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Chelsea captain John Terry has urged his side to learn the lessons of the 2-0 defeat at Liverpool which cut their lead at the top of the Premier League to just two points.

The Blues were far from their best at Anfield on Sunday afternoon and paid the price by falling to just their second league defeat of the season.

Terry told the Evening Standard:"I don't think we ever take things for granted at this club, but maybe this is the kick up the backside we all needed.

"We haven't been playing too well recently but have been grinding out results.

"We have another gear to find and we're still at the top of the Premier League, so we have to be encouraged by that, but we can't forget what has got us there in the first place.

"In the last couple of games away from home, we have started the game very slowly and we did the same yesterday.

"I am disappointed to lose in the manner we did. I just think the tempo was missing early on. We tried to take the sting out of the game but it backfired on us.

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"The next thing we knew we were 2-0 down and by the time we got our game together in the second half, it was too little too late.

"We let it go too easily early on. It was frustrating and we need to look at it."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Speaking ahead of Manchester United's Champions League clash at Bursaspor on Tuesday, Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Europe's elite competition is better than the World Cup.

This summer's showpiece in South Africa hardly lived up to lofty expectations and, although the Champions League has received negative coverage in recent times, Ferguson is adamant the club competition wins hands down over the four-yearly event, despite some fixtures failing to stir the imagination.

"Have you seen the last six World Cups? It is better going to the dentist I suppose," he said.

"It is a natural thing. If you look at the great teams in the European Cup now and think of the Premier League, you are not going to get the same crowd for Arsenal playing a lower team in the league, or the same tension and drama as you would Arsenal against Manchester United.

"It is the same in the Champions League. Inter Milan playing one of the smaller teams will not get the same crowd. The important thing is the Champions League has proved itself since its inception.

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"It is better than the World Cup. It is unbelievable. There are some fantastic games. Yes, you have to get through the group stages before you get to the really exciting stage but it is a fantastic tournament."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Around a month ago Liverpool were on the brink of administration and were in the middle of a brief dalliance with the relegation zone. Fast forward a month and, although things are not entirely fixed, both on and off the pitch, life at Anfield is looking up. After a sensational win over champions Chelsea, Liverpool dropped points against both Wigan and Stoke before putting in an accomplished performance against West Ham at the weekend. If Liverpool had transformed the loss at Stoke and the draw at Wigan into victories they would be sitting one point shy of the Champions League places. As it is they are still only 6 points off 4th and 9 points off the top, and with the way the title challengers are dropping points on a weekly basis, the title is seemingly anyone’s for the taking. So could Liverpool yet make a push for the top?

Their performance against Chelsea was their best of the season by far and although West Ham were woefully poor on Saturday, you can only beat what’s in front of you. The way the league is panning out, it may be one of the tightest seasons ever, with Sir Alex Ferguson noting there could easily be five teams going for the top, and Arsene Wenger asserting that there may even be seven in the running. What Liverpool need is some consistency, if a side can put together a run of wins, then they will find themselves in with an excellent chance of emerging from that run somewhere near the top of the table, and with things looking up at Anfield, there is seemingly no reason that Liverpool can’t be that side.

However, as has been seen at Anfield all too often this season, consistency isn’t something that has generally characterised Liverpool’s performances. But with stability beginning to come at the very top of the club, perhaps it will filter down, ending in with more dependable performances on the pitch. It may seem a little farfetched to suggest that Liverpool have a shot at the title, considering they have lost 5 league games already this season, but to put that in perspective, Chelsea have already lost 4 and sit on top of the pile, albeit on goal difference, and lost 6 last year before going on to clinch the title.

Liverpool may not win the title this season, or even bag themselves a Champions League spot, but with the unpredictable nature of the Premier League so far this season, they would be ill-advised to settle for another mediocre finish just yet.

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Celtic have drawn their last 3 league games and if I were Neil Lennon I would seriously be thinking about ways to ensure Celtic can get their title bid back on track as of January. Today, I propose 5 ways to ensure Celtic recapturing the league title.

1.I am a huge fan of Neil Lennon but it is fast becoming evident that he is tactically inexperienced as Celtic have failed to turn draws into wins. The worrying thing is these last three drawn games were at home, Celtic park used to be a daunting prospect but in recent times it has become anything but. For me this is due to Lennon’s inexperience, the only solution to the problem is time, something Celtic do not really have.

2. If Celtic have sure up their centre back pairing come January I am confident the team can push for the title during the second half of the season. There is an air of cautiousness surrounding the whole team at the moment and I am confident in saying the reason for this is the teams 2 centre backs. Glenn Loovens and Daniel Majstorovic the main culprits.

3. With Celtics troubles at the back would a change in formation be the answer? I feel with the attacking prowess of both Emilio Izaguirre and Cha Du Ri the teams full backs would the idea of playing with 3 centre backs turn around the teams fortunes. If the two full backs were deployed as wing backs would Celtics leaky defence turn into a more watertight entity?

4. With Celtic drawing their last three games are their questions to be asked about the teams attacking ability? It would seem the team have only scored four goals in their three matches, are Celtic’s strikers up to the task? With players like Giorgios Samaras and Daryl Murphy regularly featuring I would have to say Celtic need to seriously think about their attacking options.

5. In Paddy McCourt Celtic have an absolute gem of a player. If Lennon could get him fit enough to play 90 minutes regularly then I feel half the battle would be won in terms of unlocking opposition defences. McCourt has the skill and ability to not only entertain but to win matches too. Time and time again we have seen the Northern Irishman score great solo goals as he glides past defender after defender. Could he be a serious catalyst to Celtics title bid?

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Sir Alex Ferguson is considering allowing striker Federico Macheda to go out on loan in January.

Italian sides Lazio and Roma are the teams who are both interested in securing the services of the 19 year-old until the end of the season.

Since making his name by scoring a late wonder goal against Aston Villa in 2009, Macheda has failed to live up to expectations and has struggled to keep himself in first team affairs. He now finds himself behind Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez in the forward pecking order at Old Trafford.

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Macheda joined Manchester United from Lazio as a 16 year-old and made numerous appearances for United’s U-18 side before signing his first professional contract with the Red Devils in 2008. He is yet to earn a full cap for the Italian national side, but has played 19 games for their U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-21 sides, scoring four goals.

Dimitar Berbatov fired in his third hat-trick of the season as Manchester United cruised past Birmingham 5-0 in a one-sided encounter at Old Trafford.

The Bulgarian was at his stunning best as he made it 17 goals in 18 league starts to cement his place at the top of the English Premier League goal-scoring charts.

Veteran Ryan Giggs, who was as fresh and energetic as anyone on the pitch, and Nani got the others as United maintained their top-of-the-table form with their 11th win from 12 at home.

For Alex McLeish the future looks far more ominous. Sitting perilously close to the drop zone, Birmingham’s normally solid defence were run ragged without the dependable Scott Dann, who has been ruled out for the season.

It took just 90 seconds for United to open the scoring. Nani won a corner after Liam Ridgewell dithered and from Giggs’ dead-ball cross, John O’Shea flicked on for Berbatov to nod home from a yard out.

Ben Foster, who left Old Trafford in the summer, did well to keep out a Berbatov blast minutes later after the striker pounced on the keeper’s miscued clearance.

The second finally came just after the half hour when Roger Johnson sloppily gave away the ball in his own half and Wayne Rooney worked the ball through to Berbatov to cut inside and smash in from eight yards out.

United added the third on the stroke of half-time when Berbatov intercepted David Bentley’s cross-field pass and the ball ran to Rooney, whose low cross was fired in by an unmarked Giggs.

While Berbatov cannot stop scoring, his strike partner Rooney has scored just once from open play all season and the England man missed a sitter just after half-time – heading wide from two yards out.

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But he had a big part in United’s fourth in the 53rd minute. Rooney was the only man alert to Edwin van der Sar’s long clearance and he gave the ball to Giggs, who crossed for Berbatov to fire in off the underside of the crossbar.

Birmingham had a golden opportunity to pull a goal back in the 57th minute but Keith Fahey miscontrolled the ball two yards out in front of an empty net.

Nani, who had a largely frustrating afternoon, added a fifth in the 76th minute when he cut inside and hit an 18-yard shot beyond Foster.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle lamented some poor finishing from his side on Saturday in their 0-0 draw with Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round.

With neither side able to break the deadlock at Reebok Stadium, the teams now face a replay to decide who moves into the round of 16 and Coyle said he feels replays are still the best way to decide drawn cup ties.

“There were certainly chances at both ends,” Coyle said.

“I did feel that we had two gilt-edged chances. I would normally expect us to hit the back of the net but we didn’t take them.”

“Now we both find ourselves with a replay to content with.”

“I think you have to give Wigan credit, they defended for their lives when they had to. Now we’ve both got an extra game to contend with which we probably both didn’t want.”

“I personally love the FA Cup I think it’s the best competition in world football. Replays have always been in place and I don’t see why we should change them.”

“We all realise that the Barclays Premier League is the best league in the world and everyone wants to be fresh and energetic for that but you have to pay respect to the FA Cup and we’ll do that.”

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez said he was pleased with the spirit shown by his young side, and declared he wanted to use a positive result in the cup as a springboard to get his team out of the Premier League relegation zone.

“I’m honest with you. I think it will be very, very positive for us,” Martinez said.

“We made changes today and I feel that games like this are very good for us. We’ve got a young squad that probably need football, we need to play in certain conditions.”

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“Today we had two or three very good performances and these players are shouting that they want to have a role in this team in the last third of this competition and that’s reassuring.”

“We wanted the cup to be a help to our league campaign.”

“The manner that we performed today showed great concentration, we knew that it was going to be a tough game because we know Bolton play with great confidence.”

France and Brazil will use Wednesday’s friendly in Paris to gauge how far they have progressed since their failed 2010 World Cup campaigns.

Brazil endured a disappointing World Cup by their lofty standards, with the five-time champions eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual runners-up the Netherlands, while France fared even worse, failing to progress beyond the group stages.

France coach Raymond Domenech lost his job as a result of the display, and his replacement, Laurent Blanc, who has three wins from his four Euro 2012 qualifiers in charge, is keen to see how far they have come.

“Brazil evokes good memories for France and the French team. We knocked them out three times in (World Cup) final phases,” Blanc said.

“But things have changed a lot, it is a different time now, we are not in 1986, 1998 or 2006. We are still under construction, they are too.”

“I think they have an advantage, or a head start on us at the moment.”

The Brazil squad is made up exclusively of players based in Europe, with coach Mano Menezes, who replaced Dunga after the 2010 World Cup, claiming the home-based players would be short of match fitness given they are in the midst of their off-season.

Manchester United midfielder Anderson, 22, said the young Brazilian squad selected by Menezes was an exciting sign for the future.

“We both have a young team, not just Brazil, like France. England, France everyone needed a new team after the World Cup. In Brazil we needed new players,” he said.

Despite the lack of Brazil-based players in the team, Blanc has no doubts his side will face a competitive outfit at the Stade de France.

“People are saying, ‘Brazil today, we don’t know them’,” he said.

“Well yes, if you aren’t interested in football, but the team which will be announced tomorrow, you will know them all.”

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“Why? Because there is one who plays for Inter, one who plays for Barcelona, one who plays for Chelsea, another who plays for AC Milan, one who plays for Liverpool, a second one for Chelsea.”

“There is one who plays for Fenerbahce, and Fenerbahce is a big team too. Pato who plays for AC Milan and so on and so on,” Blanc said.

“They haven’t proved themselves yet because they are still under construction and they are young players, but when players like that have won titles, then we will know them all. And we already know them, amateur football fans already know them.”

Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed the Italian club will aim to sign Alberto Aquilani permanently from Liverpool.The on-loan central midfielder has expressed his desire to stay at the Stadio Olimpico, and Marotta confirmed the club would look to use the clause to sign the 26-year-old to remain in Torino beyond his season-long stint.”Well, let’s say that Aquilani is doing very well and we’re very satisfied. He should not be worried, since having him on loan doesn’t mean that we’re only evaluating him, but believing in him,” Marotta said. “His skills are known since he has been in Roma and the Italy youth teams and therefore we’ll discuss with Liverpool the option of a permanent move.”In another positive sign for Bianconeri fans, Marotta confirmed the club is aiming to extend the career of veteran Alessandro Del Piero.”There is always this chance. Del Piero is a great professional player who has given much to Juventus,” he said. “We’re trying to find an economic balance. It’s only a matter of time, which is needed to find an agreement, but we’re optimistic that we can achieve a positive result.”Marotta said the injury concerns of Luca Toni (knee) and Alessandro Matri (ribs) have affected the club’s consistency on the pitch since the return to league duties after the Italian winter break.”Well, they’re both great players, which we were missing mainly because of the injuries we have had in recent months. Therefore we have found a certain identity and consistency from a tactical point of view again,” he said.

Lionel Messi’s goal glut continued as Barcelona opened up a 10-point lead in La Liga with a 1-0 win at Valencia on Wednesday.Messi, who has scored 42 times at club level across all competitions this season, tucked a 77th-minute goal past Valencia goalkeeper Vincente Guaita to leave Real Madrid trailing by 10 points on the Spanish table.Valencia, meanwhile, fall 20 points clear of the league leaders in third place after seeing their 11-game unbeaten run brought to an end.Barca’s win, their 23rd straight unbeaten result in La Liga, was Pep Guardiola’s first at the Mestalla as manager.Messi was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal, failing to convert three gilt-edged chances, each from within eight yards, and spraying another over the crossbar.Roberto Soldado and Pablo Hernandez both shot wide for Valencia before Messi finally found his range, tapping wide of the Guaita after Adriano ran down the left and cut inside for the Argentine marksman.Elswhere, Villarreal kept in the hunt for the top three with a 1-0 home win over strugglers Hercules.Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi did the damage for the hosts, beating the offside trap with a terrific run down the middle and side-footing past Hercules custodian Calatayud in the 22nd minute.Atletico Bilbao’s freefall continued with a fourth straight loss, this time on the road to Real Zaragoza.Llorente put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute before second-half strikes to Jiri Jarosik (51) and Ikechukwu Uche (56) saw Bilbao plummet to sixth on the table, two points clear of fifth-placed Espanyol.Atletico Madrid moved within three points of the Europa League places with a 1-1 draw at Getafe thanks to Elias’ 82nd-minute equaliser, while Levante drew 1-1 at Real Sociedad and Osasuna fought out a goal-less draw with Deportivo.