By Myles Palmer
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SKY HAVE really hyped up their two live games as a Super Sunday but it’s actually not a super Sunday.
It’s early season and it’s mid-September and it’s Chelsea -Liverpool followed by Manchester United-Arsenal.
Results could be 2-0 and 2-0.
Ashley Cole looks weird in an all-blue strip and will have to learn to cross the ball after six years of playing in a team that passes the ball across the penalty area.
Chelsea are missing Joe Cole and Gallas.
Drogba has said Gallas is the best centreback in the world.
UEFA have yet to confirm that Arsenal’s multi-national team set a record during the 2-1 win in Hamburg.
It is believed that when Justin Hoyte replaced Kolo Toure in the 28th minute it was the first time a side had fielded 11 players from 11 different countries in the Champions League.
One Gooner I spoke to tonight expects to lose 3-0 at Old Trafford but I’m not making any predictions before I know the teams.
At this point we know that Louis Saha will play.
We know that Saha is very fast, very direct, two-footed, and scores with headers, and could easily be the top scorer in the Premiership if he stays fit for long enough.
And we know that Saha is blossoming now because Ruud van Nistelrooy has been sold.
And we know that the in-form Paul Scholes ran the game against Celtic, when United won 3-2.
I’m out all day Saturday and won’t even think about Old Trafford and on Sunday morning I’ll probably conclude : Arsenal have four players who know the game – Lehmann, Gallas, Rosicky and Gilberto.
Therefore they have seven players who are learning the game.
THIS LOOKS LIKE one of those moments where I will have nothing to say before the game and plenty to say after it.
And I have a feeling that what I say after the Manchester United game will be exactly what I could say now.
But I prefer to wait. Let’s see what happens. Anything can happen in a football match. I cannot see into the future.
In the future I can only be sure of one thing : That Myles Palmer will be unable to see into the future.
Also : the league title has never been decided in mid-September.
FOOTNOTE : Newstalk’s Ken Early tells me from Dublin that Graham Hunter reckons Anderson of Porto is already lined up for Chelsea.
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September 15th 2004