Barclays Premier League

The Gunners have enjoyed a good start to the Barclays Premier League campaign with victories over Fulham and Manchester City so far.

Critics have described the London club as lacking the toughness needed for a title win in recent years but striker Adebayor reckons they are proving them wrong.

"A lot of players have learned that we have to fight hard to win games," said the 23-year-old. "We know people say 'they are kids and don't want to play as soon as we kick them'.

"But we stand up for it and we are ready for it. They call us kids but we are ready and we will be up for it. That is what the game asked for on Saturday. It was a difficult game. They played very well and defended very well but the boss told us to be patient and we kept going which is the important thing.

"All week people said they would defend well, play well and we would have to keep on going. I think the team have proved that we can score at any moment, whatever part of the game. That is very good for the confidence."

Bruce worked with current Everton striker Johnson at St Andrews before allowing him to move to Crystal Palace five years ago - a decision he still regrets - and he can see the same attributes in Jerome, who initially took time to settle after his £3million move from Cardiff last summer.

Jerome scored twice in the 2-1 win at Derby County at the weekend, and Bruce said: "Cameron has got all the raw materials. He reminds me of a young Andrew Johnson in terms of his pace and his sheer power.

"In hindsight I let 'AJ' go too quick as a 21-year-old. I won't make the same mistake with Cameron. You've got to give people time to mature and get better."

He added: "Cameron has all the raw ingredients. He has blistering pace. He needs to improve on his finishing and his game awareness but he is getting there.

"He will be a good asset to the club. He has got the great thing we all look for, frightening pace."

The Portugal under-21 international had looked set to move to Goodison Park after undergoing a medical and watching the club's match with Blackburn Rovers at the weekend. However, Fernandes has now sealed a £12.2million move to Valencia, signing a six-year deal.

Fernandes spent the second half of last season on loan at Goodison Park and Everton had been in complex negotiations with his third-party owners.

"Everton Football Club feels it should clarify the situation with regards to Manuel Fernandes," read a statement on the club's official website. "We worked hard all last week on what was a very difficult and complex three-party agreement."

"Everton staff worked through the night on Thursday, finally reaching agreement with the English footballing authorities on Friday afternoon.

"A similar night's work on Friday left us satisfied that we had both addressed and agreed all issues with the other involved parties. However, on Saturday we were informed that another club had come in with a rival bid and despite sustained efforts over the remainder of the weekend the player today joined Valencia.

"David Moyes and his coaching staff are continuing to seek the extra addition to our squad, which they feel they require for this season."

Fernandes trained with the Toffees last week.

The Black Cats have won only one of their first four Barclays Premier League matches and were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool on Saturday. Injuries are starting to pile up for Keane, who must do without Dean Whitehead, Carlos Edwards and Kieran Richardson for the Carling Cup clash with Luton Town on Tuesday.

"We need players to strengthen," he said on the club's official website. "We have a few injuries and our squad is already being tested. I have to ask myself whether the player coming in will be a major benefit, and if I have to let a player go to make the deal happen, that's something I have to live with."

AS Roma defender Samuel Kuffour has been training with the club but Keane has now confirmed that he will not be signing the Ghanaian.

"We've had him over and had a look at him, but he's not one that we'll be taking any further," said Keane. "You're always looking to strengthen your squad and we'll be looking to bring two or three more in before the transfer deadline, but Sami Kuffour won't be one of them."

gypt striker Mido has been attracting plenty of praise since arriving at Middlesbrough.

The player scored on his debut at Fulham and backed that up at the weekend with another strike in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.

"He is going to be even better as the games go on because he has not played for a while," said midfielder Julio Arca, himself an impressive performer in the draw with Newcastle.

"But even then, he has shown how good he is. He is going to get more pace and more confidence and then people will start to realise how good he is going to be for us."

Manager Gareth Southgate is equally optimistic that Mido can be a key player this season.

"Mido is the future and so are the other players we have brought in," he said. "He has already been a bit of a talisman for us, not only scoring the two in two, which is the perfect start for any striker, but his response in the dressing room - the way he has got the rest of the team fighting."

Mido joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur where he struggled for regular first-team football last season. The player himself said: "I've not got a point to prove, I play to my physical strengths. The fans appreciate players who fight for the team and they see I'm fighting for the club."

He added: "It's always great to score goals. That's especially so with them coming so early after a move. The Middlesbrough supporters have been fantastic to me and I feel really settled already."

Young took time to settle after his £8million move from Watford during the January transfer window. But he impressed for the England Under 21s during the summer's European Championships in Holland and has continued in the same vein for Villa this season.

On Saturday, he scored the opening goal against Fulham - via a deflection off Zat Knight - and laid on the winner for substitute Shaun Maloney in the 2-1 victory.

Barry said: "Ashley was absolutely brilliant on Saturday. Throughout the game we fed him the ball and he tormented the Fulham defence. He particularly caused problems for the right-back (Chris Baird), who eventually got sent off in the second half.

"All I know is that if Ashley can play like that every week, he won't be far off player of the year honours - and obtaining full England recognition."

Hughes' side were denied victory at Everton on Saturday by a late James McFadden strike but lie ninth after three matches with a match in hand on the majority of the table.

Hughes said: "We have started badly and still ended up in the top half in previous seasons, so if we can keep things going now, that could be crucial at the end of the season."

"We break the season up into different phases and for the first one we are ahead of things at the moment. Physically it is hard and performance-wise we weren't quite up to speed in those first few games. But when the Premier League started, we knew we could hit the ground running."

Hughes is also pleased with the partnership Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz have formed and was impressed with the pair against Everton.

"I thought they did very well," he told the club's official website. "I thought they caused Everton a problem because Benni was dropping into those little pockets of space in behind their midfield and linking the play, and I thought it worked quite well."

Santa Cruz gave Blackburn a half-time lead at Goodison Park.

Doyle took over from Taylor between the posts for the final third of last season and played a major part in City regaining their Barclays Premier League status at the first attempt.

A poor start by Doyle to the current campaign has led to a recall for the 35-year-old Taylor who helped the Blues gain their first win of the season at Derby County on Saturday. But Taylor believes Doyle has a bright future in the game despite his recent dip in form.

He said: "Doyley will be disappointed now. I've experienced that myself as well but I've always managed to bounce back.

"He has still got the world at his feet. He's only 22 and he is such a massive presence. He towers over you at six feet, six inches and he's got all the attributes to go very far in the game. It's important that he works hard on the training ground."

The Norwegian, who moved to Old Trafford 11 years ago and scored the winner in the 1999 Champions League final, has decided to step down after continuing problems with a knee injury.

It is believed that Solskjaer will remain at the club in a coaching capacity and will represent Manchester United as an official ambassador.

Solskjaer said: "I would like to thank the manager, the coaching and medical staff and most of all the supporters, who have supported me through my career. They have been fantastic and were a real inspiration to me when I was out injured."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Ending your playing career is a sad day for anyone, in the case of Ole, he has 11 fantastic years he can look back on. Ole has achieved everything a player could ever wish to achieve.

"He has been a great servant to the club and has always remained a model professional in his responsibility as a player, in his demeanour and his manners have always been exemplary. Ole will hopefully go on to be a good coach.

China defender Sun Jihai has been reassured by Manchester City's new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson he is not surplus to requirements, the English Premier League leaders said Monday.

Contrary to media reports, both Eriksson and Sun confirmed the player is not leaving Eastlands.

"He has not been told he can leave. He is a valuable and very versatile member of our squad," former England boss Eriksson said.

Sun joined up with the Citizens later than his colleagues this season as he was on Asian Cup duty with China, and has not played so far.

"I haven't been told by either the manager or anyone at the club that I can leave," the 29-year-old said.

"It's been a good start to the season, but hopefully I'll get the opportunity to show my quality. Of course I am happy to fight for my place.

"Everything here is normal and I am happy."

Sun joined city from Chinese side Dalian Wanda in February 2002.

Real Madrid on Wednesday announced the signing of Manchester United's Argentina centre-back Gabriel Heinze on a four-year deal.

"Real Madrid and Manchester United have come to an agreement for the transfer of the footballer Gabriel Heinze," said an official statement released by the Spanish champions.

"The 29-year-old Argentine will sign a four year contract and will be incorporated into Bernd Schuster's squad."

Spanish newspaper Marca had announced the imminent signing, for a reported 12 million euros, earlier in the day.

Six-time French champions Lyon, who are looking to fill the void left by Brazilian centre-back Cris who has been ruled out for six months with a knee injury, were also believed to have made an offer worth nine million euros.

Heinze had been eager to join United's bitter domestic rivals Liverpool but his wish has been firmly rebuffed by the Premier League champions.

The player took his case for a move to Liverpool to the Premier League on the grounds that he believed he had a letter from Manchester United chief executive David Gill which said he could leave Old Trafford for 6.8 million pounds.

But a three-member Premier League panel ruled that the letter did not constitute consent for Heinze to leave to a domestic rival.

Heinze, though, was determined to leave United.

"This is not a war but I have to consider my stay at Manchester United is finished," he said in an interview published in British newspaper Daily Mirror on Wednesday.

"I am not anti-United but I only wanted to defend my right to search for another club without restriction," he added.

Heinze also said he had never spoken to clubs in Spain, France or Italy and was still hoping to join liverpool.

"I have never spoken with clubs in these countries because in my head the only option is Liverpool. My hope was to negotiate a transfer to Liverpool but, unfortunately, the Premier League decided in favour of United," he said.

"The decision is a painful one but my lawyers are still searching for a solution, one that is favourable to all parties," he added.

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben is poised to move to Real Madrid after both clubs announced they had reached agreement on the Dutch international's transfer.

The deal is now only subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

A Chelsea statement released on Wednesday said: "Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the transfer of Arjen Robben subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical."

Real also confirmed the deal for Robben in a statement on their website, which read: "Real Madrid and Chelsea have reached an agreement for the transfer of Arjen Robben, who will become part of the Madrid club for the next five seasons.

"The agreement is pending the player's medical and the signing of the contracts."

At the start of the month Spanish media reported that Real had offered Chelsea around 40 million euros for Robben.

Robben, 23, has two years left on his contract with Chelsea and has been in long drawn-out negotiations with the London club over a contract extension until 2012 but has not always been in favour with the club's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho

Everton agreed a club record transfer fee of 11.25 million pounds (US$22.4 million dollars) with Middlesbrough on Wednesday for Ayegbeni Yakubu.

Boro have given the Nigeria striker permission to talk to the Toffees and the 24-year-old was travelling to Liverpool for talks at Goodison Park.

Over the past four seasons, only former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has scored more English Premier League goals than Yakubu.

The Nigerian did not feature in Boro boss Gareth Southgate's squad for Saturday's 2-1 win at Fulham, fuelling speculation that Yakubu was to be sold.

Several Premier League sides have tracked his availability.

Portsmouth brought Yakubu to England on loan from Israeli side Maccabi Haifa in January 2003, signing him permanently three months later.

Pompey sold the hitman to Boro for 7.5 million pounds (US$15.2 million dollars) in July 2005.

He scored 36 goals in 81 league games for Portsmouth and has scored 25 times in 73 league matches for Boro.

First of all Frank, many thanks for taking the time to talk to espnstar.com. I should start by asking if you miss playing because you certainly seemed to enjoy being a pundit for ESPN STAR Sports?

In all honesty, I’d have to say that I really would prefer to be involved in the game, but being a pundit is probably the closest thing there is to it. Being involved in the media side of things does at least mean that you get to go to the grounds and that you get to see a game.

If I had to put it all in order of priority, well, there’s simply nothing that beats being involved in football. The best thing is to be playing the game, then comes being a coach and then the media stuff which I am doing at the moment.

Relatively speaking, you didn't hang up your boots all that long ago, do you think the beautiful game has changed since you retired?

There's a lot more pressure these days than when I was playing, then again they are being paid a lot more than we were so, in a way, that pressure comes with the territory.

Also, the media attention is now huge. Alright, the English leagues have always been well covered, but because of the immense interest, the players we see nowadays are more like film stars than they are professional footballers. We were always on a certain level, but film stars and so on were always higher in terms of profile.

Do you think that’s a good thing?

I really do think that some of the footballers get over-hyped at times. For example take David Beckham and Paul Scholes – two guys at different ends of the footballing spectrum. One (Beckham) revels in the publicity, whilst the other (Scholes) shies away from it, that’s the difference nowadays. Having said that, I know which I would rather have in my side and that’s the one still playing for Manchester United!

In your playing days Frank, you achieved legend status at both Arsenal and Manchester United. Do you look back and remember one stint more fondly than the other?

No I don’t really because the two clubs were, and still are, massive clubs. I went as a 16-year-old to Arsenal, spent nine years at Highbury and then went to Manchester United, the two are absolutely enormous in every way. In my mind there is a no real difference between them both, I really can’t separate the two as I had great times with Arsenal and United.

Did making the move to United in 1981 for a fee of nearly one million pounds (US$2 million) heap more stresses and strains on to your shoulders?

You know, I never really had a problem with joining a massive club like United because I’d been at a club like Arsenal. People always say about the size of the transfer fee, but it never bothered me, as it was the clubs who had agreed the deal.

All I could do was go and do at United exactly what I had been doing at Arsenal. I probably developed more at Old Trafford but at the same time I really didn’t find that the pressure was too much.

As you said you were a youngster when you joined the Gunners although, in a reasonably short space of time, you could be seen leading the line with Malcolm McDonald, another Arsenal great. Was he one of the best players you ever plied your trade with?

Malcolm was probably one of the greatest goalscorers I’ve played with but I don’t think he was one of the best players. He didn’t have the all-round game but he was as brave as a lion. Basically though, when he wasn’t scoring goals he wasn’t too much of an asset – it’s something he would admit himself as well.

Okay then, who was the best you played with?

That has to be Liam Brady, who I also played with for the Republic of Ireland. He created a lot of the goals that I scored. With Liam you knew when he was going to make a pass, I had a real understanding with him.

I played with Liam at youth level, I knew that I didn’t need to shout for the ball and that he would just play the pass. It was an understanding that just evolved over time. He went on to become one of Arsenal’s greatest ever players, he was an absolute talent.

Funnily enough though that understanding wasn’t always understood by other players. I remember that on my international debut against Turkey in 1976, I was expecting Liam to take a third minute free-kick. However, I’d stepped back because he’d done the same.

In a flash, Johnny Giles shouted for me to make a move. I ran forward, beat the defender to the ball and scored with one of my first touches. Johnny was definitely not impressed because he’d had to tell me to make a move. Thankfully, Liam stuck up for me!

You clearly played with some true stars Frank, on the honours front though, what stands out for you?

It’s a good question. Internationally, for some time, Ireland never looked as if we were going to qualify for any of the major tournaments despite having, throughout the 1980’s, a very talented bunch of lads. Then we did make it, and going to the 1988 European Championship in Germany as captain of my country was a great experience.

We beat England in our first game which was huge, because we had been written off before the game with many people predicting that we wouldn’t get any points. We then drew with Russia when we should easily have beaten them, before losing to the Dutch, but looking back and we can see that the Irish momentum which started then carried went on through to the next two World Cups in 1990 and 1994.

Is it fair to say that the world now looks at the Republic in a different light thanks to what you achieved back in 1988?

To be honest, over the last few years, it has put more pressure on the managers we have had. There are some supporters of the Republic national team who, if they were born in 1980’s have only known success and, as results have then started to slip, they have become more and more frustrated. At times the country has been a victim of its own success.

And what about the highlights during your time with Arsenal and United?

At club level, I have to say that the three FA Cup finals I won were superb, although the biggest game I ever played in was a 1984 European Cup Winners’ Cup game, when United came back from being 2-0 down after the first leg to beat Barcelona.

I scored in a 3-0 win at Old Trafford where the atmosphere, the occasion, everything was terrific. We eventually got knocked out on the semis but ask any United supporter which was their favourite game and a lot will say that game against Barcelona.

Do you enjoy going back to Old Trafford and now The Emirates?

Yes it's always good to go back. The Emirates is a great place and at Old Trafford I often help out with the corporate entertainment. I still really enjoy the atmosphere and get a real buzz when I go back. Both clubs are still very special to me.

In a week that had several countries locking horns internationally and as someone who always insisted on playing for your country, what do you make of the modern day footballers who prefer to steer clear of internationals?

I had it in my contract that I was to be released whenever my country was playing, you have to because managers are always looking for excuses to keep you back.

I think FIFA should get involved and make a ruling on the whole thing. They are, after all the governing body and if they make a ruling on the situation then there’s no conflict between the club and the player. That’s what FIFA are there for after all.

Finally Frank, as you know United have made a poor start to their season. Will they cope with the criticism that is coming their way?

The pressure to succeed at United is always there and not everyone who goes there can deal with that. It’s not a physical thing, it’s a mental pressure, it’s very much to with the pressure of expectation that exists and the ability to deliver the goods week in, week out.

Despite having only drawn two and lost one so far this season, the United fans will still not be overly critical but they will remain expectant. What happened last season has only spoilt them more. The most important thing though is that Sir Alex won’t panic and I can definitely see them getting through this difficult patch. - espnstar.com

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is close to ending speculation over his future by signing a new deal, club chairman Peter Hill-Wood said on Thursday.

Wenger's current deal at the Emirates Stadium expires at the end of the season and his future at the club has been in doubt since the departure of Gunners vice-chairman David Dein.

But Hill-Wood told the Daily Star: "Hopefully we'll have something to say in the next week or so.

"The length of the contract is up to him but hopefully it will be a two or three-year deal.

"We certainly want to pay him what he's worth. But money is not the major stumbling block - there are just little pieces here and there to sort out."

Chelsea signed Brazilian international right-back Juliano Belletti for an undisclosed fee from Spanish giants Barcelona on Thursday.

The 31-year-old signed for the English Premier League club after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

"It's all been a great surprise," Belletti told Chelsea's television station.

"Just yesterday my brother talked with Chelsea, we reached an agreement and so did Chelsea and Barcelona without any problems.

"Everyone's happy, me, Barcelona -- and most importantly Chelsea.

"I know a bit about what the Premier League is like. I know it's a tough league but I'm coming here with plenty of ambition and desire. I want to win trophies."

Spanish newsapapers said that Belletti would move to Chelsea on a two-year deal worth 5.5 million euros (7.5 million dollars).

The deal signals the end of Chelsea's interest in Sevilla defender Daniel Alves, which ran into trouble when the two clubs could not agree a fee.

Belletti joined Barcelona in 2004 from Villarreal.

He scored the winning goal in Barcelona's 2-1 defeat of Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final but only made 13 appearances for the Catalan club last season.

He holds an Italian passport and is therefore able to get around restrictions on non-European Union players.

Real Madrid on Thursday unveiled new signings Arjen Robben and Gabriel Heinze at the Bernabeu stadium after they passed medicals with both men saying they were delighted at the opportunity to swop the English Premiership for La Liga.

Dutch winger Robben, 23, arrived from Chelsea on a five-year deal and a fee of around 30 million euros while Argentine defender Heinze, 29, joins from Manchester United on a four-year deal for 12 million after United had staved off his preference of a move to rivals Liverpool.

Heinze insisted he was delighted at his move as "every player wants to play for Real Madrid, one of greatest clubs in the world."

The Argentine, who follows in the footsteps of David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy in treading a path from Old Trafford to the Bernabeu, will step into the void created by the loss of veteran Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who has joined Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Robben meanwhile comes in to provide some penetration on the left with Jose Antonio Reyes having moved to Atletico Madrid after spending last season on loan to Real from Arsenal.

"It was an amazing feeling when I walked down the steps" to milk the applause of thousands of fans, Robben said.

He added: "It was a big relief yesterday when the final word came I could join Madrid. I am enjoying every minute of it."

The Dutchman admitted he had had a difficult time of it in recent months at Chelsea amid the continuing speculation that he would be on his way after three seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Under manager Jose Mourinho, Robben helped the west London club win the English Premier League in 2004/05 and 2005/06.

But Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck claimed the deal represents good business for the English side.

"I think we got a very good business result there, we pretty much doubled our money in terms of the transfer fee three years ago," Buck said.

"Jose said in the US in July we wanted Robben to stay. He's a very good player and made a real contribution to Chelsea.

"For reasons only he can answer he wanted to leave. We weren't going to let him leave unless there was an appropriate business resolution, and (Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon did some very good business there.

"We wanted him to stay, he made a contribution and we wish him well."

Real have brought in eight new players this season as they bid to retain the title under new German coach Bernd Schuster.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Martin Jol will be staying on as manager, following a board meeting on Tuesday.

The Spurs hierarchy met the Dutchman to discuss his future, along with his assistant Chris Hughton and sporting director Damien Comolli.

Jol's future at the club has been doubtful, following news that Sevilla coach Juande Ramos was a possible replacement for him - although the Spaniards have insisted he is not leaving.

Spurs have now made clear their commitment to Jol following their board meeting. Chairman Daniel Levy has now confirmed that after specifying the club's ambitions - Jol would be staying.

"We have had two good, progressive seasons with fifth place finishes. I am an ambitious chairman, we are an ambitious club and we want Champions League football at White Hart Lane," said Levy.

"We, the board, owe it to the club and the supporters to constantly assess our position and performance and to ensure that we have the ability to operate and compete at that level.

"We have made a massive investment in the squad and as a result we have the best squad of players this club has had for over 20 years and they are equally hungry for success and silverware.

"For that we need our management and coaching standards to be of the highest quality such that players can fulfil their potential and we can compete with the best.

"We have discussed all of these expectations with Martin and he has confirmed to me today that he feels he is equipped with a squad and a determination to take on that challenge."

Jol insists his ambitions match that of the club's board and he fully expects to meet their demands.

"We had a full and frank conversation and I fully understand the ambitions of the club - they are the same as those of the supporters," said Jol.

"He has put a lot of hard work into this Club and with the squad of players we have assembled, it is realistic that we should look to challenge for a top four position and I have assured him and the Board that that is what I shall aim for.

"The last two seasons we have finished fifth and this season we start with an even better team. So we should be optimistic.

"Yes, it is pressure to deliver, but that is what we managers should expect. Hopefully all the media will relax now -all I shall be concentrating on is each and every game.

Spurs hauled manager Martin Jol in for talks Tuesday about the club's future -- and afterwards declined to back him or say they were not chasing a new boss, amid widespread reports he faces the axe.

The Dutch coach was reminded about the club's expectations of Champions League football, with little to reassure him that they still want him around.

Tottenham Hotspur said they would not comment on speculation but felt moved to clarify the goings on at White Hart Lane as newspapers said Spurs had sounded out Sevilla boss Juande Ramos and bookmakers quoted Jol odds on to get the sack.

However, the club's statement spelled out their ambitions and contained no explicit support for Jol's management.

It also did nothing to counter reports they are actively hunting a replacement they feel would be more likely to break into the English Premier League's top four of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and north London rivals Arsenal.

Spurs lost their two opening league games, piling the pressure on Jol, and Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Derby County does not seem to have eased it.

"The club is aware that there has been much speculation over the past few days in respect of our manager, Martin Jol," Spurs said.

"The club does not respond to speculation, but we do feel in this instance it is important to clarify the current position.

"Manager Martin Jol and assistant manager Chris Hughton met with the chairman (Daniel Levy), sporting director Damien Comolli and members of the board today. Discussions were held re-confirming our aims for the season, the development of the full potential of the squad and taking the club forward."

Levy said: "We have had two good, progressive seasons with fifth place finishes. I am an ambitious chairman, we are an ambitious club and we want Champions League football at White Hart Lane.

"We, the board, owe it to the club and the supporters to constantly assess our position and performance and to ensure that we have the ability to operate and compete at that level.

"We have made a massive investment in the squad and as a result we have the best squad of players this club has had for over 20 years and they are equally hungry for success and silverware.

"For that we need our management and coaching standards to be of the highest quality such that players can fulfil their potential and we can compete with the best.

"We have discussed all of these expectations with Martin and he has confirmed to me today that he feels he is equipped with a squad and a determination to take on that challenge."

The Daily Mail newspaper said Spurs have agreed a three-man short-list to replace Jol while The Sun said he was on the verge of getting the sack.

The Independent and London's Evening Standard said Spurs officials had held talks with Ramos, though both parties deny such a meeting took place.

"We had a full and frank conversation and I fully understand the ambitions of the club -- they are the same as those of the supporters," Jol said in the Spurs statement.

"He (Levy) has put a lot of hard work into this club and with the squad of players we have assembled, it is realistic that we should look to challenge for a top four position and I have assured him and the board that that is what I shall aim for.

"The last two seasons we have finished fifth and this season we start with an even better team. So we should be optimistic.

"Yes, it is pressure to deliver, but that is what we managers should expect. Hopefully all the media will relax now -- all I shall be concentrating on is each and every game."

However, the carefully-worded statement is as likely to calm the media storm surrounding Jol as the previous reassurance from a club spokesman that the board were "not at this point in time" negotiating with any managers to replace him.

Bookmakers are hardly optimistic about Jol's position.

Coral suspended betting after two very large bets were placed Friday on him being the next top-flight boss to get the sack.

Before the season started, Blue Square quoted him as being 50/1 to be the first Premier League manager dismissed, the second safest in the top flight after Manchester United's Alex Ferguson. However, they are now offering odds of 8/15.

Sunday's match could be make-or-break, with a stunning win likely to solidify Jol's enduring fan popularity, while a humiliating defeat could show up just how short the Dutchman's team is from breaking into the top four.

The match? An away trip to champions Manchester United.

Martin Jol challenged his Tottenham team to take the Premier League by storm after they eased the pressure on their manager with a thumping victory over Derby.

The Dutchman's postion was looking under serious threat before the game at White Hart Lane on Saturday, but a resounding 4-0 win over the Rams will have him breathing a little easier.

Bookmakers had briefly stopped taking bets that Jol would be dismissed such were the large sums being placed on his sacking after Spurs started the season with two successive defeats.

But Jol is confident the morale-boosting win will prove to be a turning point.

"When we fire as a team and a club we can be a force again," he said. "From now on we will get better and better.

"The reaction you saw at the start shows that we have strength, not just physically but mentally."

The Spurs boss admitted he had been feeling the strain but predicted an easier ride ahead, saying: "It's a relief for everyone, it's horrendous in this industry if you play two games and don't get a result.

"No matter what, you need results and next week it will be someone else under pressure, that's a good fault of the English press."

Jol couldn't have wished for a better start as Steed Malbranque put his team ahead after just 75 seconds.

Things got even better in the sixth minute when Malbranque grabbed his second goal to make it 2-0.

The game was over as a contest as early as the 16th minute when Jermaine Jenas scored a third for the home team.

Darren Bent provided the icing on the cake for his manager in the 80th minute by making it 4-0 and scoring his first goal since his big-money move from Charlton.

The Dutch coach envisaged better times ahead for Jenas following criticism from the crowd during Spurs' midweek defeat against Everton.

He said: "When you are under pressure you have to stand up and show you're strong and Jenas showed that. He is not Paul Gascoigne but he is good on the ball and has great stamina."

Speaking about Bent, Jol said: "It's so important for him to get his first goal for us. When you score you get a better feeling and then you get good form."

The Spurs boss was further encouraged by news that the injured Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale would all be in contention soon.

Also England defender Ledley King could be back sooner than expected after initially being ruled out until the end of Spetember.

Visiting manager Billy Davies admitted his squad was not currently strong enough for the Premier League.

He said: "We need to add to the squad, we need more fire power and more quality. Only once the transfer window shuts on September 1st can we prepare for this league.

"We have financial constraints as we haven't had a season to consolidate but strikers remain a major target and main priority."

Davies admitted particular interest in bringing Leeds winger Eddie Lewis to Pride Park.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy backed manager Martin Jol at the third attempt on Thursday, saying the Dutchman had his "100 percent" support.

Following a storm of speculation, Spurs have issued two statements on Jol's position in recent days - and neither of them stated the board actually backed their coach.

The north London club also denied they had offered Jol's job to Sevilla coach Juande Ramos who, following speculation, insisted they had made him a "dizzying" offer to move to White Hart Lane.

"It has not been the best few days but you have got to put it into the context of six years of progress and as far as I am concerned the whole matter is behind us now," Levy said.

"Martin and I have all the confidence that we can move this club forward again."

The Tottenham chairman also insisted they had not formally offered Jol's post to anyone else.

"No-one has been offered a job either now or in the preceding nearly three years that Martin has been manager," he said.

"Martin has my 100 percent support.

"No change would be made on the basis of two or three results and I have every confidence that no change will be required and Martin will continue to bring us success."

Jol was hauled in for talks earlier this week, at which Levy spelled out the board's expectations - to secure Champions League football for next season.

However, he said Thursday that did not mean Jol would be axed if Spurs fail to qualify for Europe's premier competition by breaking into the Premier League's top four.

"We had a very open meeting and I think it was long overdue on a number of issues that we needed to bring out into the open. Following that meeting I think we are stronger and we're both going in the same direction.

"We both want success and Martin has assured me that I've got his 100 percent commitment, and I've given it to him.

"What Martin has said and what I have said is that we need to aim to be in the top four. I very much hope that we will be there and he believes he has got the squad, but obviously there can be no guarantees."

Levy denied Spurs were now saddled with an under-pressure and unsettled manager for the rest of the season.

"I don't think this is the case and I have just had a conversation with our captain Ledley King about everything.

"As a result of what has happened in the last few days, both the players, Martin, the coaching staff and the board, all feel we will be stronger for it."

He said he did not feel the turmoil would deter potential new players from signing for Spurs before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

"I don't think this would have any bearing whatsoever should we wish to bring anyone else in," Levy said.

"At the present time though, following my conversations with Martin, we both feel we have a squad that is capable of mounting a challenge for the top four. On the other hand, should a great opportunity arise, we would definitely consider it."

Sir Alex Ferguson's early season problems deepened after Geovanni's first half goal settled the Manchester derby in favour of Sven Goran Eriksson and left Ferguson's United without a win in their opening three league games.

The victory sent City to the head of the Premiership table with a maximum nine points from their opening three games as Eriksson's dream start at Eastlands continued.

Defeat at the hands of the former England coach will have been frustrating enough for Ferguson who enjoyed a fractious relationship with him during Eriksson's time in charge of the national team.

But more importantly, the United manager was left to contemplate a title defence that has brought just two points and one goal from three frustrating outings.

And with Wayne Rooney out for two months after breaking a foot in last week's opener, United's latest misfiring display will understandably give cause for concern.

United may have dominated possession but a combination of Geovanni's deadly finishing and Micah Richards outstanding defensive work meant this was a day for the blue half of Manchester.

With Rooney, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer missing injured and Cristiano Ronaldo starting a three-match, Ferguson had little option but to ask Carlos Tevez to operate as a lone striker.

But with Nani, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes all quick to offer support to the Argentine, there initially seemed little doubt United would have more than enough firepower to overcome a stuttering City.

Twice in the opening half Tevez and Scholes exchanged quick passes to unpick the City defence and create an opening for Nani but on both occasions the winger was denied by City keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The 20-year-old - a 17 million pounds capture from Sporting Lisbon this summer - was eventually withdrawn after 60 minutes after a display that confirmed it could be some time before he emulates the feats of compatriot Ronaldo.

With Owen Hargreaves bolstering the United midfield with an impressive Premiership debut performance, Ferguson's side completely dominated the opening period.

Were it not for a succession of outstanding blocks, tackles and clearances by Richards, United would have been well on their way to a first win of the season long before City finally sprang into life.

It took Eriksson's men fully 30 minutes to manage an effort on goal - a wayward, long range effort from Michael Johnson.

But it took just another 60 seconds to register a second attempt - this time from Geovanni - that fired the home side into an unlikely lead.

In a rare moment of fluent attacking play, Didi Hamann linked with Elano who picked out his fellow Brazilian Geovanni in space 30 yards out.

And having been given time to set his sights by a flat-footed United back-four, the former Barcelona man drilled an inch-perfect strike beyond Edwin van der Sar.

The goal prompted a predictable response from United who, after a brief spell of control by City, laid siege to the home side's goal for the whole of the second period without properly testing Schmeichel.

Nemanja Vidic sent a bullet header crashing against the bar three minutes after the interval and Tevez somehow flashed the ball wide from Ryan Giggs' low cross.

And it was Tevez who wasted United's last clear-cut chance when he headed wide from just three yards deep into added time.

Fernando Torres marked his first appearance at Anfield with an impressive debut goal for Liverpool but it was not enough to earn his club all three points as referee Rob Styles handed Chelsea a controversial second-half penalty in Sunday's 1-1 draw.

Liverpool's record 26.5 million-pound Spanish striker had made a dream start to his home career but Styles harshly judged that Steve Finnan had pushed over Florent Malouda as he attempted to meet Shaun Wright-Phillips' 61st minute cross.

Frank Lampard needed no second invitation to convincingly equalise from the spot.

To add to Styles' unpopularity, in the eyes of Liverpool fans, he also appeared to book Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien for a second time midway through the second half without brandishing the red card that should have automatically followed.

Under the watchful eye of England manager Steve McClaren, Steven Gerrard made light of the fractured toe that will almost certainly exclude him from playing for his country against Germany in midweek by setting up Torres' debut goal in the 16th minute.

The Liverpool captain gathered Xabi Alonso's tidy header and sent Torres chasing away down the right with a superb pass.

It still appeared that Chelsea defender Tal Ben-Haim would deal with the danger but the Spaniard showed an electrifying example of his pace and power to surge away from his marker and beat Peter Cech with a perfect right-foot finish.

The game had already been nicely set up by Manchester United's early afternoon defeat at Manchester City, a result greeted pre-match with great enthusiasm by both sets of supporters.

The early goal merely served to add to the intensity of a fixture that has become one of the set-piece occasions in the English football calendar.

After going a goal behind, Chelsea's midfield began to exert a degree of control.

Alonso's foul on Malouda gave Liverpool an anxious moment at the midway point of the first half but Didier Drogba's free-kick was deflected harmlessly behind.

Salomon Kalou appeared to have a superb shooting opportunity but took one touch too many and was halted by Gerrard's superb sliding tackle and Wright-Phillips sped past Alvaro Arbeloa a little too easily for comfort before his cross was headed over by Drogba.

For the third time in as many games this season, Chelsea found themselves a goal down but their spirited fightback raised the temperature of the contest yet further.

Styles did little to endear himself to the Anfield faithful as he yellow-carded Kuyt, Jermaine Pennant and Gerrard in quick succession, the Liverpool trio joining Essien and, later, Ashley Cole, Lampard and John Terry in the book.

Chelsea's improved play continued after the restart, Lampard's early corner being flicked on by substitute Claudio Pizarro for John Obi Mikel whose far post header flew over the bar before another dangerous right-wing run by Wright-Phillips ended with a centre which Pizarro, reaching at full stretch, could only head wide.

At the other end, Liverpool were slowly stringing together some more promising moves with Pennant reaching the by-line just before the hour and picking out Alonso on the edge of the area only for the Spaniard to send his strike disappointingly off target.

However, the penalty altered the complexion of the game with Chelsea, possibly, content to settle for a valuable away point.

They might not have emerged with that had Riise's spectacular volley, from Pennant's 67th minute pull-back, found its mark.

The last chances of an entertaining game fell to Kuyt, who rose to meet Finnan's right-wing cross but steered his effort inches over the crossbar, and substitute Ryan Babel who unleashed a ferocious long-range drive into the side-netting.

Everton's Australian midfielder Tim Cahill could be back to full training by the end of September, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

Cahill fell awkwardly on his left foot during his return to Everton action earlier this month in the friendly with Werder Bremen.

He aggravated the same area of his foot that was broken last season at Sheffield United and which ruled him out for the last three months of the campaign.

He returned to fitness in July, figuring in three games for the Socceroos during their Asia Cup campaign. But his return to Premier League action has been put on hold by the latest injury.

Club head physio Mick Rathbone told evertonTV that the player could return to full training by the end of next month.

"Tim unfortunately sustained a disturbance of his fracture site, when he landed awkwardly against Werder Bremen," said Rathbone.

"It's not so bad, he's walking round with no symptoms at all now. It's so frustrating. We're looking for 6-12 weeks on that. I know Tim will be banging the door down to start running on it soon.

"Getting him back into training isn't so bad, getting him back running round isn't a problem, but getting him jumping like he does, and landing full force on the outside of his left foot, it's going to be a while before it's going to be strong enough to be able to do that.

"But again the time goes by, he gets stronger everyday."

Arsene Wenger bitterly accused Blackburn of displaying a 'desire of violence' after seeing Jens Lehmann's second-half blunder cost Arsenal victory in a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park on Sunday.

A game which saw referee Alan Wiley brandish nine yellow cards - two of them to Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen - ended all square with David Dunn's long-range effort cancelling out Robin van Persie's first-half opener for Arsenal.

But although both teams appeared to play in the same committed manner, Arsenal manager Wenger angrily hit out at the home side at the end of the game.

"I am pleased with the attitude of my players and the resilience that they showed," said Wenger.

"They battled very hard and they are obviously frustrated because we should have come away with the three points.

"But we were very resilient against a team that were over-physical. I felt sometimes that there was a desire of violence rather than commitment in some of the challenges.

"We did well, though, and we wanted to play. We had to cope with a lot of long balls and set-pieces from Blackburn. This is a difficult place to come to and you can be happy if you come here and get a point."

Having fought to rid his team of their 'bully-boy' tag, Blackburn manager Hughes hit back at Wenger's comments by suggesting that Arsenal's players were just as culpable.

"That actually surprises me because I felt that the worst challenge of the game was van Persie's on Ryan Nelsen," said Hughes.

"I saw Reading's Dave Kitson sent off for the same challenge against Manchester United last week. But there are two teams involved and I'm sure there are two views of the game.

"I felt that Arsenal competed well. The only issue for me was the amount of time the referee gave for stoppages following injuries."

Lehmann's error came just a week after a similar gaffe allowed Fulham's David Healy to score against Arsenal at the Emirates, but Wenger insisted that the German will not be held to account for the mistake.

"Of course, Jens is really unhappy with it and he is really down in the dressing room," said Wenger.

"I don't need to tell him because he is an intelligent boy, but we don't want to blame him. I would rather keep the positives from our performance."

Arsenal, who lost defender William Gallas to a groin strain that will sideline him for two weeks, were fortunate to avoid a defeat and Blackburn boss Hughes admitted that he was delighted with the performance of his team.

He said: "I thought it was an excellent performance by my players from start to finish. We were very much on the front foot and we really pressured Arsenal from start to finish.

"I felt we could go on to win the game because we were in the ascendancy to such an extent, but they had to make a change in order to curb our possession."

MANCHESTER, England, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - Manchester United face an uphill battle to recover from their worst start to a season for 15 years admitted manager Sir Alex Ferguson after his side went down 1-0 to their city rivals on Sunday.

A goal by Geovanni saw former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson triumph over Ferguson and leave United in the strange position of just two points from three matches while Manchester City top the table with nine points from three matches.

"We've got ourselves in an uphill fight," confessed Ferguson, whose side dominated the match but fell short in front of goal.

"Ten years ago we could have handled it because we have always been good in the second half of the season and now we are going to have to be again.

"It would take a long time to explain it because we had enough chances but it just wasn't to be our day.

"The chances we had and the possession in the final third of the field should have been made to count but we have been very wasteful in front of goal, that's the nuts and bolts of it.

"I don't think you can even say City have been lucky simply because we had so many chances ourselves. It was our own fault because of our shortcomings in the final third of the pitch."

Ferguson revealed also that his prize capture of the summer from Bayern Munich, Owen Hargreaves, is a doubt for England's friendly with Germany at Wembley this week.

The midfielder reported feeling pain in both knees after making his Manchester United debut.

Hargreaves, signed this summer from Bayern Munich for 18 million pounds, impressed playing in a holding role in front of the United back-four and would almost certainly figure in at least part of Wednesday's clash.

But having been forced to delay the introduction of the player this season while Hargreaves recovered match fitness, Sir Alex Ferguson raised doubts about Hargreaves' ability to face Germany.

"Owen is feeling very painful in his knees," the United manager said.

"It's a result of him playing his first game. He will probably report for the squad but I don't think he is ready to play for England."

Geovanni's effort was enough to bring City victory in the eagerly anticipated first meeting of Eriksson and Ferguson since the Swede returned to club football following his spell in charge of England.

But Eriksson joy at seeing his side maintain their 100 percent start to the season was tempered by an injury to Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov just five minutes into the game.

The former Fiorentina forward was stretchered off in obvious agony and could face a lengthy lay-off if knee ligament damage is confirmed.

"Bojinov has gone for a scan and we will have to wait and see but we think it is ligament damage," Eriksson said. "But we don't know how bad."

United were without the injured Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer while Cristiano Ronaldo started a three-match ban.

And Ferguson added: "You wish you had your main strikers there of course but we didn't and you saw the evidence of that today with the number of chances and possession we had. We still should have won the match.

"I'm obviously disappointed, there's no question about that, but the performance was outstanding. I don't know what the possession figures were and don't know how many corners we had but it all comes down to taking your chances and we certainly should have sewn the game up early on."

Eriksson admitted his return to club football couldn't have been better and singled out defender Micah Richards for praise after a robust defensive display.

He said: "Of course it's very nice to beat the champions but three games and three clean sheets, I must be happy with that. And I am, very happy.

"Richard Dunne and Micah Richards were absolutely fantastic, as was the rest of the back-four. It's important to remember Micah is 19 and to have a defender that strong and that quick. That is a combination that is very rare.

"I like the situation. It's my first time in the Premiership and we are a young, new team. This was a big test and we showed we can stand up to the champions."

It wasn't a penalty. Simple as that.

The referee, Rob Stiles, made a mistake. 43,000 Liverpool fans at Anfield made him aware of what they thought at the time, and at the end of the game. Players and Rafa Benitez made their feelings plain at the time and post match. Radio phone-ins (a popular way of getting something off your chest in the UK) were united in their criticism.

However many times he looks at the replay, Rob Stiles will know that he made a mistake. Only Jose Mourinho seemed to agree with Stiles' decision.

Pointedly even Frank Lampard said he "couldn't comment" as he "honestly didn't see it". Yeah !!! Point made ? Stiles made a mistake.

But, the reaction! The outpouring of vitriol, the clamour for video replays, the labelling of the man as a "cheat" as many on the phone-ins did, and the description of his performance as a "disgrace" and that he "doesn't know what he's doing" (comments made by an eminent Football commentator here in the UK) are so far removed from a neutral and realistic assessment of his performance as to be almost worthwhile Mr. Stiles taking legal action.

Criticism is one thing. What has been heaped on Mr Stiles head is quite another.

True, Liverpool may well suffer at the end of the season. But it wasn't Rob Stiles who volleyed wide from a good position as John Arne Riise did. It wasn't the ref who hit wide when well placed as Xabi Alonso did. It wasn't Rob Stiles who hit a shot from a good position in the first half that went out for a throw-in. Steven Gerrard - one of the best in the world did that.

Mistakes happen. If any one of the three mentioned above had hit the net, Liverpool would have won the game. They didn't; Stiles made his mistake and the match ended 1-1. It's football.

For those who advocate video replays, when would you do it in this circumstance? Would it be conclusive? There is some contact by Steve Finnan on Flourent Malouda so you could always look at the rulebook to justify "penalty". It would still be wrong. It would still be a talking point for the rest of the week/month/season/decade.

Talking points - debate. That is one of the joys of our magnificent game. It's about opinions and talking points.

Think of the gems from this weekend. Sir Alex Ferguson's televised reaction when he thought Carlos Tevez had equalised in the last minute. Unless you're a United fan, don't tell me you didn't giggle. What about the quality of Fernando Torres strike on home debut, or the Eriksson story, or Micah Richards' performance, or Jens Lehmann's blunder. That last example hardly got a look-in this week as the fans turned on the referee at Anfield.

Let me compare them. Mr Lehmann is paid thousands and thousands of dollars per week and is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. His was a dreadful mistake, yet the vitriol he earned from the UK and global press was a small percentage compared to that heaped on Mr. Stiles. It is out of all proportion.

The abuse of officials is commonplace in all sports. Throughout the game at Anfield, Mr Stiles was frequently harangued after decisions by players of both teams. Chelsea were the worse of the two, though Liverpool also pressurised the officials with glares, comments and intimidation. It's not on. Erode officialdom, and anarchy isn't far away !

In cricket, what has emerged is that the word of the player is no longer respected. In the Friends Provident Final at Lord's on Saturday, There was a run-out incident when Ottis Gibson deflected a ball driven back at him onto the stumps. The TV umpire decided that there was insufficient "evidence" that the ball had taken a touch. No problem with that. My issue is that no-one even thought of asking Gibson. His word counted for nothing.

It's a horrible place that the world of sport is heading to if football referees mistakes are abused far more than those of an international player; and when a respected cricketers word counts for nothing. Be concerned.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez may be claiming that Chelsea's visit to Anfield is just another three points on offer but the fact that he is willing to risk Steven Gerrard's toe injury demonstrates the scale of this fixture, just a week into the new campaign.

The inspirational Reds skipper may need injections in the problem - a hairline fracture on the big toe of his right foot - suffered in a challenge from Achille Emana in the 1-0 Champions League qualifier first leg in Toulouse in midweek.

The 27-year-old has been withdrawn from England's friendly against Germany next week and may even be absent from Liverpool's trip to Sunderland next weekend but his inclusion for Sunday's match is a major statement of intent from the Reds' boss.

With Liverpool having knocked Chelsea out at the semi-final stage of the Champions League in the last two seasons only adding to the antipathy between the sides, the Reds know that a victory would be a major early blow to their title rivals, having invested 50 million pounds in the hope of launching a sustained challenge to end their 17-year wait for the league title.

Benitez knows Gerrard will be vital.

"If we push him a little bit now because it is a very important game, maybe he will need to rest after the game. It's not serious but it's also something we need to be careful about," said the manager.

While urging Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to remember his promise of last month to keep a lower profile, Benitez insists his main focus is on his team's performances.

"He said he will not talk about other teams but maybe he forgot," he added.

"We (him and Mourinho) are not important. We need to talk about Gerrard and John Terry because all of these things are much better for the game.

"Winning against Aston Villa, was just one game. Now we're talking about our second game and it's important to win and it's important to win against the top sides because you will send a message but it is just another game."

Chelsea's new signing Claudio Pizarro agrees with that view but his obvious desperation to be involved shows the importance of the encounter.

Having scored one goal in one start so far in the Premiership, the 28-year-old Peruvian, who arrived at Stamford Bridge on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, believes the Anfield atmosphere will spur the Londoners on.

He said: "I am very excited about the game and I hope that I can play. For me it will be a new experience. I think that the stadium is very nice and the crowd is amazing there and that's important for our team also. We need that to play.

"I've heard a lot about the rivalry between the clubs but for me it will be just another game, but an important one."

Rub your eyes. In Manchester, United are four points behind City going into Sunday's Derby clash. The Manchester Evening Post is writing more about Michael Johnson and the "unknown 8" City foreign signings than about Ronaldo & Rooney; The foreign players pictured on the inside back sports pages in the City are the Thai Internationals (Teerasil, Suree Sukha, and Kiatprawut Saiwaew), NOT Tevez.

On Merseyside, Everton are playing with such verve that they've knocked Liverpool off the back pages of the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post - and that despite the fact that Liverpool have started a League campaign with a win - and won in Europe.

Then, there's Chelsea attacking for all they're worth; Arsenal (like Liverpool), mightily impressive at home and abroad. (One, we expect, but not both). Add to that Newcastle looking strong all over; then there's Bolton suddenly unable to defend, and Michael Chopra at Sunderland showing the judgment that screams to us that Roy Keane is going to be one of THE great football Managers.

None of this was expected before the season started, and it's made for a confusing, if thrilling, opening to the new season. Thank goodness for Tottenham and West Ham living up to their hard-earned reputations – underachieving - when tipped to do so well.

All over England, there's a fervent hope that the incredible global reach of Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool is about to be challenged. At the same time, though, there's the expectation that United will put City in their place in the derby on Sunday, and that Chelsea will revert to type (defending in depth, breaking at pace) at Anfield - and in a few months time, all the current uncertainty will be replaced by a more likely series of events - or will it ? This correspondent reckons not. The Premier League has gotten stronger from a playing perspective.

The teams assembled by Messers Allardyce (Newcastle), Moyes (Everton), and Eriksson (Man City) are full of balance and quality. There's the Thai money at City and the potential of Mike Ashley's cash at Newcastle. The named managers all know their business which means that there's a genuine chance that one of these three - and even Tottenham once they get some defenders back - might take something from the big four.

Even so, this is a big weekend if there is going to be a shift away from the norm.

Everton need to continue their fine start in a tough game at Reading. Andy Johnson is looking sharp, so there's a reasonable chance of that; Newcastle United face Aston Villa with Michael Owen available, Obafemi Martins riding high, and new signings (and don't they look good signings) all looking to impress on their home debuts. Chance there as well; and surely Tottenham will get up and running against this season's Watford, Derby.

So how about this for a plan? Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham all win on Saturday. Then in the Sunday bonanza of games, City to hold off United; Chelsea and Liverpool to share 6 goals in a spectacular draw; Arsenal's youngsters to lose it in the heat of battle in Blackburn.

We can dream, but If that DOES happen, then the top 3 will read Everton, Man City, & Sunderland. And we could be witnessing the start of a challenge to the Big 4. Odds anyone ?

Tottenham manager Jol has his sights firmly set on the first three points of the season, as his team entertains Derby at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are no strangers to upsets from the Premiership new-boys, following their opening day defeat to Sunderland. And after succumbing to a shock defeat by Everton in midweek, Jol will be looking to kick-start Tottenham's stuttering season at Derby's expense.

The Dutchman was dealt with a major blow, after star striker Dimitar Berbatov picked up a groin injury. Jol has three fit strikers at his disposal, Robbie Keane, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe - all ready to slot into attack.

However, Jol's problem lies in his defence. Regulars Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul are all ruled out. Finnish midfielder Teemu Tainio is also sidelined.

Tottenham's summer signing Gareth Bale made a return to full training in midweek, but is unlikely to feature against the Rams. South Korean international Lee Young-pyo is available, after making a swift return from injury.

After their opening day draw with Portsmouth, Derby is looking to add to Tottenham's misery, and claim their first victory.

American international Benny Feilhaber is set to make his Derby bow, after being granted his international clearance, paving the way for his switch to Pride Park.

The Rams remain without highly-rated midfielder Giles Barnes, who is still waiting on his Premiership debut, due to a foot injury.

Everton will be aiming to maintain their winning start to the season, but is likely face resistance as they travel to The Madejski Stadium to face Reading on Saturday.

Steve Coppell's side have only picked up one point from their opening two games. But, Reading have shown their determination and resilience against Manchester United and Chelsea. It's clear Coppell's charges are unlikely to surrender a victory without a fight.

The Reading boss would be happy to know that Bobby Convey is back in contention, after returning to training in midweek following a knee injury.

Striker Leroy Lita, who is on the brink of a return from a muscle strain, may feature against Everton. However, Michael Duberry (groin), Glen Little (achilles) and Ibrahima Sonko (knee) will all miss out.

Coppell will still be without Dave Kitson, who is serving the second of his three-match ban following his red card against Manchester United. Defender Kalifa Cisse is also suspended for his dismissal against Chelsea.

Everton are riding high in confidence, after their consecutive victories. And, following an impressive 3-1 win over Tottenham, the Toffees will be motivated to preserve their winning start.

Everton manager David Moyes has no new injury worries, but is still without midfielder Tim Cahill, who is ruled out with a foot problem.

Youngster James Vaughan will not make the trip to Reading, after being sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.

ir Alex Ferguson insisted Cristiano Ronaldo must learn not to react to provocation from inferior players after his senseless dismissal in the champions' 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.

Ronaldo was sent off for aiming a headbutt at Richard Hughes on Wednesday and faces a three-match ban that will rule him out of United's derby clash with Manchester City on Sunday, as well as home games against Tottenham and Sunderland.

The Portugal winger was dismissed in the 85th minute by referee Steve Bennett following a melee in the Portsmouth penalty area after Sulley Muntari was sent off for Portsmouth a minute earlier.

United boss Ferguson believes Ronaldo was provoked but claimed he must keep his head rather than trying to headbutt other players.

"He was provoked but you can't raise your arms at another player," Ferguson said. "He has got to realise he is better than these other players and not to rise to their bait. He has got to rise above it.

"He got no protection from the referee but that is not to excuse his sending off.

"Steve Bennett has sent him off before as has the linesman and we missed a great opportunity for us to win the game."

Ronaldo was last sent off two years ago against local rivals City and will be a massive loss to a United team already without injured England striker Wayne Rooney.

Harry Redknapp claimed not to have seen the incident but felt his team deserved a draw anyway.

Redknapp also reckons his seven million pounds signing Muntari must calm down or he will continue to be sent off.

"Ronaldo is a fantastic player and I'm sure he wouldn't try to deliberately hurt someone.

"He is a good lad and not malicious but I missed the incident because there were so many players involved in it. Muntari just needs to calm down a bit."

Paul Scholes smashed United into the lead in the 15th minute with a trademark thunderbolt.

New boys Nani and Carlos Tevez combined to set up Scholes who drilled the ball home right-footed from 20 yards.

Pedro Mendes and debutant Martin Cranie were dragged off at half-time as Redknapp rang the changes. Matthew Taylor and Djimi Traore replaced the ineffective pair.

Benjani put Pompey back in the game with a bullet header in the 53rd minute.

Taylor put over a beautiful cross from the left and Benjani powered in his second goal in as many games from eight yards past the helpless Edwin van Der Sar.

David Nugent missed a sitter to give Pompey the lead in the 60th minute.

Benjani shot, van der Sar saved and Nugent somehow failed to put the ball over the line from six yards.

The England international is still searching for his first Pompey goal since his six million ponds move from Preston and he will not get an easier chance to score.

Ronaldo came to life in the 65th minute before his late sending off when he put over a teasing centre that Ryan Giggs got on the end of, but James tipped over the bar.

Throughout the past few days, a wave of optimism has swept through the blue half of Manchester.

The long-suffering City faithful are now hopeful of a promising Premiership campaign. And, some are even dreaming of silverware. City’s 2-0 win over West Ham, coupled with Wednesday night’s 1-0 home defeat of Derby County has fuelled the fans with excitement.

Not since Georgian wizard Georgi Kinkladze entertained their socks off, have the City faithful been so excited.

The past two seasons have been disappointing to say the least for City fans. The club finished 15th in the 2005/06 campaign, flirting with relegation that year.

The following season was no better, as City struggled upfront. Ex-Blues gaffer Stuart Pearce and his charges created a new Premiership record for scoring the fewest goals at home in a season. It was dire stuff.

After two seasons of woe, City have undergone a Cinderella-like transformation. With the financial backing of deposed Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the club can no longer be viewed as poor relations to Manchester United.

Shinawatra wasted little time in appointing former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson to replace Pearce. The Thai also bankrolled Eriksson’s summer spending spree. Elano, Rolando Bianchi and Geovanni have all made immediate impacts.

City supporters were initially, and quite rightly, concerned about the club being owned by Shinawatra. When the club was sold to him for some £81.6m ($US160 million) in early July, many of the fans feared that the ousted politician would have a negative impact on their beloved club.

There was talk of financial irregularities and corruption, following the early season successes however, the negativity surrounding Shinawatra’s ownership has been replaced by euphoria.

A fairy-tale start for City no doubt, but for how long, the more pragmatic fans will ask.

Trouble has already begun to brew at the club. On Wednesday, Thailand's supreme court approved a prosecution request to issue arrest warrants for the Manchester City owner and his wife on corruption charges. If convicted, Thaksin could face up to ten years in jail and a nominal fine. His financial assets could also be completely frozen by the Thai government.

According to insider sources, City had signed all their new players via instalments. Eriksson spent almost £40 million (US$80 million) on new players with the assumption that Thaksin will still be around to foot the bill.

But if he lands behind bars, the club will bear the dire consequences. Without Thaksin’s financial muscle, City could be saddled with debts to pay for the very same players who sparked the revolution at the club.

It’s evident that the long-term future of City is uncertain.

The uneasy promise of success that Thaksin has brought with his ownership is like a drug. It’s addictive, yet dangerous at the same time. For the moment, the City faithful are more than willing addicts themselves. They’ve entrusted the fate and fortunes of the club to Thaksin and Eriksson. And like all fairy-tales, the fans desire a happy ending.

City’s version of the Cinderella fairy-tale, though, ‘a happily ever after’ seems unlikely. In fact, it could just be a start of a nightmare.

Sheffield United have ramped up the pressure in their fight for justice against West Ham United over the Blades' relegation from the Premier League.

Club lawyers have vowed to do "everything within our power" to reclaim "substantial compensation" for loss of earnings, due to West Ham's "breach of contract" to the Premier League over the Carlos Tevez transfer saga. Reports suggest that level of compensation could be anywhere from sixty to one hundred million dollars.

The action by Sheffield United will come as a further blow to West Ham and the Premier League who considered the matter closed after recent arbitration concluded that no further punishment was warranted.

However, Blades' chairman Kevin McCabe has refused to give in, accusing Tevez's former employers of admitting to "lying to the Premier League" in regard to his eligibility to continue playing, ultimately costing McCabe's side another lucrative season in the top flight.

It is not known whether the other Premier League clubs who rallied behind Sheffield United after their relegation will assist them in their fight.

Amid all the uncertainty, one thing is clear, now that the football season has begun, there is no chance of either of the teams directly involved in this fight swapping positions in the respective leagues.

West Ham have fourteen days to respond to this notice of arbitration, and in the meantime both clubs must concentrate their efforts on the pitch.

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Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson admitted he can't wait to get stuck into Manchester United after his side maintained their 100 percent start to the season.

City sit proudly in second place in the Premiership after following their opening day win at West Ham with a 1-0 success against Derby on Wednesday.

Michael Johnson's first half winner ensured City will go into Sunday's clash against arch rivals United four points ahead of the champions.

As if that wasn't enough to have City fans relishing the encounter, they will also be rubbing their hands at United's loss of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo through injury and suspension respectively.

Eriksson knows the match will prove how far advanced his City revolution really is, although his claim that Rooney and Ronaldo's absence was a shame can be taken with a pinch of salt.

"Sunday is a big one," he said. "Of course, they are the champions, so it is a big test for us.

"It is a pity (that Rooney and Ronaldo are out)," he said. "As a fan or a spectator in front of the TV, you want to see the best players perform.

"But they have so many good footballers I think they can put in another one who is very good as well."

Eriksson spent over 40 million pounds bringing a host foreign players to City and so far they look astute purchases.

But it was Johnson, a homegrown English teenager who cost nothing, who ended City's 780-minute league goal drought at Eastlands.

His brilliant 43rd minute strike was their first at home in the Premiership since New Year's Day and just reward for an influential display.

Eriksson was full of praise for the midfielder.

"It is fantastic to see so many young players doing well," said Eriksson.

"I must congratulate the club's academy for the extremely good work they have done.

"I saw Michael on TV last season. He is a very fresh boy but for his age he is also very clever.

"He can pass the ball, he can defend and he has a good engine. But above all, he is just a very good player."

Johnson gave Derby an early warning of his intent when he surged through to the edge of the area and drove a shot narrowly over.

Stephen Ireland tried an ambitious chip over Stephen Bywater but failed to hit the target.

Derby finally threatened when Stephen Pearson burst clear of Richard Dunne, but he lost his composure with Kasper Schmeichel to beat and the son of the Manchester United legend blocked well.

It was a false dawn for Billy Davies's side as City's homegrown talents combined to give them the lead in the 43rd minute.

Johnson embarked on a jinking run past three defenders before finding Ireland, who quickly returned the pass. Johnson had time to look up and bend a superb strike past Bywater.

Derby huffed and puffed but Eriksson has established a slick passing game that makes a mockery of the drab football played by England during his reign.

They nearly started the second half with a second goal when Vedran Corluka crossed to Rolando Bianchi, but Bywater smothered the Italian striker's shot.

City kept up the pressure and Bywater had to be alert again to clear from Bianchi and then repel Brazil midfielder Elano's long-range effort.

Derby's hulking striker Steve Howard headed over from Matt Oakley's corner.

Howard offered another threat when he tried to bundle in a loose ball but Schmeichel was quickly off his line and the final danger had passed.

Everton have suspended Dutch international Andy van der Meyde for a week and fined him for missing a training session.

The 27-year-old did not feature in the club's Premier League clash at Tottenham on Tuesday and has not been included in the squad for Saturday's game at Reading.

"Andy has had numerous warnings about this type of thing and we won't tolerate it any longer," manager David Moyes told the club's official website, www.evertonfc.com.

"I will make a decision regarding the player's future next week."

Van der Meyde also endured a contentious start to last season when he was admitted to hospital in the early hours of August 7 with breathing problems. It was claimed that his drink had been spiked while in a bar in Liverpool.

The Dutchman arrived at Goodison Park from Inter Milan in 2005 but has failed to impress, playing only 18 games in two seasons.

ewis, 33, travelled to Derby for talks and a medical, after an undisclosed fee was agreed, where he hopes to link up again with manager Billy Davies.

Lewis was part of the Preston North End side managed by Davies, who were beaten in the Championship play-off final by West Ham United in 2005. He scored nine goals in 96 appearances for Leeds, and was in the final year of his contract.

"We have agreed an undisclosed fee for Eddie Lewis with Derby County," read a statement on Leeds' official website. "Eddie felt that the opportunity to play in the Premier League was too good to miss out on."

"It will also help keep open his international opportunities with the USA that may have been passed over if he played regular football in League One. We wish him all the best for the future."

Meanwhile, the Rams have received international clearance to play midfielder Benny Feilhaber, a £1m buy from Bundesliga side Hamburg, at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Everton are closing in on striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu for a club record £11million (US$22million), according to reports.
Middlesbrough forward Yakubu looks set to join Everton along with midfielder Manuel Fernandes, who is expected to complete his medical on Friday.
The Portuguese 21-year-old arrived at the club on Thursday, as a £6million (US$12million) deal was being formulated to capture him from Benfica.
Sources have said Everton will pay £6million (US$12million) to Benfica for 50 per cent of Fernandes, and have reached agreement with Global Sports Agency for the other 50 per cent.
According to news reports, Nigerian international Yakubu has been left out of the team travelling to London to face Fulham on Saturday.
And after being snubbed by Boro boss Gareth Southgate, he is reported to be un-happy at the club, and has now set his sights on a move to Goodison Park.

England manager Steve McClaren is expected to name a big squad for next Wednesday's friendly at Wembley against Germany to offset any late withdrawals.
The players available to him have already been reduced after Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez told him that Steven Gerrard will not play, even though the Reds captain is likely to face Chelsea on Sunday despite his broken toe.
Having said he intends to call up John Terry, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Owen and David Beckham in order to ensure they are part of the build-up despite recent lack of match practice, there is no reason to think McClaren will not try to persuade Benitez to let Gerrard link up as well.
A year into the job, McClaren is aware the team he has in his head right now is not the one likely to be available next week at Wembley.
But he wants to develop a team ethos as the Euro 2008 qualifiers reach their crucial stage, which is why he is expected to name a large squad.
"The squad I have in my mind and the team I have in my mind now could very easily change before we meet up Monday - and it will do," McClaren said.
"It has happened in the past and it will happen again. But what I want to do is establish a squad of players that we will use in the period until November.
"I do want players on the fringe but I also want to be able to stick with what we have."
In addition to Gerrard, Tottenham duo Ledley King and Aaron Lennon are also out, as are Manchester United's Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.

NEWCASTLE, England, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - Newcastle United's new boss Sam Allardyce is under pressure to change the Magpies' goalscoring fortunes in his first English Premier League game in charge at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.

In more than half a century the Toon Army have experienced nothing quite like it.

A club which was dubbed "The Entertainers" in the mid 1990s has not scored a league goal at St James's Park since February.

In 470 minutes of Premier League football on Tyneside frustrated home fans have been forced to live on the memory of Peru midfielder Nolberto Solano's winning goal, albeit from the penalty spot, against Liverpool six months ago.

Not since 1951 have the Magpies endured such a barren period but Villa should not expect that dismal run to continue.

Newcastle opened up this season's top flight account with three goals at Bolton Wanderers and Michael Owen has since been declared fit for a first team return.

Such is United's sudden attacking strength in depth that the England forward will have to be content with a place on the bench.

"We can safely say that we can bring Michael into the squad after his two (reserve team) appearances this week," said Magpies manager Sam Allardyce.

"He's still short of match practice. But Michael Owen is Michael Owen and he's a goalscorer. We can say he's fit from the injury now.

"I think Michael is relieved to have got through two matches with no reaction to his calf injury. That's good news for me and for everyone at the club."

Owen has managed a mere 14 league appearances in two years at St James's Park but has been missed as much by his country as his club.

Assuming he negotiates the Villa game without any setbacks, the 27-year-old will be named in England manager Steve McClaren's squad to face Germany in next Wednesday's friendly at Wembley.

In the absence of injured Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, the inclusion of Owen is seen as critical.

"It would be unfair to put too much pressure on Michael at the moment," added Allardyce.

"I will speak to Steve about next week's game after the weekend. We will have a better view of it then.

"Michael's a bit more in the forefront after Rooney's injury and that's obvious. But Steve has to get ready for qualifiers. The Germany friendly could be a good exercise for Michael Owen, Steve McClaren and Newcastle United."

Owen is one fifth of a fearsome attacking quintet featuring the Nigeria's Obafemi Martins, Australia's Mark Viduka and young Englishmen Alan Smith and Shola Ameobi.

It is a forward line the envy of many Premier League clubs and Villa manager Martin O'Neill would certainly benefit from such firepower.

Several targets have been identified by the ambitious Northern Irishman and he is keen to tie Olof Mellberg, Luke Moore and Thomas Sorensen to new long-term contracts before this month's transfer deadline passes.

"I will build the squad before I let anyone go," said O'Neill.

"If by transfer-deadline day I have the squad I want and then somebody is desperate to go then, that is a different issue. While I allowed Liam Ridgewell to go, that's been a long-standing thing.

"Nobody here is itching to go at the moment. Obviously those things can change as we get more players in. But I won't, at this moment in time, be letting anybody just walk away unless we have the players in."

teven Gerrard faces a race to be fit for Liverpool's match against Chelsea on Sunday.

The Liverpool skipper is expected to have treatment today at the club's Melwood training ground following a worrying ankle injury picked up in his side's Champions League qualifier.

Gerrard took a painful crack on the back of his ankle from French midfielder Pantxi Sireix, the Toulouse player who spent all of Wednesday's match man-marking the England star.

With Sunday's Barclays Premier League home game with Chelsea now the next clash for Liverpool to contend with in a tough opening week of three matches, Reds manager Rafael Benitez would only say on Wednesday night: "We will not know how Steven is until he has been seen by the medical team and the doctor."

It was the only blemish for Benitez after his side mastered the sauna-like conditions to secure a 1-0 first-leg victory. Gerrard tried to carry on but was eventually replaced in the 61st minute by Mohamed Sissoko.

"I was replacing him because we needed fresh legs, not because of the injury, but we do not know yet how he is."

Benitez hailed the "wonderful goal" scored by new boy Andriy Voronin that put Liverpool within touching distance of the Champions League group stages.

The Reds manager watched as his free-transfer signing from Bayer Leverkusen ensured his new club are close to the £12million prize for reaching the competition proper.

Benitez said: "Andriy scored a wonderful goal, it summed up his qualities as a very fine striker.

"He is clever, has great game awareness and gives us so many more options in attack. He can play behind a main striker, lead the line himself, or come into the attack from the flanks."

The star striker is certain to miss this weekend's clash against Derby with a groin injury, and no return date has yet been set.

The Bulgarian joins summer recruit Younes Kaboul on the sidelines as part of a growing Spurs injury list, and their absences come at the worst possible time after the London club opened their Barclays Premier League campaign with two defeats.

"We've had a couple more blows," manager Martin Jol told the club's official website. "Younes Kaboul will be out for the next three or four weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered against Everton.

"That's a real kick in the teeth and Dimitar Berbatov has a groin problem. It's an old problem and he will now visit a specialist in Germany. He will be out for a couple of weeks."

Of his other injuries Jol added: "Gareth Bale is looking better. Our medical team have also told me that Young-Pyo Lee is up to 85 per cent fitness and that will soon be 100 per cent."

Goals from Cesc Fabregas and Alexander Hleb ensured Arsenal have one foot in the door of the Champions League proper.

It was by no means an easy contest and the Czech side were much the better team for most of the first half. But the Gunners kept their nerve and started to take control midway through the second period.

The all-important goal came in the 72nd minute. Gael Clichy stormed up field, beat two defenders and then squared for Fabregas to score with ease. Sparta continued to attack in numbers and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had to make some important saves. In injury time, Bacary Sagna set-up Hleb to roll home the goal which should send Arsenal through to the group stages.

Afterwards Wenger said: "It was a very physical game. Sparta played with a total commitment in the first half and stopped us from playing. We needed to be patient and not make a mistake.

"At one stage we were lucky as well, because they hit the post. We needed to play with more purpose in going forwards and did that more in the second half. Then we were more dangerous.

"The whole team has a resilience, they fight to the last second - and we have shown that again tonight when we scored the goal."

The England midfielder, who has been keen to leave St James' Park to be closer to his family, looked like he had missed out on the chance to join the Hammers when the deal stalled earlier this month.

Dyer, who has earned 32 England caps since making his debut in 1999, will link up with a clutch of former Newcastle team-mates including Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy and Lee Bowyer.

Previously, West Ham had agreed a fee for the 28-year-old, who can play across the midfield or as a support striker, but the deal hit the buffers when the Magpies decided to up their valuation of the player from around £6million to nearer £8million.

Dyer said: "I think it was well documented that I wanted to be nearer to my family, but I also see West Ham as a club that is really going places. A lot of the players that have signed have a bit of a point to prove as have the players who came so close to relegation last season so everyone shares that hunger which can only be a good thing."

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley, who had previously declared the deal dead following Newcastle's change in stance, has already signed Julien Faubert, Freddie Ljungberg and Richard Wright in addition to Bellamy and Parker this summer.

Curbishley added: "We're delighted to get the player in. If you look at his history over the last couple of years he missed a lot of games with his hamstring - but once he got it sorted, he played 33 games and scored eight goals

"He also played for England against Spain, Brazil and Andorra - so he is a current England international, and we are delighted to have him on board."