Reds, though without Torres, look to increase their lead at the top as they face a troubled Blackburn Rovers
Reds, though without Torres, look to increase their lead at the top as they face a troubled Blackburn RoversLONDON: Roy Keane’s abrupt departure from struggling Sunderland has left his old Manchester United team-mate Paul Ince on his own in the Premier League firing line.
Without a win in nine matches, Ince’s Blackburn have slumped to second from bottom and with leaders Liverpool the visitors to Ewood Park on Saturday, the odds must be on things getting worse before they start to get better. A 5-3 League Cup defeat at Manchester United in midweek concluded with the travelling fans venting their frustration at Ince.
As he refused to speak to the press afterwards, Ince’s exact state of mind is hard to gauge but it is safe to assume he is enduring the kind of intense pressure that led Keane to part company with Sunderland on Thursday.
Like Blackburn, the Black Cats are mired in the relegation zone and a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday offers little prospect of an immediate upturn in fortunes under the temporary leadership of Ricky Sbragia, the first-team coach under Keane.
Arsenal’s defeat of Chelsea last weekend allowed Liverpool to pull clear at the top of the league but Rafael Benitez’s side have looked a little jaded in recent outings and will again be missing leading striker Fernando Torres on Saturday.
Of the top four, Chelsea look to have the toughest assignment with Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men travelling to Bolton. Gary Megson’s side helped to trigger Keane’s departure from Sunderland with their 4-1 win at the Stadium of Light last weekend and assistant manager Chris Evans warned Chelsea they should not expect to have things all their own way.
Key to Bolton’s chances will be the extent to which they keep their former striker, Nicolas Anelka, under control.
Carlos Tevez’s four goals against Blackburn in midweek have given Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson a dilemma as he mulls his selection for Sunderland’s visit. Cristiano Ronaldo could be in the mood to celebrate winning the Ballon d’Or, which he is due to be presented with on Sunday.
Arsenal’s hopes of challenging for their first title since 2004 were revived by their defeat of Chelsea last weekend but, having lost five times already this season, Arsene Wenger’s side’s margin for further error remains limited.
Wigan are the visitors to the Emirates on Saturday and Steve Bruce’s side will be bolstered by the return of Egypt forward Amr Zaki, the most prolific striker in the league before he was sidelined by rib and calf injuries earlier this month.
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