The English Premier League is one of the elite leagues in world football. The country where football saw its inception also saw the birth of their very own league, which was later renamed the Premier League.  Since then the league has seen clubs come and go but the quality of players have always remained top-notch, so there’s no surprise that a top 10 best EPL goals of 2011 list is beckoning.

With the 2011 season underway in the English Premier League, we’ve seen the emergence of big spenders Manchester City, whilst other top clubs such as Chelsea have experienced a lack in quality from their players. Still, the amount of goals the current season has delivered have been far and few between, most of which are some stunners. Total Pro Sports has compiled the top 10 best EPL goals of 2011 thus far.

10 – Ryan Taylor vs Arsenal:

You won’t often see defenders scoring in the Premier League, but on various occasions in regards to scoring, they do certainly make it a goal to remember. Newcastle defender Ryan Taylor chests the ball down after an Everton player heads the ball out to the edge of the box, and then executes a stunning, dipping strike that is sure to be heralded as one of the goals of the season.

9 – Glen Johnson vs Chelsea:

With the game in the final few minutes, Liverpool were searching for an equalizer as hard as they could but none of the players could muster up a chance they could capitalize on. Up steps Glen Johnson, who brilliantly touches the ball down from Charlie Adam’s quality cross-field cross, nutmegs Ashley Cole, holds off the pressure from Florent Malouda and finishes with a cool strike into the corner of the net.

8 – Didier Drogba vs Bolton:

Striking a similarity with his pre-season AC Milan goal, Didier Drogba benefits from Malouda’s winning of the ball from Bolton defender Steinsson from which he furthers up until the 30 yard mark and unleashes a shot that had practically every element a player could possibly implement; power, pace and accuracy caused this ball to be too much of trouble for Jaaskelainen.

7 – David Silva vs QPR:

David Silva has proven to be a revelation and one of the best on-form midfielders in the Premier League, as well as arguably in world football during his season so far in 2011 with Manchester City. His class proved too much for the opposing team for the umpteenth time against QPR, with Silva retrieving Dzeko’s ball and consequently fooling one of the defenders by touching it away and firing in a greatly crafted goal.

6 – Sergio Aguero vs Swansea:

Sergio Aguero settled into the Premier League, well, practically instantly with the striker’s debut against Swansea seeing the player score a brace. The second of said brace was a magnificent strike that ended up being one of Aguero’s many goals to come in the 2011 season (13 thus far). From around 25 yards out, Aguero sets him self up with a touch towards goal and performs a wonderful strike that leaves Swansea’s goalkeeper helpless, which is attributable to the pure quality produced.

5 – Luis Suarez vs Sunderland:

Luis Suarez proved his class once again for his goal against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Passing and outpacing Lee Cattermole, the Liverpool striker makes space within an extremely tight segment of the pitch with the result being a fierce strike that shocked the goalkeeper to find its way onto the side of the net.

4 – Royston Drenthe vs Fulham:

On loan from Real Madrid, Royston Drenthe is known for his speed and technique which was at display when he converted brilliantly for his second goal for Everton; the winger saw an opening for a shot and so he did with a first time strike that resulted in a fine goal – from 25 yards out, a curler beat Mark Schwarzer to his left side of the goal.

3 – Juan Mata vs Arsenal:

Jaun Mata has built a reputation as a extremely skillful player, which, when combined with his pace makes the former Valencia player a star in the making for the Premier League. With Chelsea losing 3-2, Mata manages to shoot just in time prior to a tackle from Song resulting in a 20 yard stunner that had both power and dip, as well as direction which all complemented each other well enough to end up as a great goal and level the score.

2 – Theo Walcott:

Walcott has been heavily criticized in his career thus far for his inability to produce an end ball; his pace is without a doubt his strongest advantage but the final execution almost always seems to fall short of expectations. You can’t take anything away from the player for this goal, though; falling down but controlling the ball with a perfect double touch which put it through the legs of Ivanovic, Walcott was through on goal and finished off a plausible solo effort with a power strike to put Arsenal in a winning position.

1 – Raul Meireles vs Wolves:

Whilst Raul Meireles is now at Chelsea, the midfielder’s time with Liverpool was certainly a pleasant one following Kenny Dalglish’s return as manager. It was fitting, then, that Meireles scored one of the goals of the season with a remarkable volley from around 20 yards which Wolves keeper had no chance of saving due to the sheer perfection of the strike.

The greatest soccer league in the world—The Barclay’s Premier League—kicked off its 2011-2012 season this past weekend, and we thought it would great to celebrate the occasion by having a look at some of the best soccer chants in recent memory. Now, we here in North America are used to hearing creative chants at high school and college sporting events. But when it comes to professional sporting events, chants are pretty much limited to drunk guys shouting, “Hey ref, YOU SUCK!” Things are different in the world’s great pro soccer leagues. Fan clubs work hard to come up with a variety of clever chants that support their own team and taunt the opponents. Yeah, sometimes (okay, often) these chants can be in poor taste, but what’s life without a little grit? In any event, here are nine of the most memorable chants heard at soccer stadiums in recent years.

9. Classic “There’s Only One” Chant

Okay, there are a couple things you need to know about English soccer chants. One, they are often sung to the melody of well-known songs. The one they most often use to praise specific players is “Winter Wonderland.” Yes, the Christmas song. Don’t ask me why. The other thing you need to know is that many of the chants that use “Winter Wonderland” also start out by proclaiming, “There’s only one [player name]…” The most famous example of this type of soccer chant was created by fans of the England national team to praise one of their players. The chant goes: “There’s only one Emile Heskey / One Emile Heskey / He used to be shite / but now he’s all right / Walking in a Heskey wonderland.” (Again, sung to the tune of “Winter Wonderland”)

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8. Gaga for Alberto Aquilani

English soccer fans also like to make chants that use the melodies of hit songs. The best recent example of this type of chant: “I’m your biggest fan / I’ll follow you until you love me / Aqui, Aqui Aquilani.” This of course was sung by Liverpool fans to the tune of Lady GaGa’s “Paparazzi.”

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7. Bob Marley Would Be Proud

Awesome soccer chants are not always limited to the top tier of professional soccer. Fans of 2nd and 3rd tier teams are just as passionate and can be just as creative. For example, fans of the Wycombe Wanderers, who currently play in the 3rd tier of the English football league system, chanted “No Woodman, no cry” when their team took the lead in the second half of a game against Brighton despite losing their star player—Craig Woodman—to a red card in the first half. (In case you live under a rock: that’s a reference to Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry.”)

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6. Ode to Scottish Cuisine

If you have ever been to Scotland, you know that the Scots love deep-fried food. If you can eat it, they will deep fry it. Obviously, this penchant for cooking food in vats of boiling oil makes persnickety foodies shudder. So when their national soccer team plays international matches against nations with “fancier” culinary traditions, the Scots in attendance like to taunt the opposing fans by threatening to Scotchify their beloved national cuisine. In a match against Italy, for example, they chanted the threat, “Deep fry yer pizzas, we’re gonna deep fry yer pizzas.” And they did. (I bet it tastes amazing.)

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5. What? Soccer Fans Are Racist?

Who knew? Okay, everybody knew. Though to clarify: not all soccer fans are racist, just enough so that every major soccer league on the planet, as well as FIFA itself, is constantly running “Put An End To Racism” campaigns. The strange thing is, some soccer fans can be racist even when they are trying to be nice. Take certain Manchester United Fans, for example. They love star midfielder Park Ji-Sung, who is from South Korea. It’s just that they sometimes show their affection by chanting pretty “insensitive” things. For example: “He Shots, he scores, he’ll eat your labradors!” Now, yes, some people do eat dog meat in South Korea, but I’ve always found it’s best to avoid sweeping generalizations.

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4. If Dino Were A Fulham Fan

Here’a another chant set to the tune of a universally known pop song—namely, Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore.” Fulham FC fans like to give their goal-shy forward Bobby Zamora some gentle ribbing by chanting: “Wheeen… yooou’re… sat in row Z* / and the ball hits your head / that’s Zamora.” (I’m sure it really helps his confidence when he hears this song.)

*Remember, Americans, in England the letter “zee” is pronounced “zed”

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3. Liverpudlian Self-Awareness

Liverpool FC supporters don’t have the best reputation around the world. Actually, to be perfectly straightforward, everyone pretty much thinks they are no-good hooligans. But I guess if you can’t shake a bad reputation, you might as well embrace it—which is precisely what Liverpool fans have done in recent years. The best example of this is the way they responded to West Ham United fans chanting “We’ve got [Paulo] Di Canio.” The retort went, “You’ve got Di Canio / We’ve got your stereo.” Is that not an all-time classic or what?

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2. England-Haters Club

Sometimes the best chants are the simplest chants. Case in point: in an international exhibition of Scotland against Wales, the Scottish fans taunted the Welsh with the chant, “We hate England more than you!” You gotta love it when an inferiority complex becomes a source of pride.

(For North Americans not familiar with the complicated dynamic that exists between the constituent nations of the United Kingdom, this would like Boston Red Sox fans taunting Baltimore Orioles fans by chanting, “We hate the Yankees more than you.”)

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1. Schizophrenia Be Damned

So, you remember how I explained that one of the most popular ways to celebrate a particular player is with a chant that starts, “There’s only one _____,” right? (See #9.) Well, back in 2006, longtime Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Andy Goram was diagnosed with a mild form for schizophrenia. The next time the Rangers took the field, their fans gave the world the greatest soccer chant it had ever known. This chant went, “There’s only two Andy Gorams, two Andy Gorams…” I’m sure mental illness advocates were not pleased, but you have to admit, it’s pretty funny.

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With that brilliant performance, Berbatov now has six goals in his first five Premiere League matches this season.  Suddenly, that 30-million pound price tag on him is beginning to look more like a steal, rather than a rip off.

Hat Tip – [The Original Winger]

The Portugal wingers Ferrari collided with a roadside barrier in a two-lane tunnel near Manchester Airport, police said.

Ronaldo (23 year old European Player of the Year) escaped with no injuries.  Also the police gave him a breathalyzer and he blew a negative.  Officers said there will be an investigation of the crash.

“He’s fine and is training as normal with the team this morning,” Manchester United said.

Photographs showed the front of the Ferrari completely crushed after the crash.  The front left wheel was blown off the car.  No other vehicles were involved in the crash but police said United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was traveling behind Ronaldo at the time which could have been a really bad situation if van der Sar would have collided with him.

Maybe Edwin van der Sar and Christiano Ronaldo were racing?  There were no reports on this, but may just be a possibility.

Here is another case where a high profiled athlete crashes his really expensive car driving to fast.  On Sept. 29, 2003, Dany Heatley crashed his Ferrari killing long time friend and teammate Dan Snyder.  He was also speeding.

This is the problem with giving all this money to these young kids.  What do you expect them to do.  Of course their going to buy fancy cars that have alot of horsepower, of course their going to speed and this is whats going to continue to happen!

With all the money Christiano Ronaldo has, there is not need to repair the car.  He probably will just go out and buy another new Ferrari.