Manchester United, Arsenal clash in Premiership race
By Vic Mills
LONDON (JP): The gloves come off at Highbury on Sunday as Arsenal and Manchester United, first and second respectively in the Premiership, meet for the first time this season.
Recent encounters between the two teams suggest the boxing analogy to be rather too near the truth for comfort.
United completed the league double over Arsenal last season, but the achievement was marred by unsavory incidents between Peter Schmeichel and Ian Wright.
After their first meeting at old Trafford a year ago, Schmeichel was accused of making a racist remark after Wright was booked for a dangerous challenge on the 'keeper. A file on the incident was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, but no charges were pressed against Schmeichel.
Not surprisingly, tensions boiled over again in the return at Highbury as a lunging two-footed tackle by Wright on Schmeichel left the keeper incensed. A confrontation followed the final whistle with the Arsenal forward having to be restrained from taking matters further.
To his credit, Wright has rediscovered himself this season. Blessed with natural pace and a striker's instinct, the 34-year- old has become Arsenal's all-time leading scorer; forced his way back into the England team; and has, unlike other team members, kept out of trouble.
The serial indiscipline within the Arsenal ranks has robbed the Londoners of Dennis Bergkamp and Emmanuel Petit for Sunday's game. The self-destruct element shows little sign of abating with defender Steve Bould set to start a three match ban next week.
The suspensions have exposed a lack of cover in key positions. An absence of quality that was all too evident in the 0-3 defeat at Derby County last week. As if to compound the difficulties of life without Bergkamp, there also appeared to be a worrying lack of pace in the back four.
In contrast to the problems at Highbury, Manchester United enters the game having scored 12 goals in its last two Premiership outings; its qualification for the latter stages of the Champions Cup all but guaranteed after a 3-1 win against Feyenoord on Wednesday; and, Dennis Irwin apart, with a full squad from which to select.
Free-scoring home form, however, must be read against an away record of just 6 goals in six games. Uncaring of statistics, manager Alex Ferguson will look to break at pace with the ball fed early to the feet of in-form Andy Cole and Ryan Giggs.
Crucial factor
The bewildering number of options and the speed with which the ball reaches the front two is a crucial factor. It could be a Schmeichel throw, a long ball out of defense, an intricate pattern in midfield from Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham or an incisive pass from Teddy Sheringham.
If the move should break down, Ferguson has the added insurance of a defense that has conceded a miserly 7 goals in thirteen games this season. A contribution, that suggests United's all-round strength should be enough to take at least a point and maybe all three.
Away from Highbury, the most intriguing match of the weekend is at Elland Road where seventh-placed Leeds United meet sixth- placed Derby County. In a potentially classic confrontation, George Graham pits his superbly marshaled defense against Jim Smith's classy and decidedly cosmopolitan attack.
There is a new optimism at Leeds these days. Graham has rid the club of the over-priced and over-paid, most noticeably Tomas Brolin and Tony Yeboah, and is fast reaping the benefits of a young scheme created by Howard Wilkinson.
A top-six position and a place in Europe are the targets; the performance against Derby will offer an indication of just how far manager and club are away from achieving these aims.
Disappointed with its poor showing at Barnsley last week, third-placed Blackburn Rovers gets an early chance to refocus its sights with the visit of Everton.
These are dark days for Merseyside; Everton languish fourth from bottom, while city rival, Liverpool, knocked out of the UEFA Cup on Tuesday by Strasbourg, is just a pale shadow of its great sides of the 1970s and 1980s.
The visit to Anfield of Tottenham Hotspur should provide a little temporary relief. But problems remain, the solution of which looks set to involve parting company with several high profile players and most likely the manager.
Perilous month
November is a perilous month for those in charge as Sheffield Wednesday's David Pleat found to his cost Monday. Peter Shreeves assumes temporary control for the visit of Bolton tomorrow, while Joe Royle and Howard Wilkinson are the early candidates to take over at the Premiership's bottom club.
The current problem for Aston Villa manager, Brian Little, is not his directors, but his players. Dressing-room unrest hit a new low early in the week with Little criticized by his own club captain, Gareth Southgate.
Progress in the UEFA Cup on Tuesday at the expense of Athletic Bilbao has helped ease the tension, but Little will look for greater consistency and the same level of commitment as Villa meets Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Elsewhere, West Ham United will hope for better luck with floodlights at Chelsea; improving Southampton should take the points at home to Barnsley; Coventry's Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby will fancy their chances against Newcastle's suspect defense; and Wimbledon will look for a point in the Monday night game at Leicester.