Manchester United can draw level with champions Chelsea before the Premier League leaders even kick off if they win away to Sunderland today.
Victory for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side against a team managed by United old boy Steve Bruce would see the Red Devils join Chelsea on 15 points and that would give the Blues something else to think about before their London derby against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, even though they would likely still be on top, such is their vastly superior goal difference.
However, a United win at the Stadium of Light is anything but assured.
So far this season, Ferguson’s men have drawn each of their three away games in the Premier League, losing leads at Fulham and Everton and having to fight back to earn a point at Bolton Wanderers.
“A lot has been made about us not keeping clean sheets, but I haven’t seen us get opened up to make it a real crisis,” said United centerback Rio Ferdinand, fit following a knee injury. “We have been a little unfortunate and unlucky in certain circumstances, maybe even naive at points, but we haven’t been opened up in a manner that would make it a massive problem.”
United go into the match on the back of a 1-0 Champions League win away to Valencia, which suggests they are getting over their travel sickness, but Bruce reckons Sunderland’s supporters can put a side of even United’s class and experience off their game.
“With the crowd behind us, it can be like an extra man,” Bruce said.
Chelsea and Arsenal both head into their eagerly awaited clash following Champions League wins over Olympique de Marseille and Partizan Belgrade respectively.
Those successes came after both clubs suffered domestic reverses, Chelsea losing to Manchester City and Arsenal, more surprisingly, to West Bromwich Albion.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was confident his side could carry their European form into the Premier League.
“For us, it was important to win straight away after a big disappointment against West Brom,” Wenger said. “It puts us in a good position confidence-wise. Sunday is a big, big game for us.”
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is expected to be in the Blues dug-out despite having to attend his father’s funeral in Italy today.
Tottenham Hotspur, also enjoying life in the Champions League after a midweek 4-1 win at home to Dutch club Twente, welcome an Aston Villa side rejuvenated by the arrival of French manager Gerard Houllier to White Hart Lane today.
Everton may be in a “false position,” according to their Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta, but the fact remains they are bottom of the table and the Toffees are the only team in the Premier League without a win so far this season.
The Merseysiders face a tricky trip to Birmingham City as they look to rid themselves of that unwanted record, while Stoke City face Blackburn Rovers, West Brom play Bolton and Wigan Athletic take on Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Blackpool, the surprise package of the season, will fancy their chances of causing fresh embarrassment to a Liverpool side that has won just once in the league so far this season when they make the short journey to Anfield tomorrow.
Liverpool’s goalless draw away to Utrecht in the Europa League on Thursday did not exactly suggest better days were around the corner.
Manchester City, who battled back to draw 1-1 against Juventus in European soccer’s second tier competition, are at home to Newcastle United.
OLYMPIC STADIUM
AP, LONDON
Tottenham Hotspur have registered their interest in moving into London’s Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games despite announcing yesterday that they have final approval from the local government to redevelop their current ground.
Tottenham said in a statement they have joined with US sports and entertainment company AEG to match Premier League rivals West Ham United in expressing an interest. AEG runs the former Millennium Dome site near the Olympic Park as the successful O2 Arena concert venue.
Haringey Council granted Tottenham permission late on Thursday for a 56,250-capacity ground adjacent to White Hart Lane after the club tweaked the plans following an initial rejection in January, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy acknowledged that the club was looking at the Olympic Stadium despite previously asserting repeatedly that the preferred option was to replace the club’s aging home with a new ground on the site.
“It is only prudent and good management that we ensure that we investigate all possible options for the club,” Levy said. “We were informed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company that were we not to register an interest at this time, there would not be an opportunity at any future date. We have always maintained that we wouldn’t undertake any project that could undermine the overall financial stability and future success of the club and this shall remain our guiding principle going forward and in determining our best option in the interests of the club and all its fans and stakeholders.”
Spurs have been based at the 36,310-seat White Hart Lane since 1899.
Tottenham’s proposed new stadium was included as a possible venue in England’s bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, although organizers also have Wembley and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.
The 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium is designed to be reduced to 25,000 seats after the games, but those plans could be changed.
West Ham, which are based at the 35,000-capacity Upton Park, would adapt the Olympic Stadium to 60,000 seats but, like all bidders, is obliged to retain the running track.
West Ham were the only one of more than 100 potential tenants of the £537 million (US$853 million) Olympic Stadium to publicly discuss its plans on Thursday’s deadline day.
The Olympic Stadium is situated on a 227 hectare site in a once rundown industrial swath of east London and is part of one of Britain’s biggest renovation projects in decades.
West Ham United are currently based just 3.7km from the Olympic Stadium in east London, while Tottenham Hotspur are 5.5km away in north London.
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