| Gerard Houllier warns Aston Villa's stars to expect spells on the sidelines New French manager warns club's key players to expect spells on the sidelines. telegraph.co.uk |
Jets in hunt for striker Newcastle Jets coach Branko Culina is hunting for a new striker, bolstered by the resources new owner Nathan Tinkler has thrown behind the club. foxsports.com.au |
Nicklas Bendtner prepares to show Arsenal what they have been missing The striker is likely to make his first start of the season in the club's Carling Cup fourth-round tie against Newcastle tonightNicklas Bendtner was on target in Arsenal's 3-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday, scoring his first goal of the season and, ahead of tonight's Carling Cup fourth-round tie at Newcastle, is now aiming to back up his recent boasts of having returned to his very best. Arrogant? Perhaps not.Arsène Wenger admits Bendtner's groin has been troubling him for some time and it has been a while since he has seen the Denmark international at full fitness. The injury is not the first the 22-year-old has picked up since making his debut for the north London club in 2005, but despite this, and the fact he has rarely been a first-choice striker for Wenger, Bendtner's goal at Eastlands was the 50th he has scored since he arrived in England (including the 13 he scored on loan at Birmingham).Since picking up his groin injury, which he played through at the World Cup in South Africa, Bendtner has had to watch Marouane Chamakh arrive at Arsenal and firmly establish himself as the club's principal frontman. The Morocco international's adaptation to life in the Premier League has been seamless and he is looking like a fantastic all-round option for Wenger. The 26-year-old adds the height that Robin van Persie lacks and the quick link-up play that can, at times, elude Bendtner.The Dane has time on his side, but also a lot to learn. His feud with Emmanuel Adebayor when the Togo striker was at Arsenal was well-documented and even boiled over on to the pitch at White Hart Lane during a Carling Cup tie.Learning from Chamakh rather than pitching himself against him will do Bendtner good. He has a similar physique to the Moroccan but does not always use it to his full advantage. Chamakh, on the other hand, holds the ball up well and usually turns the defender only for them to foul him. "As well as scoring goals he works hard when he doesn't have the ball, which I like," Bendtner has said of his team-mate. "I like Marouane. I hadn't trained with him until very recently but he seems like a good guy, a good football player and – on what I've seen so far – I think he has done really well."Bendtner looks likely to start at St James' Park tonight and will be hoping to show Wenger and the Arsenal fans what they've been missing.Arsenalguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
French Football Results Results Wednesday from the last 16 of the French League Cup (home team listed first): rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
U.S. in 2011 Women’s World Cup, but Knows It Has Work to Do The United States defeated Italy to win a home-and-home playoff series and qualify for a spot in the Women’s World Cup. feeds.nytimes.com |