Friedel red card overturned

Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel has had the red card he received in Sunday's defeat at Liverpool rescinded by the Football Association.

The American was sent off after 63 minutes of the 5-0 drubbing at Anfield after he was adjudged have brought down Fernando Torres after the striker burst through on goal.

Villa's appeal was upheld on Tuesday, meaning Friedel will be available for their next Barclays Premier League game at Manchester United on April 5.

The news is a boost for Martin O'Neill's men, whose bid to finish in a Champions League place has faltered in recent weeks.

They are currently fifth, three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Friedel: No Doom and Gloom

Friedel Villa have lost to Chelsea twice in the Barclays Premier League this season - but Brad Friedel insists there was less despondency in the dressing room after the latest loss.

Friedel says Martin O'Neill's men consigned the Stamford Bridge defeat to the history books very quickly because of the comprehensive nature of the loss.

But the Villa goalkeeper insists the claret and blue troops took a lot more heart from the weekend defeat.

He told AVTV: "It was a completely different feeling this weekend to the one we had after the defeat at Stamford Bridge.

"On that day, we were not in the game from the first minute to the last.

"On Saturday we were in with a chance throughout and arguably in the second half we were the better side.

"We will take encouragement from that. That suggests progress. On some occasions - in any season - but hopefully just once - you have a performance and result that you just consign to history.

"Ours this season was at Stamford Bridge. It was one of those days. We came back and showed a lot of character after that defeat. I'm sure we will come back again because we do have a lot of belief in the dressing room."

Friedel also insists Villa were unlucky to catch Chelsea in a particularly defiant mood.

He added: "It was one of Chelsea's resilient displays. Petr Cech was commanding on crosses while Alex and John Terry did very well in the air against the likes of Emile and JC. We caught them on one of those days.

"On another day we would have scored but that's football."

Man City keeper Given fires parting shot at Newcastle

Shay Given has said he deserved better from former club Newcastle United following his transfer to Manchester City.

The Ireland keeper moved to City last week and should make his debut at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday after a transfer saga which dragged on throughout January with Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear saying the club would not let Given go.

"I felt Newcastle could have dealt with it a little bit better to be honest but I am delighted to be here now. It is a great opportunity for me," Given told Sky Sports News on Thursday.

"I just felt after being there nearly 12 years and the service I gave the club, the regime could have looked after the whole thing a little bit better and they made me do things I didn’t want to do in the end.

"It is nearly 12 years of my life. It is a long time and I would like to thank the supporters and fans. The support they have given me over the years has been absolutely phenomenal."

Given said he was not certain he would leave but eventually thought he had more chance of silverware elsewhere.

"The last six months it’s been fizzling out, it’s not been enjoyable going into training. Maybe it was selfish but I felt I deserved a bit better, than that I could be at a club challenging for honours," he said.

"You have a short career and I didn’t want to finish and regret not taking up this opportunity.

"I’m an ambitious guy and want to do the best I can. I think it’s a lot more stable at City. The manager is there in the interim at Newcastle and the club is up for sale."

Given said he reached rock bottom when Newcastle were thrashed 5-1 at home by Liverpool in December, despite him making a series of great saves in the opening half hour.

"It was probably the low point of my career," he said. "You come off the pitch and I felt like never seeing a football again I was that low." "But this is a new chapter in my life and I am very excited and looking forward to the challenge."