FOOTBALL: ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United, Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool all won on Saturday, so nothing changes at the top of the table. With every week that passes, United look more and more like champions. At the other end of the table, Bryan Robson’s Middlesbrough drop to second from bottom but the manager says he will turn his team round, as Jim Smith’s Derby County start to climb up the table. Scholes and Solskjaer scored for Manchester United, one in each half, as Tottenham Hotspur was brushed aside. At Tottenham’s arch rival in north London, Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira’s single goal was enough to demolish Southampton and Leicester’s three first-half goals proved too much for Leeds United, who had Lucas Radebe sent off as new boy Rio Ferdinand tried to find his feet in defence. To note, Aston Villa manager John Gregory entertained Newcastle United’s Bobby Robson, the former England manager who has managed Ipswich Town in England, PSV Eindhoven in Holland, Sporting and FC Porto in Portugal and FC Barcelona in Spain, in his office for half an hour before the game which ended in a 1-1 draw. When Gregory’s team was having problems last year, Robson lent his vast experience and great human solidarity to support Gregory in public…telling him to continue to practise the football he believed in and everything would end well. Villa are seventh this year, with a game in hand, despite their limited resources.

John Ashtead Pravda.Ru London