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| Beckham merchandise is a global industry |
There was drama at the top of the Premier League this weekend in a thrilling game between Arsenal and Liverpool, which ended 1-1 despite numerous chances for both sides.
The game was of massive significance 巨大的意義 to the title race as a win would have taken Liverpool four points clear at the top, while Arsenal needed victory to maintain any realistic chance of winning the league.
There was controversy 爭論，爭議 in the highly competitive 競爭非常激烈的 game as Arsenal’s star striker Emmanuel Adebayor was red-carded 被紅牌罰下 for a dangerous tackle 搶球動作 on a Liverpool defender.
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I cannot say he [Arbeloa] cheated, but what he did was not fair play at all. The defender threw himself on the floor as if I put a knife in him.
Emmanuel Adebayor, Arsenal
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Adebayor himself was defiant 挑釁的 following his sending off, describing the Liverpool player’s actions as "not fair play 公平的比賽 at all".
"The defender threw himself on the floor as if I had put a knife in him," continued Adebayor, meaning that the Liverpool player had over-exaggerated 過于夸張的 the effect of the tackle in order to get the referee to act against Adebayor.
The result may spell the end of Arsenal’s title ambitions （獲得）聯賽頭銜的野心, but Liverpool’s deputy manager says Arsenal are not finished yet.
Sammy Lee said, "I don’t think we have knocked Arsenal out 將阿森納踢出（爭奪聯賽頭銜的比賽） of the title race. I have too much respect for Arsenal to say that."
Elsewhere in European football, an English legend 傳奇人物 returned to this side of the Atlantic for a short two-month tour of duty 任期.
On Monday David Beckham joined Italian super-club AC Milan on loan 被借的 during the close season 非賽季 for his American team, LA Galaxy.
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 I needed to be able to be playing top-flight football to keep myself fit, to keep myself in contention for other things that are going on. 
David Beckham, AC Milan
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Beckham needs to maintain match fitness 最佳競技狀態 if he is to keep his place in the England squad.
"I needed to be able to be playing top-flight 第一流的，最高的 football to keep myself fit, to keep myself in contention 競爭 for other things that are going on," Beckham told a Milan news conference on Saturday.
Although AC Milan are delighted to have Beckham on board, not least for the merchandising revenue 銷售收入（這里指銷售印有貝克漢姆的球衣和其它紀念品), the club’s chief executive has told fans to be realistic about Beckham’s stay.
"David Beckham will stay with Milan up to 9 March. I don’t want to delude 欺騙 anyone," said chief executive Adriano Galliani.
However, Galliani was optimistic that the arrangement could work well in the future.
"We hope Beckham leaves an indelible mark 不可磨滅的痕跡. Next year we could repeat the experience, maybe for longer," said Galliani.
