This week the shortlist for 2011’s Sports Personality of the Year was announced. Aside from the controversy surrounding the all-male top ten, cyclist Mark Cavendish has emerged as the early favourite to take the title. And deservedly so. 

 
On November 13th media mogul Silvio Berlusconi resigned as Italy’s Prime Minister, thus paving way for a new generation in Italian politics after dominating politically for the last seventeen years. 

The scandal hit media magnate has been succeeded by Mario Monti- a fellow whom which Berlusconi believes in. These events opened up a new chapter for Italy as well as for Mr Berlusconi.

 
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Is it time for Arsene Wenger to throw in the towel on his Arsenal project?
Six matches in the Premier League campaign and Arsenal sit thirteenth in the table. After a disastrous start to the season, losing three times, winning twice and drawing once, the team have shipped fourteen goals- an average of over two goals per game conceded. In all honesty, the season could have started much better.

The terrible start turned in to a “crisis” after League Champions Manchester United battered the London club 8-2 on August 28th, this came off the back of a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on 20thAugust and then a 1-0 victory against newly promoted Swansea on 10th September.

 
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The NFL now stages one franchise game a season in the United Kingdom
For the majority of us sports fans, football makes perfect sense - that is one of its joys. Well not all of it does. Nobody really understands anything that Jose Mourinho says, or why Fabio Capello insisted on giving pitch time to Emile Heskey at the last World Cup. But for the most part it’s pretty easy: you kick a ball with your foot in an attempt to score points. The clue is in the name right? Right?

Actually it turns out that for a few select places ‘football’ means something a little different*. The NFL preseason has begun and for many across the pond, Sunday evening will be spent watching large men in armour and leggings smash into each other at pulverising velocities.

 
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Nani, Young & Cleverley celebrate the winning goal against Manchester City
After a thrilling Community Shield comeback yesterday, Manchester United’s talented youngsters make for an exciting future at the club. 

There has been recent talk of Manchester United’s golden generation coming to an end but could a new one be in development at Old Trafford? 

 
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Major changes will be enforced in 2014
It came as quite a shock when it was announced that Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, released their ‘final’ regulations for the next generation of major technical shake-ups in 2014.

The rules had not even passed through the proper ratification processes so whether or not these ‘final’ regulations are truly final or not is yet to be seen, but we can expect them to be broadly similar when they come into effect.

 
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The years have taken their toll on the once mighty Fedor Emelianenko
For so long ‘The last Emperor’ ruled, but after a third straight loss, the great Fedor’s career looks to be crashing to a devastating end. 

For almost 10 years the Russian heavyweight ruled as world number one. Unbeaten in his journey to titles in multiple countries, and considered by some as the greatest of all-time. A legend, but do recent results mean in reality he is a mere myth?

 
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Chelsea have yet to lift the Champions League trophy
Andre Villas Boas has become the youngest Premier League manager at just 33 after signing for Chelsea this summer.

The young manager previously helped Porto to win a string of trophies including the UEFA Europa League and guided the team to a season-long unbeaten run.

 
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It has been an emotional ride for Darren Clarke
Sunday 17th July 2011. 

That is the day when the history books were rewritten as Northern Ireland claimed its third Major golf title in 13 months. An emotional Darren Clarke joined golf’s elite as he raised the famous Claret Jug aloft at the end of a gruelling days play. Utterly amazing.

 
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Fabregas is yet to gain a Premier League winner's medal
Cesc Fabregas was introduced to Arsenal fans across the country during a League Cup tie against Rotherham United in October 2003 at the tender age of sixteen, making him Arsenal’s youngest ever player to appear in the first eleven. 

He also became the London based club’s youngest ever goal scorer in a later round of the same competition.