All eyes will be on Old Trafford this weekend for the first clash between big four of the 2009/10 campaign.
It may still be early days in the new season but the importance of getting one over on your rivals should not be underestimated, at either end of the table.
Manchester United,Your browser may not support display of this image. Chelsea and much-touted Manchester CityYour browser may not support display of this image. all well-placed on the upper rungs of the Premier League ladder. Liverpool have stumbled to a disappointing start, and know they have ground to make up already, while the likes of Birmingham and Burnley have displayed enough promise to suggest that they could be dark horses as the top-flight marathon begins in earnest.
The latest round of fixtures will, however, be overshadowed by what promises to be a titanic tussle between Manchester United and Arsenal on Saturday evening - a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 in UK and ESPNSTAR in South East Asia.
Reigning champions United appear to have shaken off the surprise of suffering a shock loss at Turf Moor, and put five past Wigan last time out, and Sir Alex Ferguson will have his troops primed for battle. Arsenal, though, have been mightily impressive so far this term, scoring 10 goals in their two fixtures so far, and they will head to Old Trafford confident they can put down a significant marker in the title race.
While the Gunners and Red Devils will have aspirations of crossing the finish line first come next May, Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea are also expected to have a major say in the destination of the crown. The Blues have made a perfect start to the season, taking nine points from three games, but they will not have things all their own way at Stamford Bridge this weekend when they play host to a Burnley side who have adapted to life among England's elite with consummate ease.
At present, though, it is Tottenham who are looking down on the rest of the table from their lofty perch at the summit and Harry Redknapp'sYour browser may not support display of this image. men will fancy their chances of racking up a fourth consecutive success this week. Spurs welcome Birmingham to North London on Saturday looking to preserve White Hart Lane'sYour browser may not support display of this image. burgeoning status as a fortress few away sides are able to breach.
Liverpool's troubles so far have already been alluded to and Rafa Benitez will not be relishing a tricky trip to Bolton. The Reds appeared bereft of ideas in their hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat to Aston VillaYour browser may not support display of this image. on Monday and Gary Megson will have his Trotters team sensing blood.
Anyone looking for a surprise package to emerge from the midst of the 2009/10 campaign could do worse than cast an eye over ever-improving Sunderland. Steve BruceYour browser may not support display of this image. has got the Black Cats purring and a trip to fortress Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke will hold no fear for the wily former Birmingham and Wigan boss.
West Ham, or rather their supporters, have dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week and they will welcome the opportunity to turn attentions back to their performances on the field. A 3-1 victory over Millwall in the Carling Cup in midweek, a good result which has been somewhat overshadowed, should stand them in good stead ahead of a trip to Blackburn to take on a Rovers side yet to get off the mark.
Molineux promises to be bathed in gold this weekend as hosts Wolves take on Hull City. Mick McCarthy's side have made a solid yet unspectacular start to life back in the big time, while the Tigers will feel that they have yet to reap the rewards their industry this term has deserved.
Portsmouth kick-off Sunday's action with a lunchtime contest with Manchester City.With Sulaiman Al-Fahim now overseeing events at Fratton Park,Your browser may not support display of this image. having previously helped to manufacture the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover at City, it will be intriguing to see which of the two sides now benefitting from Middle Eastern investment come out on top. The smart money would appear to be on the visitors, as they have taken maximum points from their two outings so far and are yet to concede, while Pompey have slipped to three consecutive defeats and look drained by the distracting takeover saga.
The South Coast outfit do not prop up the table at present, though, with that unfortunate honour going to Everton. The Toffees were expected to be among the frontrunners again this season, after taking positive strides in recent years, but a dismal start has seen them slip off the pace. A home date with inconsistent Wigan could help them to get back on track, but the Merseysiders will be forced to make do without Joleon LescottYour browser may not support display of this image. from now on after offloading the England international to Manchester City.
A busy weekend, which sees all 20 Premier League sides in action, comes to a close at Villa ParkYour browser may not support display of this image. on Sunday afternoon as Aston Villa take on Fulham. Martin O'Neill's men will have been buoyed by their heroics at Anfield last time out, while the Cottagers are looking to bounce back from a derby day setback at Chelsea last weekend.
Premiere League Preview
Champions League Draw
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Rangers now know who they will face in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Thursday's draw in Monaco has thrown up a host of intriguing fixtures in Europe's elite club competition.
Liverpool head up Group E and will tackle French giants Lyon, Serie A side Fiorentina and Hungarian outfit Debreceni as Rafa Benitez'sYour browser may not support display of this image. men aim to repeat their 2005 success.
Manchester UnitedYour browser may not support display of this image. - winners in 2008 and finalists in 2009 - are the top seeds in Group B, with Sir Alex Ferguson'sYour browser may not support display of this image. side facing lengthy trips to CSKA Moscow and Besiktas, while they must also tackle German champions Wolfsburg.
Chelsea have to overcome Porto, Atletico MadridYour browser may not support display of this image. and APOEL Nicosia if they are to secure safe passage from Group D into the knockout phase as they aim to claim the trophy which has become something of a Holy Grail for the Stamford Bridge club.
Arsenal tackle Champions League newcomers AZ Alkmaar,Your browser may not support display of this image. Greek powerhouse Olympiakos and Belgian side Standard Liege in Group H after overcoming Celtic in their qualifying round.
Rangers' bid to reach the latter stages in Europe sees them placed in Group G alongside top seeds Sevilla, Stuttgart and Unirea Urziceni of Romania.
Brazilian playmaker Kaka has been handed an immediate return to AC MilanYour browser may not support display of this image. with Real Madrid paired alongside his former club, plus Marseille and FC Zurich in Group C.
Defending champions Barcelona tackle Inter Milan in Group F - in two clashes which will see Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o facing their former clubs - with Dynamo KievYour browser may not support display of this image. and Rubin KazanYour browser may not support display of this image. completing the quartet.
Bayern Munich,Your browser may not support display of this image. who lifted the trophy in 2001, are up against Juventus, French champions Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa in Group A.
The clubs will now meet home and away across six matchdays from September to December with the top two qualifying for the knockout phase, with the ultimate prize on offer in the final at Real's Santiago Bernabeu on 22nd May.
Champions League groups and fixture schedule
Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa.
Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, Wolfsburg.
Group C: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich.
Group D: Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL Nicosia.
Group E: Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debreceni.
Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan.
Group G: Sevilla, Rangers, Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni.
Group H: Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liege.
Matchday 1: 15th/16th September
Matchday 2: 29th/30th September
Matchday 3: 20th/21st October
Matchday 4: 3rd/4th November
Matchday 5: 24th/25th November
Matchday 6: 8th/9th December
Arsenal see off Hoops
EDUARDO DA SILVA had better not visit Glasgow any time soon.
Not unless he has developed a taste for hospital food.
Arsenal's Croatian international striker has already spent more than enough time in plaster following his horrific leg break last year.
But that would be nothing compared to the damage he would suffer if the angry Celtic fans could get their hands on him.
For those travelling supporters will return to Scotland this morning convinced their team have been cheated of the chance to compete with Europe's elite.
And who can blame them, after Eduardo's outrageous first-half dive to con Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez?
All 2,600 Celtic supporters in the Emirates' away end had a bird's eye view of the appalling act of simulation which led to Arsenal's decisive penalty.
Unlike Senor Gonzalez, they could clearly see there was no contact between Eduardo and keeper Artur Boruc before the Brazilian-born lightweight threw himself to the ground.
It was so blatant even the infamously myopic Arsene Wenger conceded it was never a penalty.
No wonder Boruc went loco when Gonzalez pointed to the spot. It was almost enough to make you feel sorry for our Caledonian chums. Almost.
To add insult to injury, it was Eduardo who dusted himself off to send Boruc the wrong way with his unerring 27th-minute penalty.
It was a travesty of a goal and one which allowed Celtic to claim they had been the victims of an appalling miscarriage of justice.
A deflection and an own-goal in the first leg and a dive in the second. That is what they will swear has sealed the Gunners' Champions League place for a 12th successive season.
The truth, of course, is that Celtic were comprehensively outplayed by Wenger's young team over the two legs of this qualifying tie.
They hardly threatened Manuel Almunia's goal until Massimo Donati's stunning angled volley with the final kick of the game.
But that consolation strike was as good as it got for the pride of Scotland. William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen were once again outstanding at the heart of Arsenal's back four, while Denilson and Abou Diaby totally ran the midfield.
Even Nickolas Bendtner looked a potential world-beater when his clever back-heel allowed Emmanuel Eboue to finish off a sublime Arsenal move in the 54th minute.
And it was the same sorry story for Celtic 20 minutes later, when Andrey Arshavin exchanged passes with fellow sub Aaron Ramsey to score within seconds of his introduction.
Yet the undisputed reality of Arsenal's superiority has still been tainted by Eduardo's gamesmanship.
The sad thing is he did not need to resort to skulduggery. He more than had the beating of Celtic's defence with his God-given ability.
He should have put this tie beyond Celtic's reach in the opening minutes but stabbed the ball wide after Boruc had clawed out Bendtner's shot.
And he was denied by another flying save from Celtic's giant Polish keeper shortly before the break.
Tony Mowbray's team were already well beaten by then, the last remaining stuffing knocked out of them by that contentious penalty.
All they had to offer after that was Scottish pride and a burning sense of grievance. Yet what they lacked in quality they more than made up for with commitment and effort. Like an angry swarm of radioactive wasps in their day-glo hooped shirts, they snapped and flapped in Arsenal's ears.
Gary Caldwell and Aidan McGeady were both yellow carded for industrial-strength challenges on Eboue and Diaby. Denilson and Scott Brown were also booked for a late bust-up.
No one would have relished those meaty tussles more than watching Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, ahead of Saturday's visit from Arsenal.
Wenger insists that qualification for the Champions League is far more important than any Premier League trip to Old Trafford.
But Saturday's encounter with United will tell us just how good his youngsters really are.
No one at the Emirates has forgotten the ruthless manner in which they were taken apart in the semi-finals of last season's Champions League.
They are determined to show they are now genuine trophy contenders, after far too long without silverware.
And today's draw in Monaco will confirm Arsenal's place among Europe's top-seeded high-fliers.
Qualification for the league stages will be worth £20million, more than enough to satisfy the bean-counters.
Wenger is above such financial concerns. For him, the Champions League is more a matter of pride and prestige.
What a pity his sense of moral superiority has been tainted by Eduardo's chicanery.
Aston Villa Rock Liverpool at Anfield
Aston Villa put another dent in Liverpool's title dreams with a hard-fought 3-1 victory at Anfield.
Lucas Leiva suffered the indignity of putting through his own net to open the scoring, before Curtis Davies doubled Villa's lead moments before the break.
Fernando Torres did pull one back for the hosts, but Ashley Young rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot.
Liverpool dominated much of the opening exchanges, but fell behind after 34 minutes when an ambitious free-kick from Young cannoned off Lucas and past a stranded Pepe Reina.
The Reds were then the architects of their own downfall once again on the stroke of half-time as they failed to pick up Davies from a corner and he glanced a header in off the underside of the bar.
Torres then offered Rafa Benitez's side a lifeline on 72 minutes, as he coolly rounded of a well-worked move down the left.
However, Steven Gerrard felled Nigel Reo-Coker in the box three minutes later and Young sent Reina the wrong way from the spot.
The result ended Liverpool's 31-match unbeaten home league record stretching back to December 2007, when Manchester United were the last winners at Anfield.
But the spotlight will now be on Liverpool, who only lost twice in the league last season and still did not win the title.
The margin for error is now very fine. You rarely win the crown by losing more than five games in a season, and Liverpool's hopes could already have suffered a mortal blow.
Manchester United demolished high flying Wigan
Premier League Champions Manchester United ended a difficult week in some awesome style as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen both scored landmark strikes in a 5-0 demolition of Wigan at the DW Stadium.
If United were lethargic in midweek against Burnley, they were ruthless in a second half that saw them put the ball in back of the net for five times, four of them stunning goals, to more than justify Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to make seven changes to the side that slumped against Burnley at Turf Moor.
After an entertaining but goalless first period Rooney broke the deadlock after half-time for his 100th United goal, via the most sublime header from Antonio Valencia's cross, before strike partner Dimitar Berbatov netted a wonderfully impudent goal of his own.
Rooney scored his second via a deflection off Mario Melchiot before his replacement Owen clipped in a brilliant fourth for his first in United colours.
The most polished of displays was given added gloss in injury time when Nani scored a fabulous free-kick from range. Day Belong to Wayne Rooney The day, however, belonged to Rooney, such an unselfish worker, as he scored his 100th and 101st goals for the club.
Yet United found it hard going in the first half even though they had plenty of possession.
Ferguson was looking for an immediate response after what happened at Turf Moor and his side almost took the lead in the fourth minute with a swift break.
Nani cut the ball back into the area and Darren Fletcher was the first to react but saw his effort cleared off the line by Titus Bramble.
Three minutes later Paul Scholes hoisted a shot high over the bar following a clever flick from Berbatov after Fletcher had carved out the opening.
Wigan were again on the back foot after 16 minutes when Rooney strode forward but his effort was deflected wide.
Rooney then made time and space in the area only for goalkeeper Chris Kirkland to smother his close-range shot.
United were looking menacing every time they poured forward and Berbatov headed into Kirkland's arms following a cross from Nani four minutes later.
Wigan, however, almost took the lead with their first real attack in the 26th minute.
Jason Koumas showed good skill to work his way to the edge of the penalty area. He tried to curl the ball beyond Ben Foster only for the goalkeeper to react superbly and divert it to safety.
United responded in the 32nd minute and Rooney got away from Bramble only to rattle a shot against Kirkland's legs.
Then Fletcher's effort was cleared in the 39th minute after he had been set-up by Scholes.
Wigan, however, came close to opening the scoring in the 49th minute when Charles N'Zogbia won a free-kick off Patrice Evra early in the second half.
N'Zogbia dusted himself down and and picked out Paul Scharner in the area. He peeled away from his marker only to head narrowly wide of the post.
Valencia, such a cult figure during his time at Wigan, had to endure catcalls and jeers after going to ground in the 54th minute.
The Ecuador winger, however, was smiling two minutes later when he supplied the cross that led to the opening goal.
It came from Rooney - a fine header into the corner - and a landmark one as well. He savoured the moment and the goal was his reward for another typically hard shift.
That was the cue for United to turn the screw and Berbatov added a second two minutes later.
He started and finished the move cheekily chipping the ball over Kirkland before finding the net with his second touch after Scholes supplied the through ball.
United made it 3-0 in the 65th minute thanks to Rooney's second goal of the game. There was touch of luck about this effort as his shot took a slight deflection off Melchiot to wrong-foot Kirkland after Berbatov had supplied the opening.
Rooney was given a rousing reception by the visiting fans when he was replaced by Owen in the 72nd minute.
It was damage limitation now for Wigan, who had lost at home to Wolves in midweek.
However Owen made it 4-0 to United with his first goal for the club, a cool finish into the corner in the 85th minute after he had been set up by Nani.
Nani had the final word with a superb free-kick in stoppage time from 25 yards that sailed over a stranded Kirkland's head.