Weekend of change likely at top of the Premiership

By Vic Mills

LONDON (JP): Although Sheffield Wednesday stands atop the Premiership, its position is looking ever more precarious as the pack closes in. With David Pleat's side set for a difficult away match at Arsenal on Monday evening, the possibility exists that the leadership could change hands several times over the weekend.

Top spot Saturday evening could well be shared by the 'big two' of English soccer, Manchester United and Newcastle United. Both have home fixtures against under-achievers in Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

Forest travels to Old Trafford to face a United side which, after last weekend's 4-0 thrashing of Leeds United, was given a soccer lesson by Juventus in Turin on Wednesday, going down 1-0 in the European Cup.

Despite its mid-week excursion to Italy, Manchester United, benefiting from a large squad, should have enough know-how to beat mid-table Forest. Indeed, with Pallister restored to defense after injury and the return of Roy Keane imminent, it already has the look of champions about it.

Another club on mid-week European duty, Newcastle United, comfortable 4-0 winner over Swedish side Halmstads BK, faces an early season match-up against Alan Shearer's former club, Blackburn Rovers.

Successive away victories have all but erased the early season blues around St James's Park. With three goals in his last two Premiership games, Les Ferdinand appears to have come to terms with his new role alongside record signing Shearer.

Manager Kevin Keegan, striving to bring balance to his side, has settled on a 4-4-2 formation with Lee, Clark, Beardsley and Ginola operating across the middle. No regular place yet though for ten and a half million dollar man, Faustini Asprilla.

With memories of its glory season fading fast, Blackburn Rovers stands second to bottom in the Premiership. A stark reminder that there is more to a successful club than check-book tactics.

The other match of note on Saturday sees Bryan Robson take his cosmopolitan Middlesborough team to Merseyside to play Everton. The subject of an embarrassing 4-0 defeat away at Wimbledon last Saturday, Everton manager, Joe Royle, will be in no mood for a repeat performance. Over and above individual failings, the main problem appeared to be one of a total lack of commitment.

This weakness will be severely tested by 'Boro', scorers of eight goals in its last two games. Instrumental in this success have been imports Juninho, Emerson and Ravanelli. With attack again the order of the day, Goodisan Park is set for a goal avalanche.

Whether Manchester United or Newcastle, the new leaders of the Premiership will have barely 24 hours to reign before Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool mount their challenge on Sunday afternoon.

Intriguing contest

The Stamford Bridge clash between Chelsea and Aston Villa promises to be an intriguing contest. With just a point separating the two sides, logic suggests a tight game with a solitary goal settling the outcome.

Yet logic and this current Chelsea side make for an unlikely combination. This season they have scored goals with great flair only to concede them with equally reckless abandon.

Manchester United apart, it stands as the most entertaining side in the country. An aim fostered by manager, Ruud Gullit, who will soon be fit to add his sumptuous skills to those of Di Metto, Vialli and Leboeuf.

Managed by Alan Little, another former striker, Aston Villa, without perhaps the finesse of Chelsea, nevertheless possess an abundance of talent, not least in its forwards, Yorke and Milosevic.

The other Sunday game pits artisan against artist as Leicester City entertains title aspirants Liverpool. A big win by the Merseyside club would see it ease into top spot.

The final word, however, may come at Highbury on Monday evening where Arsenal plays host to Sheffield Wednesday. Victory for the Yorkshire side would complete the circle and return it to the top.

Beaten 3-2 at home by Borussia Monchengladbach in its mid-week UEFA Cup tie, much will depend on Arsenal's mood as it returns to Premiership duty. Having added steel to new found confidence, Wednesday will not relinquish pole position without a fight.

Elsewhere, attention centers on Highfield Road, Coventry, where the home side, bottom of the Premiership, entertains a Leeds team now under the management of George Graham.

Last weekend's defeat to Manchester United was one too many for the Leeds board who deemed a change of manager necessary. Howard Wilkinson's eight-year partnership with the club was terminated on Monday in favor of the former disgraced Arsenal manager, who has just completed a year's ban from soccer for accepting illegal payments.

The likelihood is that Graham will give his current team the chance to impress before seeking to strengthen his squad in the transfer market.