Football: Cresswell ready to help Owls take flight

Table-topping Leeds United play host to Sheffield Wednesday, 19 numbing places below as they prop up the rest of the elite division.

But the Owls' heart has taken flight again after a two-game salvo in which they have fired nine goals.

And Cresswell was at the core of their latest goal-fest when he dazzlingly led the front-line in the midweek 4-1 Worthington Cup walloping of Nottingham Forest.

Cresswell began that destruction with his first goal of the season and then laid on the second for Andy Booth to further relieve the pressure on beleaguered Wednesday boss Danny Wilson.

However it could be a case of Cresswell and Booth battling it out with each other for a striking place alongsiude Belgian international Gilles de Bilde, who has now recovered from 'flu to earn a recall.

Wilson believes that his side's 'shackles' have been loosened following the win over Forest added to the 5-1 defeat of Wimbledon in their last Premiership action.

The Owls will be in far greater shape to tackle the West Yorkshire 'enemy'. Even disenchanted Italian striker Benito Carbone is reportedly keen to be back on the Wednesday bandwagon after his 'will he go or will he stay' shenanigans.

But Leeds are not top of the league by default. Their young guns have blazed to pole position by virtue of their coltish ingenuity and energy and they are on the verge of setting a club record of nine successive victories.

Despite manager David O'Leary's consistent contention that his side are not the finished article, there's no doubt Leeds' bright young things are genuine title contenders.

O'Leary, under-whelmed by the Worthington Cup toil over Blackburn Rovers, will be hoping dynamic midfielder Lee Bowyer will be back after the groin strain suffered in his last outing for England Under-21s a week ago.

While Wednesday will be attempting to rein in second-bottom Newcastle, the Magpies have set their sights on climbing up the league by collecting another three points at Coventry.

Bobby Robson is likely to have both Kieron Dyer and Kevin Gallacher back for the trip to Highfield Road as they attempt to bounce back from their Worthington Cup defeat by first division Birmingham, and that will be good news for skipper Alan Shearer, who scored four times against the Sky Blues last season.

Spanish defender Marcelino too could be in contention after being set a target of this weekend for his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Young Belgian striker Cedric Roussel will make his debut in English football for City after joining on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move.

The 21-year-old Ghent frontman gets his chance with Noel Whelan (ankle) and John Aloisi (knee) still out injured.

Chelsea travel to Liverpool looking to maintain their title challenge - and lay yet another ghost.

The buoyant Blues will put their Worthington Cup defeat by first division Huddersfield Town firmly behind them and draw instead on the memories of their 5-0 thrashing of treble winners Manchester United a fortnight ago as they attempt to improve upon a return of just one point in their last six visits to the red half of Merseyside.

"This year, we've been able to break a few negative records," said manager Gianluca Vialli. "We know we're able to get a good result at Liverpool so I don't care too much about records."

Vialli should have a full squad from which to choose after resting many of his frontline troops on Wednesday night.

Opposite number Gerard Houllier has a major task on his hands with his side having slipped into the bottom half of the Premiership table.

Liverpool will be without suspended keeper Sander Westerveld and Steven Gerrard, and Dietmar Hamann is extremely doubtful with a recurrence of his ankle problem.

Vladimir Smicer will come back into the reckoning, as will Veggard Heggem and Dominic Matteo, with American Brad Friedel is expected to continue in goal.

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal cannot afford another Premiership slip-up against revitalised Everton at Highbury tomorrow if they are to retain realistic ambitions of regaining the title.

The Gunners have already lost three League matches this season and at the start of the campaign Wenger conceded that four could again be the maximum margin of error.

Early-season results all around the Premiership, with Manchester United and Chelsea also unexpectedly dropping points, have caused the Frenchman to slightly adjust that figure.

But with more than a third of the programme completed he knows there are plenty of teams ideally placed to take advantage if the big three become fixated with European Champions' League ambitions.

"Establishing ourselves as a force at the highest level in Europe is important because Arsenal cannot call themselves a great club until that happens, but it must not be at the expense of a sound campaign in the Premiership," said Wenger.

Wenger is set to recall England centre backs Tony Adams and Martin Keown as well as Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp, who were all rested for the low-key Worthington Cup victory over Preston.

Everton manager Walter Smith must pick a replacement for teenage sensation Francis Jeffers, who is recovering from a hernia operation and is banned anyway.

Tommy Johnson, who arrived at Goodison Park three weeks ago on a three month loan from Celtic, is one option, but could well be viewed to be a few weeks short of being fit enough to face the likes of Arsenal, having had just three senior starts in two and a half seasons.

Mark Bosnich will know for definite tomorrow if his return to first-team action in the Worthington Cup was just a temporary promotion.

Bosnich, who had been relegated to third choice at Manchester United, is anxiously waiting to hear if he will retain the goalkeeper's jersey for the Premiership home clash with Watford.

He was one of the few players to emerge with much credit from the 3-0 midweek defeat against his old club Aston Villa after he made a couple of decent saves, and his hopes have also been raised by Massimo Taibi's numerous blunders since he took over the number one spot from the Australian international.

One player who should figure is Ryan Giggs as he continues his return to full match fitness following his hamstring injury. David Beckham could also figure against Graham Taylor's Hornets.

Roy Keane, who has played just 60 minutes in the past six weeks, resumed training this week after resting his troublesome knee, but Ferguson has pencilled in his return for the trip to Marseille.

England youth striker John Piercy could continue in the Spurs attack at Derby after impressing on his debut this week.

Piercy played for 75 minutes of Wednesday's 3-1 Worthington Cup win over Crewe and with Steffen Iversen struggling to shake off a heel injury, the 20-year-old may partner Chris Armstrong up front again.

Spurs have at least been boosted by the return from injury of skipper Sol Campbell, who played the full 90 minutes against Crewe.

New Derby signing Lee Morris is available to make his debut after signing from Sheffield United for £3million.

Bradford City boss Paul Jewell is without Peter Beagrie (stomach) and Bruno Rodriguez (ankle), while Dean Saunders and Andy Myers are both doubtful with knee injuries ahead of tomorrow's match with Wimbledon.

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