By Ian Grant
PLAYERS
Thierry Henry is joint third with Emile Heskey in the Premiership scoring charts on 18, behind Hasselbaink and Sheringham.
Asked about his first FA Cup memory on the eve of his debut in the competition, Ashley Cole said it was listening on the radio as an 11-year-old to the shock defeat by Wrexham. He cried.
On learning of his international call-up, his mum excitedly requested her son should make sure he gets Beckham’s shirt after the friendly with Spain.
WENGER
Arsene Wenger wants other managers to speak out about the controversy surrounding the abolition of football’s transfer system. “Alex Ferguson has a strong voice and he cares for the game. It would help if somebody like him came out to add his voice. “
Wenger added:”I wanted to put some pressure for other people to speak out, but it looks like nobody reacts. It seems managers, players, and directors don’t care about the rules we are working with. Nobody. In England, France, Spain, Italy… nobody.”
OLD TRAFFORD
Alex Ferguson said about the Sunday game:”It was not our best performance of the season, but it was the best result.”
Arsene Wenger insisted United should be crowned champions now and said it was embarrassing for the rest of the Premiership that there were no real challengers.
The Times said, English football needs any club in their [Arsenal’s] position to reach far higher standards.
Incredibly, the United defeat equals Arsenal’s worst since the 19th century, said the Daily Star. You have to go back to 1896 for a worse day – an 8-0 defeat by Loughborough Town.
It added that Stepanovs was the worst culprit. And his £1m purchase from Skonta Riga was only confirmed last week.
David Seaman has only ever conceded four goals for Arsenal in a Premiership match before,
It was the first Premiership goal Arsenal and Seaman had conceded in 391 minutes.
It was Arsenal’s heaviest since the Premiership started in 1992. Their previous worst was 4-0 at Liverpool in May 1998.
It has been over 11 years since Arsenal conceded six goals in any league or cup match – also against United, in November 1990, when they lost 6-2.
Harry Redknapp and Stan Ternant are fuming over the apparent double standard that allowed Dwight Yorke to play for Manchester United instead of being with Trinidad adn Tobago. Shaka Hislop and Burnley’s Cox were made to miss matches at the week-end. A Trinidad spokesman said:””[Yorke] is not in the best situation with his club and if we had made him come it may have gotten worse.”
LADIES
It is not all bad news. Arsenal Ladies beat Doncaster Belles 2-1 in the League Cup quarter-final. Grant put Arsenal ahead and Spacey made it 2-0, before Burke pulled one back from the penalty spot.
TRANSFERS
The Mail suggests United may challenge Arsenal in trying to lure Emmanuel Petit back to England from Barcelona, although the Sunday Mirror reports that Arsene Wenger has ruled out a move for his former midfielder.
One paper says Arsenal are set to beat Manchester United and Liverpool to Crewe wonderteen Dean Ashton – but could sell unsettled Matthew Upson to an unnamed London club.
The News of the World says Wenger has been to Barcelona – to be sounded out about becoming coach.
The People predicts an Alex Ferguson £60m farewell transfer splash, with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Lilian Thuram, Rui Costa, Andrei Shevchenko and Pavel Nedved named as possible targets.
MISCELLANEOUS
Lyon central defender Jose Gomes De Moraes Edmilson, put his equaliser down to God:”When we got the corner in the last minute, I asked God to help me put this injustice [the bergkamp goal] right. He granted my prayer and I immediately thanked him for his help. That is why I knelt and pointed both index fingers towards the sky.”
Manchester United was voted the best football team by pupils in every area except the North-East, which voted for Newcastle United, and London, Arsenal. Manchester United drew support from nearly 40 per cent of Welsh pupils, 33 per cent from Northern Ireland and a quarter of English children.