as Jermain Defoe, caused instant controversy which only intensified when England's little-boy-lost failed to play a single minute of football during the tournament.

Walcott was quickly jettisoned to the U-21s when Eriksson was replaced by Steve McClaren after the finals but now, under his third England manager, things are looking up. Fabio Capello produced his own selection shock by handing Walcott his first senior international start in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Andorra, preferring him to David Beckham.

And now the 19-year-old, used mostly on the wing these days by both club and country, is in contention to continue his belated comeback against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday - and has enough self-confidence to feel he deserves it.

Walcott said: "I have a lot of experience at England and Arsenal now. Obviously I have not played as much as I wanted to, but I deal with the pressure. I just play with no fear, and this match is not going to bother me at all. I will treat it like any other game. I will just concentrate on my performance - it is the only thing I can do.

"I have been here for a long time; well, it feels like that even though I am only 19! So I am just going to take every game as it comes and perform well. I give the England team a different aspect by getting behind defenders. There are some world-class players who can also play on the right wing, but I give them a different option. I am always trying to go behind defenders because the pace is there."

Walcott admits his early arrival into the international fold under Eriksson was a shock to the system, but he sees his experience in Germany in 2006 as something positive rather than negative. "I was star-struck at first," he remembers. "Only 17 and being at the World Cup. It was a brilliant experience for me - so for the next World Cup I will know what it's all about.

Learning the trade
"I am still learning my trade, my position and where I am going to play. But it has been a good start to the season at Arsenal this year, and I have played most of the games. The main thing Arsene Wenger told me was to be more aggressive on the pitch, win the ball back and get at defenders and not to have any fear. That's what I'm doing.

"I've always been a striker, but virtually every match I have played right wing for Arsenal this season, and it is starting to come naturally to me - I am starting to learn the position a bit more. With England in training I have been playing on the right, and that suggests I will play on the right in matches. Who knows, with more games for Arsenal I might be moved up front, but we will see."

Walcott certainly comes over as a confident young man these days, calmly and jovially dealing with questions in a press conference and deftly swerving the occasional curve-ball thrown by mischievous journalists. He has faced criticism over his own final ball at Arsenal this season, but believes experience and opportunity will turn him into a player to match even the most celebrated in the Premier League.

"Sometimes at the Emirates some people are negative about my final ball; sometimes it's not too bad. But I am learning and I do practise in training every day," he said. "I have had quite a few assists as well. The boss knows I'll do it. It is like Cristiano Ronaldo, he came to Manchester United in his first year, showed some brilliant tricks and he is 23 and the best player in the world now. I am not saying I will be like Ronaldo, I will be myself. I will take the positives out of my game."

If England can take the positives out of Walcott's game and make it count in Zagreb then Fabio Capello may finally have discovered a long-term replacement for David Beckham. Although even he will have to admit that a certain Mr Eriksson saw him first.

Arch-rivals Korea DPR and Korea Republic go head-to-head on Wednesday, with the North Koreans on a high after winning their opening game in the fourth round of Asian FIFA World Cup™ qualifying.

The two Koreas have drawn three times in three meetings this year, including two 0-0 stalemates when they met in the previous qualifying round. But the North Koreans go into the match with an edge, after upsetting United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their opening game last weekend.

"Obviously we are happy with the result. We would have been happy with one point, but to return with full points was really, really good. We still have a long way to go but it's a good start," said Korea DPR coach Kim Jong-Hun.

Attack has been a problem for both sides. The South Koreans managed ten goals in six games in the previous round, but seven came against minnows Turkmenistan. Their northern neighbours scored just four.

Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-Moo said his side was ready, despite missing Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung and recent AS Monaco acquisition Park Chu-Young. "Winning the opening match is always important," Huh said. "We've already played the North three times this year. We know they are an opportunistic team that pounces on fast breaks."

The Koreas are grouped with Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE with the top two teams from the group advancing to the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The South Koreans are seeking to make its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, while Korea DPR are aiming for their first since 1966.

England and France will both have recent failures in mind when they face their respective FIFA World Cup™ qualifying challenges this Wednesday.

Memories of England's sole triumph in 1966 are sepia-tinted, but at least they picked up three points, albeit at the expense of little Andorra, in their opening game, while a directionless France capitulated 3-1 in Austria.

Memories of France's 1998 triumph are a little fresher, but in footballing terms they were far away from that level in Vienna, conceding a trio of soft goals which render a win over Serbia at the Stade de France on Wednesday imperative.

But it is England's ghosts which are chronologically the closest as they head for Zagreb to take on a Croatian side which did the double over them in the UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers.

Those defeats exposed the gulf which has opened up between the undeniable kudos of a domestic game crammed with foreigners, and a national team described as comprising a "golden generation" which stubbornly refused to glitter under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren.

England know another failure for a major tournament is just not acceptable, and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard recognises as much. "I think we've under-achieved as a group over the past couple of years - that's a fact," acknowledged Lampard.

"Technically they are very good," said Lampard of the Croatians. "Everyone was up in arms that they beat us twice in the EURO 2008 qualifiers, but they ended up being the dark horses of the EUROs. They aren't to be taken lightly. Having three points already in the bag certainly helps."

For manager Fabio Capello, "Croatia will be another game, not like Andorra." But with the potential banana skin of Andorra safely negotiated, the Italian said he believed his squad would now show their mettle. "Are England good enough to get a result? Yes, I think so. I am confident in my team," he insisted.

With only the group winner guaranteed a place in the finals in South Africa - the best runners up face playoffs - a draw would appear a minimum requirement against their main rivals.

The Croatians, since bolstered by the news that Slaven Bilic will stay in the hotseat and not return to former club West Ham, brushed aside Kazakhstan, whom England host on 11 October, in their opener.

Defiant mood
France, meanwhile, appeared still shell-shocked from their dismal EURO showing as they collapsed in Austria, a loss which ramped up the pressure on beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech, who nonetheless remains in defiant mood.

"This event is not based on one game. Of course I'd rather have taken the points - but who said we were going to win every match? We'll be ready to take on Serbia on Wednesday," insisted Domenech, adding he believed the will to win burned strongly within a squad in a period of transition. "This is a young team but I am not worried about it," Domenech concluded.

Even so, the French group looks an open one with the Serbs having seen off the Faroes, and a gifted but unpredictable Romania having failed to benefit from the French setback in sliding to a 3-0 home loss to Lithuania.

Lithuania now face the Austrians, while Domenech will hope that a visit to the French camp of world champion keeper Fabien Barthez will boost morale. "He has the requisite qualities and can pass on his experience," says Domenech.

Germany, meanwhile, are seemingly on the up once more having reached the final of EURO 2008 and begun their FIFA World Cup road to South Africa with a 6-0 swatting of Liechtenstein. Joachim Low now takes his charges to Finland promising more of the same before group rivals Russia, who Wednesday host Wales, come calling next month.

"We will go for the win and will try to play attacking football in Finland as we did in Liechtenstein - though the Finns are a much better side," said Loew. Schalke defender Christian Pander will sit out the game with a virus for the Germans, who will be wary after drawing home and away with the Finns in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers seven years ago.

World champions Italy host Georgia without midfield stalwart Gennaro Gattuso, who injured his wrist in training, while defenders Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Gamberini are also out, having suffered injuries in the 2-1 weekend win in Cyprus.

Coach Marcello Lippi, however, who will hope Saturday brace scorer Antonio Di Natale dons his shooting boots once more, has eschewed the possibility of calling up replacements.

Argentina forward Carlos Tevez apologised on Monday after being sent off in the first half for the second time in three international appearances. Tevez was booked in the 16th minute of Saturday's 1-1 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying draw with Paraguay for a tackle from behind, and received a direct red in the 31st for a studs-up challenge on Dario Veron.

Argentina were losing 1-0 at the time, but managed to salvage a draw with a Sergio Aguero equaliser. "I'm sad because I left my teammates with ten players again," said the Manchester United player, adding that the first tackle should have been a straight red.