Euro 2008 Golden Boot Winner David Villa returned from a serious thigh injury had him sitting out from the recent 0-0 draw with Barcelona to start against Almeria in a match which saw three sensational goals, one a stunning 35 yard chip from team mate Pablo Hernandez.

Valencia ended the match on a 3-0 high, and extra special win which sees them supplanting Deportivo La Coruna for fourth with Sevilla just one point ahead now in third. David Villa’s goal in this match makes it his seventh of the season and he is now sitting top of the goal scoring charts, scraping ahead by one point over Osasuna’s big gun Walter Pandiani.

Despite Valencia coach Unai Emery’s claims that his team are not relying on Villa to provide all of the goals this season, this prolific striker is certainly on top form and looks set to be one of the strongest strikers in the business for the second year running.

2009 has been a strange season so far for the European sides, and there have been a number of shock results and odd happenings which are seriously unsettling the usual order of things.

Dutch club AZ Alkmaar have found themselves in serious financial trouble this year, throwing their whole season into jeopardy which was highlighted by a surprising 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Tuesday (20th October).

Top club Liverpool also had a ropy moment losing at home to the lesser known side Lyon, but the biggest shock of the season so far came out of nowhere when one of the best clubs in the world, Barcelona, were defeated by outsiders Rubin Kazan of Russia.

Barcelona are starting to look a bit shaky this season, having lost drawn 0-0 in a disappointing draw against Valencia (17th Oct), although Sundays (25th October) 6-1 win against Real Zaragoza will help to put fans minds at ease.

Professional bowlers can bowl very fast and accurately, and this is because they have mastered a smooth, balanced and rhythmic technique. This can be very difficult to achieve for beginners, so here are a couple of tips to improve your bowling.

Identical Run Ups

You should aim to have a short, practiced run up, which is carefully measure to allow you to land on the foot placement that you are best suited to. You can throw the ball from side-on, front-on or midway, and these are all controlled by the position of your back foot at the end of your run up. Andrew Flintoff is known for his consistent, front-on bowling and to ensure speed and accuracy, and to avoid making mistakes or causing injuries, his run up (as with all professional bowlers) is straight and identical each time.

Leading Arm

If you are bowling, you need to ensure your leading arm begins the throw from a high straight position, and is pulled down in a fast, smooth arc at the end of your run up. Professionals aim their ‘down arc’ in line with the wickets to improve the accuracy of the throw.

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Even experienced mountain bikers can get it wrong sometimes, and this can be costly either in terms of wrecking your bike, or doing damage to yourself. Keep safe with the following essential mountain biking tips:

* Helmet – most people do wear their helmets when out riding, and this is very important as head injuries are high risk in mountain biking. However many people do not buy the right size helmet, or get it fitted properly, so try and get a helmet from a specialist outlet, as they will be able to advise you on the right size and fitting.
* Be realistic – if you are a beginner then don’t expect to be able to ride all of the trail. Some sections will be fast and challenging, and will need working up to, so don’t be afraid to get off and walk through some parts, it’s better than wrecking you bike or injuring yourself.
* Speed – many mountain bike trails are all about downhill runs and speed, but the faster you go the more difficult it is for you to adjust to sudden obstacles or mistakes, so try and keep your speed to a level that you can realistically deal with, especially if you do not know the terrain ahead.