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At Craven Cottage

When Roy Hodgson arrived at his post-match media briefing to be greeted by a warm burst of applause, it was confirmation that Craven Cottage had witnessed something extraordinary.

This impromptu ovation for Hodgson was not the result of misplaced jingoism or partisanship after Fulham's win over SV Hamburg on a magical night by the Thames.

It was delivered out of respect and admiration for the man who has resurrected a proud old club and as they prepare to face Atletico Madrid in their first European final on 12 May.

, Hodgson marked his landmark victory in the Europa League semi-finals by calmly navigating a Craven Cottage pitch littered with celebrating Fulham players and staff - many lying prostrate and emotionally drained - with his hand in his pocket.

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Patrice Evra may have taken it too literally - but in the space of ten minutes he demonstrated that it is that lies at the heart of Manchester United's relentless pursuit of success.

In the opening moments of the second half, as a struggling United fought to set the platform for , Evra was bent double on the Old Trafford turf.

Evra, overcome by sickness and stifling heat, was violently ill several times and needed lengthy attention before he was in a fit state to continue.

When he did resume, his response to his plight was to provide a cross that almost allowed Dimitar Berbatov to set up a goal for Darren Fletcher then win a penalty with a surge into the area that was abruptly halted by Benoit Assou-Ekotto's foul.

In the absence of Wayne Rooney, , Evra epitomised the spirit that dragged Sir Alex Ferguson's side to a priceless three points.

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Chelsea and Manchester United are ready to take the Premier League title race down to the season's final day. The battle for fourth place is fierce. The World Cup is only weeks away. What better time that to have another Q&A blog?

England's World Cup campaign has attracted a lot more attention - a sign that the clock is ticking down to kick-off in South Africa - and Dimitar Berbatov is a subject that is exercising the minds of many Manchester United fans it seems.

Once again loads of questions via and - again I have tried to address as many as I can but it is just not possible to answer them all. Please keep sending them in and there will be another Q&A soon.

And remember the debate continues here - there will be plenty of questions to come out of the questions. If that makes sense.

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Paul Scholes received the dubious honour of as reward for reviving Manchester United's title campaign. The modest smile that followed suggested he regarded it as a price worth paying.

Sir Alex Ferguson, once he had stopped doing his time-honoured celebration loosely based on an impression of a pensioner dancing barefoot on hot coals, was .

Ferguson's faith in the 35-year-old is so strong that he was happy to see him - then see it repaid 24 hours later with a goal that on its own may be worth every penny of his renewed deal.

Scholes, , arrived in the penalty area with arguably only 19 seconds left of Manchester United's hopes of a fourth successive Premier League triumph. As his header hit the back of Shay Given's net, the impact was felt all the way to White Hart Lane.

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The twisted logic that has accompanied Portsmouth's progress through means there should be no surprise when they are relegated from the Premier League one day and reach the FA Cup Final the next.

Even triumphant manager Avram Grant admitted it would have taken "a crazy director" to conjure up the storyline of Portsmouth's season - a statement laced with unintentional irony given the antics around the revolving door into Fratton Park's boardroom.

And there may yet be another, even more unlikely, twist in this tale after to set up a final date with Chelsea.

Common sense decrees that the fantasy will surely end when Grant faces his former employers on 15 May, but since when did common sense last apply to any events involving Portsmouth?

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At Old Trafford

Bayern Munich's trademark communal bow in front of their ecstatic fans at Old Trafford brought the final curtain down on an era of English domination in the Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson summed up a madcap night by going a bit as Manchester United became the latest Premier League powerhouse to exit Europe's elite competition.

who urged referee Nicola Rizzoli to dismiss United defender Rafael in one of the defining moments of a thriller marked by fluctuating fortunes.

The "typical Germans" in question happened to be Franck Ribery and Mark van Bommel, who were French and Dutch last time their passports were checked. It was a confusing night admittedly, but Ferguson's remarks did him no credit.

What is beyond dispute is that further releases the stranglehold the Premier League's so-called "Big Four" have exerted on this competition, with no English representative in the semi-finals for the first time since 2003.

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Sir Alex Ferguson's smile as may have been designed to lure opposite number Louis van Gaal into a corridor of uncertainly.

Van Gaal and his team do not scare easily, however. Indeed, Bayern president Uli Hoeness insists they arrive at Old Trafford for the second leg of their quarter-final tie on "a tailwind" after Saturday's victory at title rivals Schalke 04 sent them back to the top of the Bundesliga.

In contrast, United have had the tables turned on them since a lead held for 75 minutes in the Allianz Arena was , giving Bayern .

While United, , were losing their Premier League lead to Chelsea, Bayern left Gelsenkirchen accompanied by .

United, by Van Gaal's own admission, remain favourites to go through to the semi-finals thanks to Rooney's early goal in Germany. But Ferguson, who talked up the team ethic as a counter to the absence of his outstanding player, knows United must be better than they were against Bayern and Chelsea if they are to stay on course for a third successive Champions League final.

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Carlo Ancelotti's expression of choice is poker-faced - and he revealed the gambler within as .

All logic suggested Ancelotti would respond to the absence of Manchester United's by restoring his own master marksman, fit-again Didier Drogba.

Ancelotti resisted the temptation and boldly kept Drogba exactly where he was during , on the bench. The Italian's left eyebrow is permanently raised, and the expression was mirrored among Chelsea followers when his selection was revealed.

The ploy was an unqualified success, with Ancelotti able to leave Old Trafford celebrating a win that was as much as it was for a Chelsea team that has regained control of the Premier League title race with only five games left.

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In , it is worth remembering Sir Alex Ferguson's alternative is no cheap option.

It comes in the shape of Dimitar Berbatov, and a player of such extravagant gifts that he would be warmly welcomed at most clubs in Europe.

The 29-year-old Bulgarian has proved something of an acquired taste for many United fans, an Eric Cantona-lite to some. When his style is described as "languid", this is often code for lazy, but there has been a definite thaw in relations towards the Bulgarian this season.

Even Sir Alex appears to have had doubts about his most expensive acquisition, often excluding Berbatov from the biggest games. and was an unused substitute for the recent win against Liverpool.

If Berbatov wanted a gift-wrapped opportunity to banish any lingering doubts about his ability to live with what Ferguson admits is a unique pressure to perform at Old Trafford, then means his time has arrived.

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At the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger's lavish boast that Arsenal's Champions League meeting with Barcelona would illustrate "the art of football" came to fruition as a masterpiece was unveiled at the Emirates.

Barcelona provided brush strokes of rare beauty, especially in a mesmerising opening 25 minutes that will be imprinted forever in the memory of those of us privileged enough to witness it at close quarters.

Coach Pep Guardiola, with the Nou Camp's principles coursing through his veins, disguised his disappointment at conceding a two-goal lead to declare: "I am proud of my team. We won the Champions League last season but we never played like that away from home. Never."

Arsenal provided few of their trademark flourishes, and . There should, however, be pride for Wenger in the strength, spirit and courage of his team.

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