Saints top Reds

Riise shocker seals 2-0 defeat for Liverpool

Phil Thompson's Liverpool squad continues to struggle. Phil Cole/Getty Images

SOUTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) -- Norwegian John Arne Riise scored a freak own goal as Liverpool suffered a damaging 2-0 defeat at Southampton in the English Premier League on Wednesday.

After James Beattie's second-half penalty had given Southampton the lead, Riise headed a harmless cross past his own goalkeeper with his first touch as a substitute to seal Liverpool's defeat.

Phil Thompson's side have now won only once in seven league games and they remain fifth in the table on 38 points, but no longer have a game in hand over leaders Leeds United, who have 41 points.

Southampton, who won 4-2 at Chelsea in their last league match, jump five places to 12th with the victory.

With only one win in their last six league games. Liverpool were without ankle injury victim Michael Owen in attack but assistant manager Phil Thompson preferred Finn Jari Litmanen to Emile Heskey as the strike partner for Nicolas Anelka.

After a tight opening, Danny Murphy went close after 20 minutes when he cut inside his marker but the England midfielder's effort was beaten away.

Anelka, who scored his first goal for Liverpool against Birmingham City in the FA Cup on Saturday, then lashed in a swerving effort which Southampton goalkeeper Paul Jones did well to divert past his post.

Heskey came on at halftime as Liverpool tried to increase their attacking threat but Southampton almost stole the lead on the hour.

In-form striker James Beattie won a header and Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek did well to block Chris Marsden's close range effort.

Seconds later, Matt Oakley was felled by Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia as he stormed into the penalty area and Beattie slotted the resulting spotkick past Dudek.

Southampton defender Jason Dodd superbly blocked another Murphy effort as Liverpool sought their equaliser.

But after 71 minutes the visitors were left stunned when Riise, who had only just come on as a substitute, headed a harmless looking Marian Pahars cross over an astonished Dudek and into his own net.

Liverpool huffed and puffed after that and Thompson, who claimed on Tuesday his side's tricky spell was over, must now lift his side for Sunday's important game at title rivals Arsenal.

Gordon Strachan's Southampton, in contrast, will be buoyant for Saturday's visit of in-form champions Manchester United.

Hasselbaink gives Chelsea League Cup edge vs. Spurs

LONDON (AP) -- Two strikes by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gave Chelsea a 2-1 win over Tottenham in its first leg semifinal of the League Cup Wednesday. But crowd disorder marred the game, with coins and glass bottles thrown onto the pitch.

Chelsea, who selected both John Terry and Jody Morris hours after their court hearing on assault charges, saw Les Ferdinand equalize Hasselbaink's 10th minute opener.

Tottenham's American goalkeeper Kasey Keller could do little to stop Hasselbaink's decisive goal in the 76th minute. After Spurs' Ledley King conceded a free-kick, Hasselbaink's shot powered into the corner of the net past a stranded Keller.

After Ferdinand equalized in the 65th minute, television pictures showed a glass beer bottle being thrown from the crowd at the Spurs striker as he celebrated his goal. Hasselbaink also appeared to have coins thrown at him when he was being treated after falling.

Chelsea was unlucky not to be granted a late penalty when referee Alan Wiley failed to see Mikael Forssell had been tripped in the penalty area by Keller.

Tottenham has now failed to beat its London rival in 12 years and 26 games.

Chelsea have not lost any of their last 26 matches against Spurs and, if they extend that record in the second leg, they will face either Blackburn Rovers or Sheffield Wednesday in the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on February 24.

In the Scottish Premier League, two goals from James McFadden and one apiece from Stuart Elliott and Karl Ready gave Motherwell a 4-2 win over Dundee.

Mayor's approval boosts Arsenal stadium plan

LONDON (Reuters) -- Arsenal cleared another hurdle in their bid to build a new 60,000-seater stadium on Wednesday when the plans were endorsed by London mayor Ken Livingstone.

The English premier league club, which already has planning permission from the local council, is now hoping the British government will give final approval to allow construction of the new state-of-the-art arena.

"We now want to get on with the job of building our new stadium," said Arsenal director Danny Fiszman in a statement on the club's official Web site.

Arsenal are anxious to increase revenue in order to compete with Europe's biggest clubs but Highbury, their home since 1913, only has a capacity of 38,500, which is barely half that of English champions Manchester United. The British government will have the final say on whether building can commence at the Ashburton Grove site in north London, half a mile from Highbury, or whether a public inquiry is required.

Work on the new ground is due to start later this year with the new stadium, designed by the company which built Stadium Australia for the Sydney Olympic Games, expected to be ready for the 2004-2005 season.

But Arsenal fear a public inquiry could delay construction by up to two years.

"Following the major public consultation that Islington Council and ourselves have already undertaken, together with the exemplary way we have conducted our environmental assessment, like the mayor, we do not believe that a Public Inquiry is necessary," Fiszman said.

"We hope that the Secretary of State shares the same view."

Arsenal received Livingstone's backing after they agreed to increase their contribution towards improving local transport.

The club offered to increase their contribution for local transport improvement from 5.75 million pounds ($8.29 million) to 7.59 million pounds ($10.94 million).

"I would have refused permission for Arsenal's original proposal," Livingstone told Sky Sports News.

"But my planners have worked closely with the club, Islington Council, Transport for London and the London Development Agency.

"I believe that the new package of proposals will give London a world-class stadium, new homes and jobs and a better environment, and will help to regenerate a part of London desperately in need of major investment."

Arsenal, who spent 10 million pounds preparing their proposal, have said the 27-acre project will create 2,300 new homes, 1,800 jobs, health facilities and children's nurseries.

Chelsea players deny assault charges

LONDON (AP) -- Chelsea players Jody Morris and John Terry appeared in court Wednesday to deny assaulting a nightclub bouncer during a scuffle at an exclusive London bar last week.

Morris, 23, and Terry, 21, and Wimbledon defender Desmond Byrne, 20, denied charges of causing actual bodily harm and affray during a 35-minute hearing at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court in central London. All three were released on bail until Feb. 20.

The prosecution's case cannot be reported for legal reasons.

The three players allegedly assaulted a member of staff at the exclusive Wellington Club in Knightsbridge last Friday. Morris, a former England Under 21 international, had been out with friends celebrating the birth of his daughter.

Morris and Terry were fined two weeks wages' for breaking Chelsea's curfew rules, but will both be available for team selection during the court case.

Wolves striker charged over assault

WOLVERHAMTON, England (AP) -- Wolves striker Adam Proudlock has been charged in connection with an alleged assault at a bar, the first division club said Wednesday.

Proudlock, 20, is scheduled to appear at Telford Magistrates Court next Monday to face charges of affray, or fighting, in the Dec. 27 incident in Newport.

"For legal reasons, we are unable to comment on this specific matter," the club said in a statement. "However, as with any such incident that may involve any club employee, the situation will be monitored closely and once the facts have been accurately established, appropriate action will be taken if necessary."

Telford police said three men were charged in the fight, which left three people with minor injuries.

Proudlock, a a former England youth international Proudlock, came through the ranks at Wolves and secured a first-team place under former manager Colin Lee last season.

He has scored three goals this season under new boss Dave Jones. Proudlock is currently out of action with a knee injury.

Four charged over Cardiff violence

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Four men were charged Wednesday with public order offenses in connection with the violent scenes at the end of Cardiff City's shock 2-1 defeat of Leeds in the FA Cup.

The four are due to appear in a Cardiff magistrates court on Jan. 17. Police are reviewing video footage to track down a group of 25 fans believed responsible for the disruption.

Police are also looking at footage of Cardiff's second division match against Bristol City the previous week following complaints from away fans.

Several objects were thrown onto the pitch during the Leeds match -- including a coin which hit referee Andy D'Urso. Cardiff fans also invaded the field after the match and taunted the visiting Leeds supporters.

The English and Welsh Football Associations are investigating the incidents.

That behavior has led Liverpool police to discuss extra security arrangements when Cardiff travels to Tranmere for its next FA Cup match at the end of January.

"Officers from the force's football office will also be in contact with Tranmere today with further meetings planned for later this week," a spokesman from Merseyside police said. "The force will be monitoring any decisions made by the FA relating to this fixture."

Meanwhile, the Football League has welcomed the decision by Cardiff chairman Sam Hammam to stop his provocative practice of walking around the pitch while matches are in progress.

"The league acted early on in the season and wrote to Sam Hammam asking him to desist from walking around the goal," league spokesman John Nagle said.

"Following further complaints later in the season a meeting was held to discuss the matter. We feel it is an unnecessary practice and unnecessarily provocative. We have more pressing concerns and that is, that week in, week out, away fans are safe."

Ridsdale stands firm despite hate mail

LONDON (Reuters) -- Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed that he received a barrage of personal hate mail condemning his stance concerning the recent court case involving two of his team's players.

Speaking in Wednesday's Daily Express paper, Ridsdale said that he was sent around 1,000 letters since deciding to stand by defender Jonathan Woodgate and midfielder Lee Bowyer after they were acquitted of grievous bodily harm last month.

However, nearly 100 of the letters had been abusive in nature, many of them threatening physical harm, he said.

"There are about 10 percent which are really bad, telling me what I should be doing with myself and what they would like to do with me," Ridsdale said.

Instead of calling in the police, the chairman has responded by setting out to reply to each letter individually, except where the authors have decided to remain anonymous.

"All of the letters are addressed to me as club chairman," Ridsdale said.

"I have to admit that after all Leeds have been through in the past few years -- with the events in Istanbul, Hull Crown Court and then in Cardiff on Sunday -- there does come a time when it becomes mentally challenging."

Ridsdale has been criticized for allowing Bowyer and Woodgate to be made immediately available for selection after the trial.

He counters that he had been morally correct in treating the players as innocent until proven guilty.

"The letters continue to arrive, but I have promised myself that I will answer every single one with a personal reply," he said. "I feel I must write back to them to explain why they are wrong."

Eriksson's deputy spends night in hospital

LONDON (AP) -- Tord Grip, the deputy to England soccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, was in a London hospital Wednesday recovering from a heart scare.

Grip fell ill soon after he arrived at the English Football Association offices for a meeting Tuesday. He was examined by the FA's chief medical officer John Crane, who recommended the 62-year-old Swede have further tests in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

"Tord was kept in hospital overnight for observation and as a precaution. But we are told his condition is not serious," FA spokesman Adrian Bevington said.

"He felt ill on his way to the office so Dr. Crane took a look at him. Then he went to hospital where he spent the afternoon having tests. Adam Crozier, the FA's chief executive, has been to visit him."

Grip, who turns 63 this weekend, is now unlikely to travel to the African Nations' Cup beginning Jan. 19 and probably will take a break from traveling to watch matches. Nigeria, one of the favorites to win the Nations Cup, is in the same World Cup group as England.

"He is feeling well within himself," Bevington said. "He has been in contact with the office and we would again stress that this is not serious.

"Sven has been notified about what has happened. He has made contact with people at the FA and has left a message at the hospital for Tord.

"We will await Tord's discharge from hospital before making any final decisions with him as to his immediate diary. The main thing, however, is that he is in the best possible hands."

Grip has worked with Eriksson in soccer management for more than 30 years.

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