Arsenal gears up for clash with Barnsley at home
By Vic Mills
LONDON (JP): Arsenal marks the first anniversary of the appointment of manager Arsene Wenger with a home fixture against Barnsley tomorrow.
The gulf in class between the sides suggests a torrid afternoon for the Yorkshire club.
The disappointment of a mid-week exit from the UEFA Cup to a late goal from Greek club PAOK has been eased by a start to the season that sees Arsenal -- a point clear at the top of the Premiership League -- recently installed as title favorites.
Wenger's precise, thoughtful and well-planned management has taken the Highbury club to the summit. His understated leadership has brought the very best out of Dutch aces Dennis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars.
He bought shrewdly in the summer, providing reliable cover both in midfield and defense. And his continental training methods and eye for detail have added a new zest to the mercurial Ian Wright.
Having conceded 23 goals in nine games, second-to-bottom Barnsley will not relish the journey to Highbury, as life in the top flight continues to prove every bit as arduous as they and their supporters imagined.
ANteve will broadcast the match between Arsenal and Barnsley at 9 p.m. tomorrow Western Indonesian Time.
Life at the top has never troubled second place Manchester United, who plays host to Crystal Palace tomorrow. But life after Cantona is a different story.
The departure of the Frenchman has removed the element of the unexpected from the game. Teddy Sheringham remains a poor imitation of the man and his magic.
Reduced to a mere mortal, United now looks to grind out results. A tactic that Leeds mastered comfortably last week by crowding the midfield, keeping its discipline and matching United for commitment.
Defeat at Elland Road came at a price, too, with Roy Keane sidelined with a potentially long-term knee injury. His absence proved a spur on Wednesday evening, however, as United came back from an Alessandro Del Piero goal after just 24 seconds to beat Juventus 3-2 in the Champions Cup with goals from Sherington, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Liverpool
The mid-week wear and tear of European games is likely to influence Sunday's clash at Anfield between Liverpool and Chelsea. The Merseyside club survived a tough game against Celtic on Tuesday to go through to the second round of the UEFA Cup, while the Londoners had the difficult trip to Bratislava in the Cup Winners Cup.
Vulnerable at the back in the absence of Mark Wright, and too reliant in midfield on Steve McManaman, Liverpool remains a long way short of its best. Moreover, the pairing of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen looked lightweight and one-dimensional against Celtic. A fit Karl Heinz Riedle could well replace Owen.
Look beyond the talents of Ruud Gullit's foreign legion and you come to Chelsea's man for all seasons, Dennis Wise. Having battled against Roy Keane and David Batty in his last two outings, Wise is set for another key confrontation against Paul Ince.
An unlikely hero, Wise has been inspirational this season, whether creating openings up front, rallying the midfield or supporting his defense. Sunday will be no different, as Liverpool stand as another day at the office for the diminutive Londoner.
ANteve will broadcast the match between Liverpool and Chelsea on Sunday at 10 p.m. Western Indonesia Time.
The demands of satellite television see Leicester City's game against neighbor Derby County held over to Monday night. Unhappy at its UEFA Cup exit to Athletico Madrid, Leicester will look to consolidate its place in the top three.
No easy task against a Derby attack that has hit nine goals in its last two matches and is revelling in the flamboyant talents of Costa Rican Paulo Wanchope and Italians Stefan Eranio and Francesco Baiano.
The Latin influence will be on show at Hillsborough, too, where Paolo Di Canion and Benito Carbone look to add to their growing reputations and Sheffield Wednesday's improved league form with a win against Everton.
The visitors will again look to parade Merseyside's latest teenage sensation, Danny Cadamarteri. The 17-year-old tormented Arsenal's experienced defense last week, scoring his second goal in three games.
Torment is very much in the air at Tottenham these days. Languishing in the bottom third of the table, results will need to improve soon or Gerry Francis could be the first managerial casualty of the season.
Tomorrow brings a return to Tyneside for Les Ferdinand and David Ginola as Spurs travel north to Newcastle. The mid-week Champions Cup trek to Kiev and the hard fought 2-2 draw against Dynamo took its toll with Faustino Asprilla carried off on a stretcher with a muscle tear. The elusive Colombian is extremely doubtful for tomorrow, but Newcastle should still take the points.
As indeed should West Ham United which heads down to the south coast for a meeting with bottom club, Southampton. Having run the midfield and scored the winner against Liverpool last week, Eyal Berkovic, back at his old club, will face an intriguing battle against local hero Matthew Le Tissier.
Elsewhere around the country, Blackburn Rovers has the unenviable task of seeking improved form at Selhurst Park against Wimbledon; sixth-place Leeds, rejuvenated by its win over Manchester United, travels to the Midlands for what has the makings of a close encounter against Coventry City; and Aston Villa, UEFA Cup winners over Bordeaux with a Savo Milosevic goal in extra time, heads north to Bolton Wanderers.