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Ukraine looking to continue dream

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Ukraine take on France in their second Group D game on Friday looking for the win that will guarantee them a place in the last eight of Euro 2012. They stunned the Swedes in their opener so can the co-host do it again in Donetsk? (Ukraine 3/1, France 21/20, draw 23/10 Match Prices).

Group D always looked like it would be a tight affair and, true to form, England kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against France. Of the four teams, Ukraine seemed the weakest on paper but it is the east Europeans who hold all the aces going into the second round of matches.

Coach Oleg Blokhin had all but written off his side’s chances before a ball had even been kicked as he felt they had problems in defence and even more up front, but veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko rolled back the years to net a brace and give them a real chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals (Ukraine 8/13 To Qualify).

The 35-year-old former AC Milan hit-man was injured in the build-up to the tournament and it was thought that he might miss out, but the manager’s decision to hand him a starting berth paid dividends with two well-taken headers. He will lead the line again on Friday against Les Bleus and the whole nation will look to him to provide the goals that could prove crucial.

Despite the euphoria of the victory over Sweden, Blokhin has urged his men to keep their feet on the ground and make sure that Monday’s result does not go to waste. Neither Ukraine nor Sweden look like tournament winners but just getting out of the group will be considered a success for the hosts, who are in a transition phase and should be a force to be reckoned with at the next World Cup.

Andriy Voronin looks set to keep his place alongside Shevchenko and highly-rated youngster Andriy Yarmolenko, who provided the cross for the first goal, will need to find a way past the French to feed the front two. Ukraine will find the France side a tougher proposition that the Swedes, especially after Les Bleus’ opening draw with England.

Roy Hodgson’s men sat back and absorbed the French pressure and had the defensive skills to get away with it. It is open to debate whether Ukraine could last out using the same tactics and this should be a more open game with plenty of chnaces.

England managed to keep Real Madrid’s superb striker Karim Benzema in check for most of the match and it was down to a man who does not score too many goals, Samir Nasri, to gain his side a point. But Benzema is surely too good not to score at some stage of the tournament and the French fans will be hoping it is on Friday.

France played well at times against England but, in truth, it was a dull game with both sides lacking imagination in the searing heat. Therefore it is difficult to read too much into the French display as they were tipped by many to go far in this summer’s showpiece event.

Going forward, Laurent Blanc’s men will always be dangerous with players of the calibre of Frank Ribery, Yohan Cabaye and Nasri. But there are question marks over their defence and the Ukraine coaches will urge the midfield to try and get at the opposition early and force them into mistakes.

Defeat for France would not see them eliminated from the competition but would make it extremely difficult for them to qualify and, on paper, they should be strong enough to win this one. They are now unbeaten in 22 matches but it is three points and not just one they crave from the second group encounter.

Blanc and his men were criticised in their home press for not beating England but the coach has hit back at the critics and said that it was the England tactics that thwarted their attacking ambition. He was clearly not happy with the negativity surrounding their display and will want his charges to prove a point or two next time out.

Ukraine have already pulled off one shock and, with the whole nation behind them, they will be eyeing another three points on Friday but it may be that the Sweden victory was their ‘final’ and this may be a reality check for Blokhin and the home fans.

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Fulham and Stoke looking to progress

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The Europa League takes precedence this week as there is no Champions League action, with Fulham and Stoke both poised to secure spots in the knock-out stages.

The Cottagers face a tricky trip to Group K leaders FC Twente as they seek to extend their run in Europe although the Dutch outfit have already booked their spot in the next round and this could work to Fulham’s advantage.

FC Twente remain unbeaten in Europe but they may choose to rest some of their top men in order to focus on their trip to FC Utrecht at the weekend, with Twente already seven points behind Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar.

It will take a big effort from Martin Jol’s side but considering what is at stake and the fact Twente are already through the Cottagers could well emerge victorious on Thursday.  The west London club have plenty of experience in the Europa League, having reached the final in 2010, and at 10/3 they look good value to grab the win in Holland, Twente are the 5/6 favourites to come out on top and the draw can be backed at 5/2.

If Fulham win in Holland they will secure a spot in the last 32 but a draw could also be good enough if the other sides in Group K, Odense BK and Wisla Krakow, draw on Thursday night.

When the groups were drawn it was noted that Stoke City had been handed a particularly hard task for their European campaign. However, the Potters are currently top of the Group E table and will qualify for the last 32 if they manage to take at least a point when they face Dynamo Kiev at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday night.

Besiktas and Maccabi Tel-Aviv make up the rest of Group E and if the Israeli outfit emerge victorious in Tel Aviv, Stoke will qualify regardless of their own result. However, Potters boss Tony Pulis will be taking nothing for granted and will be gunning for the victory.

The Potters secured a draw in Kiev when the two sides met in September and would have taken all the points had it not been for a last-gasp equaliser from the Ukrainian side. Stoke are a formidable outfit on home soil, despite their Premier League struggles of late, and at 13/10 are a great price to seal the win.

Pulis has rotated his squad for Europe and seems set to continue with that policy for Kiev’s visit – Asmir Begovic is set to start in goal, while Ryan Shotton, Kenwyne Jones and Robert Huth could all be involved. The draw, which would be enough for Stoke to progress, is priced at 9/4 and a win for Dynamo Kiev is priced at 21/10.

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Young lions looking dangerous

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England under-21s will be looking to keep up their 100% record in qualification for the European Championships when they travel to Belgium on Monday (Belgium U21 3/1, draw 5/2, England U21 8/11).

Stuart Pearce’s side have made a perfection start in Group 8, taking the maximum 12 points available from their first four games.

Belgium U21 v England U21 (19:45)

England look a class above any side in Group 8 and should be taken to make it five wins from five against Belgium at 8/11.

Pearce will be delighted with the way his young lions have performed so far in scoring 16 goals in those four games, conceding just one goal along the way. They have proven to be a real force at this level.

One of the stars of the year for the under-21s has been West Brom defender Craig Dawson. The 21-year-old signed for the Premier League side in the summer after making the switch from his home town club Rochdale, where he helped them secure their first promotion in 36 years into League One.

Dawson has stepped into the England set-up with relative ease and looks more than comfortable in Pearce’s back four. Despite playing at centre back, he has scored four goals in five games for his national side and looks a real threat in the air from set pieces.

Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another who has proven how comfortable he is at playing international football. The former Southampton youngster was subject to a lot of attention from a number of Premier League clubs before he made the move to the Emirates.

The 18-year-old was outstanding against Iceland when he went away with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick and could be a prominent member of the full national side in the future.

This England side really do have plenty of options on the attacking front. This was evident against Iceland when Gary Gardner came off the bench to score two goals in the game. Usually, the Aston Villa midfielder is forced to settle for a place on the bench, such is the quality Pearce has at his disposal.

Belgium have failed to qualify for the European Under-21 Championships in their last two attempts and they have a difficult task to make it this time around after picking up just five points from their opening four games.

Although they have only lost once so far in this campaign, they have drawn games from which they should have been taking maximum points.

When England travel to Antwerp, it will be the home side’s biggest test to date and it will be difficult for them to contain the young English side.

There looks to be real value in the 13/8 on offer for England to be leading at half-time and full-time at Olympisch.

For those searching for even more value, look no further than England to win the game 3-0 at odds of 12/1.

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Londoners looking for Euro boost

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There are two Champions League matches involving English teams on Wednesday with Arsenal hosting Olympiakos and Chelsea travelling to Spain to take on Valencia. Both sides won in the Premier League at the weekend so can they repeat the dose in Europe?

Arsenal v  Olympiakos

The Gunners were desperately in need of a win at the weekend and it duly came against Bolton, with the 3-0 success lifting spirits around the Emirates and moving the club further away from the bottom of the table.

But now attentions turn back to Europe, with Arsene Wenger’s men looking to build on their encouraging 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund in the opening round of matches.

And the fixture schedule has been kind to the Frenchman as the side that look like being the weakest in Group F are the visitors in mid-week.

The Greeks lost 1-0 to Marseille in their opener and, despite being unbeaten in their domestic league after just two games, should not prove too much of an obstacle for the north Londoners.

Robin van Persie remains key to Arsenal’s chances and, as the news that Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for the majority of the season left a cloud over the Emirates, Wenger will look to his Dutch striker to lead by example and lift the gloom.

He may be stalling on new contract talks to see where the club is in 12 months’ time, but the former Feyenoord star gives nothing less than 100 per cent for his side and, with a superb goalscoring record, is a good bet to add to the 100 goals he has scored for the club to date.

Defensive problems have haunted the Gunners in recent times but Per Mertesacker has hinted that Wenger’s rearguard have been working overtime to sort things out and he feels that their performance against Bolton proved that they are on the right track.

Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun have made solid, if unspectacular, starts to their Arsenal careers and it is time one or both stepped up to provide something extra in the goal column.

Arsenal still have plenty of work to do both domestically and in Europe but the signs are there that things might be starting to click into place and a resounding Champions League victory could be just the tonic they need.

Odds: Arsenal 4/11, Olympiakos 8/1, draw 4/1

Valencia v Chelsea

Valencia were unbeaten and second in the La Liga standings until Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Sevilla and they have now dropped to seventh in a very tight table.

They will be looking to get back on track and record their first Champions League win of the season on Wednesday but will face a Chelsea side who are full of confidence following their 4-1 victory over Swansea.

Fernando Torres seems to have found his touch in front of goal at long last for the Blues and, while he will be out of action in the Premier League due to Saturday’s red card, the Spaniard is eligible to play in Europe and will surely want to pay back his team-mates for Saturday’s indiscretion with a goal or two.

The west Londoners opened their European campaign with a solid 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and it remains to be seen whether boss Andre Villas-Boas goes to Spain with three points in mind or sets his side up to be hard to beat.

The man they will have to stop is Roberto Soldado, who has already bagged five goals in just three La Liga appearances and he will be Los Che’s biggest goal threat at the Mestalla.

But they have quality throughout the side and are tipped as one of the sides that could break the duopoly at the top of Spanish football this season.

Chelsea are good enough to win the match but, with Valencia enjoying home advantage and desperate to get back on track, it would be no surprise to see this one end in a draw.

Odds: Valencia 2/1, Chelsea 6/4, draw 9/4

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British trio looking good

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The domestic season is still to begin in England but the preliminary rounds of the Europa League are well underway as Stoke, Fulham and Hearts all hope to book their place in the final play-off stage of the competition on Thursday.

All three British sides left in have a realistic chance of going through and here we preview their respective third-round, second-leg ties.

Hajduk Split v Stoke (agg 0-1)

The Potters’ first foray into Europe for 37 years ended in a narrow win in the first leg against the Croatian outfit thanks to Jon Walters’ early goal at what was a rocking Britannia Stadium last week.

Tony Pulis’ side wasted several good chances to extend their lead in the tie and, while they would have wanted more goals to take to Split, Stoke remain in pole position to make it through.

However, they are sure to be tested by their opponents on Thursday in front of what is expected to be a hostile home following. Pulis is likely to go with a defensive-minded formation but if any side can go and shut up shop and kill a game then it’s the Potters.

Go with 0-0 at 7/1 – just enough to extend their European adventure for at least two more games.

Fulham v RNK Split (agg 0-0)

Fulham have had it relatively easy in the Europa League so far but will have been disappointed to have come away from Croatia – against the lesser-known Split outfit – without a victory.

A goalless draw away in Europe is always viewed as a decent result, however, and, like Stoke, the Cottagers are in a good position to advance into the play-offs ahead of the second leg in London.

Martin Jol set his stall out in this competition in the early qualifying round against Northern Irish minnows Crusaders when he named a surprisingly strong side – despite the fact it was mid-July – and he is obviously keen to do well in the tournament after taking over from Mark Hughes this summer.

The likes of Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and recent signing John Arne Riise all started in the first leg and they will again be charged with disposing of RNK this time around. Expect a fairly comfortable home win here with 4-0 to the Cottagers at 15/2 representing good value.

Hearts v Paksi (agg 1-1)

Hearts gave themselves every chance of securing a play-off spot with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Hungary last week against the relatively unknown Paksi, who certainly punched above their weight last season when finishing second in the Hungarian league to earn a shot at the Europa League.

The first leg was generally controlled by the Jambos but, after falling behind against the run of play, they failed to find enough to come back and win. However, an away goal and a score-draw is always welcome in Europe so expect the SPL side to have too much for Paksi in Edinburgh.

Hearts have been in the news this week when Jim Jefferies became the latest managerial casualty of controversial ‘hands-on’ owner Vladimir Romanov. And, despite the off-field shenanigans proving to be a distraction in the past, these latest developments are unlikely to affect them too much for the second leg and a handsome Hearts win looks on the cards for new man in charge Paulo Sergio (Hearts 23/20 – HT/FT).

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Town looking to upset Gunners

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Bet on the FA CupHuddersfield Town are the next West Yorkshire club set for an FA Cup clash with Arsenal as the League One side head to the Emirates on Sunday (Arsenal 1/7, draw 13/2, Huddersfield 18/1).

Local rivals Leeds United were seconds away from pulling off a famous victory in north London in the third round of the competition but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

However, the Gunners were clinical in the replay at Elland Road and showed the reason why they are challenging at the top of the Premier League as they ran out 3-1 winners.

Huddersfield are currently third in League One and will be looking to cause an upset at the Emirates.

Like most sides who travel to face the Gunners, they will have to ride their luck but if they can keep out Arsenal for the first half they may be able to frustrate them.

Arsene Wenger’s side have been in a rich vein of form and look like they are enjoying the cup competitions this season.

The Gunners have already booked a date at Wembley as they beat Ipswich Town to secure a place in the Carling Cup final in midweek.

Arsenal should come out on top in this one as their strength in depth is likely to be too strong for Town.

In an all Premier League affair, Tottenham Hotspur make the short trip across the capital to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage (Fulham 2/1, draw 12/5, Spurs 13/10).

Mark Hughes’s side have managed to create a four point gap between themselves and the teams in the relegation zone as the Cottagers have picked up recent wins against Stoke City and West Brom.

However, Spurs are 10 places higher than Fulham in the Premier League and will be confident of progressing through to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The north London club have beaten Fulham in their last three meetings and they should come out on top once again in this meeting.

In Sunday’s other all Premier League clash, Wolves host Stoke City in a West Midlands derby.

Wolves have welcomed the distraction of the FA Cup as they have struggled to pick up points in the Premier League.

Mick McCarthy’s side are level on points with bottom club West Ham United as they have only picked up one win in their last four outings in the top flight.

Stoke are enjoying arguably their best season in the Premier League as they look comfortable in 10th place.

Tony Pulis and his Potters players should be able to take advantage of the fact that Wolves will have their priorities set on avoiding relegation from the top flight this season.

Finally, Premier League big spenders Manchester City travel to take on Notts County at Meadow Lane (County 13/2, draw 18/5 City 2/5).

County have made headlines in recent years with talk of takeovers and big money signings, much like their opponents on Sunday.

However, the Magpies have not seen much of an improvement on the pitch as they sit four points above the relegation zone in League One.

With City’s star studded squad, which is blessed with riches, they should comfortably beat County.

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Chelsea looking for home comforts

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Depending on who you listen to, Chelsea are in  crisis, manager Carlo Ancelotti is about to walk out and the Stamford Bridge walls are crumbling around Roman Abramovich – OK maybe the last bit is exaggerated, but all is not well in west London.

However, the Blues are 1/7 favourites in the match betting to see off MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Tuesday and the stats back up such short odds.

Ancelotti’s men have won four out of four in Group F to guarantee progression while they are all but assured of top spot as they lie six points clear of both Spartak Moscow and Marseille, with two games to go.

Zilina, by contrast, have a 100 per cent losing record and have managed just one goal in those four defeats, while they are coming into the match on the back of a record 7-0 home drubbing against Marseille in the last round of matches.

The one goal the Slovakian outfit have scored did come against Chelsea but not before the English champions had surged into a 4-0 lead, with Nicolas Anelka scoring twice.

Chelsea might already have booked their progress but after losing three of their last four domestic matches, scoring just one goal, they will be looking to make a point in front of their own fans and guarantee top spot before making a tricky trip to Marseille.

The Blues have now gone 22 games unbeaten in the group stages of the competition, winning 16 with six draws, while they have amassed 40 goals and conceded only seven.

Chelsea have the power to put this game to bed by half-time as they did in Slovakia (2/5 in the Half-Time/Full-Time market) while Anelka (9/4 first goalscorer), who has scored five times already in the competition, could set them on their way.

The other game in the group sees the two sides battling for qualification along with Chelsea go head to head at the Luzhniki Stadium as Spartak Moscow entertain Marseille.

The French outfit of course smashed seven past Zilina last time out and have a decent record in Russia, having lost just two of six games, but they were beaten 1-0 at home by Spartak (6/4 in the match betting) on matchday one and have lost seven of the last 10 Champions League away matches, and the home side should just have the edge.

Arsenal’s 100 per cent start to the campaign, in which they scored 14 goals, came undone at Shakhtar Donetsk last time out but having smashed six past Braga at the Emirates on matchday one, they look good value at 5/6 to seal their progression.

The other game in Group H sees Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Serbia and with qualification, and even top spot, to play for the Ukrainian outfit (4/6 to win) should be fully motivated to secure the points against winless Partizan Belgrade.

Real Madrid are on fire this season and remain unbeaten under Jose Mourinho in all competitions, albeit through an injury-time equaliser against AC Milan at the San Siro last time out.

In truth, los Merengues should have wrapped up the game inside the first half, while Filippo Inzaghi’s equaliser was offside, and with the potent frontline they possess, Real (5/4 in the match betting) should secure top spot with a win in Amsterdam.

All three sides below Real still have a chance of qualifying and Auxerre look good value at 12/5 to make home advantage count against a Milan side that has not won either away match to date and may just adopt a defensive strategy to try and avoid being beaten.

Roma have the greater need when they entertain Bayern Munich on Tuesday night as they are from certain of making the knockout stages, whereas the Germans have booked their place with plenty to spare after winning their first four games.

The Giallorossi (5/6 favourites in the match betting) will be looking to avenge a 2-0 defeat earlier in the campaign and have won nine of their last 11 home games in UEFA competition, while Bayern might prefer to focus on domestic matters after a disappointing start to their Bundesliga campaign.

Something has to give in Tuesday’s other fixture as FC Basel have lost both home matches, while CFR Cluj have been beaten twice on their travels and given the fact that Cluj won the reverse fixture 2-1 earlier in the campaign, there may be some value in taking the 9/2 on offer.

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Fabregas not looking to the future

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Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is determined to take the season one game at a time and refuses to get caught up in talk of winning the Premier League title (Arsenal 11/2 to win Premier League).

The 23-year-old was part of the Arsenal side that moved back up to second place with a 3-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday – a result helped by the early sending off of Dedryck Boyata at Eastlands.

The Gunners look back to somewhere near top form, after losing back-to-back Premier League matches against West Brom and Chelsea, with victory over Birmingham City and the weekend triumph over Roberto Mancini’s men.

The north Londoners also hammered Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 in the Champions League last week and are now tied with the two Manchester clubs on 17 points in the race for the English top-flight crown.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that his young side is now beginning to show more maturity after the two set-backs just a couple of weeks ago, but Fabregas prefers just to focus on upcoming events rather than where the club might stand in May.

“It looks like after every win you have to say ‘oh, you are more mature than last year’, but it is just one more game, let’s not get carried away,” he told Arsenal TV Online. “Now we have the (Carling Cup) game against Newcastle, which is the most important one at the moment.

“The time to talk about if we have matured or are better than before will be at the end of the season.”

Wenger has always cut his cloth according to the club’s finances and prefers to bring young players through rather than spend vast sums of money on expensive transfers.

Fabregas is still only 23 and is part of a group of youngsters that, Wenger believes, will bring silverware back to the club in the coming years.

Whether or not the Spaniard is part of that group in the future is open to question as rumours of a move to Barcelona will not go away.

But the World Cup-winning midfielder is determined to let his football do the talking this season and strive to turn the potential of the team into a successful unit who are capable of challenging on all fronts (Fabregas 18/1 to be Champions League top scorer).

“In football, you know what people will say when you win, and you know what people will say when you lose,” he said. “You just have to keep focused on what you do, in training and in the game, give everything for the team and the rest is not up to you.

“We have a very good team, with lots of young players. We have to make it a great time by winning things.”

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Rio looking grand for United

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Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand could be back in first-team action for the Red Devils after the break for Euro 2012 qualifiers at the start of September (United 12/5 – Premier League Outright).

The 31-year-old centre-half has been sidelined ever since England’s first training session at the World Cup finals in South Africa earlier in the summer when he suffered a medial knee ligament problem.

But Ferdinand has been working his way back to full fitness as he looks to bounce back from a couple of seasons where he has spent as much time off the pitch as on it with various injuries.

Last week Old Trafford chief Sir Alex Ferguson said he did not expect Ferdinand to be back before the end of next month – however, the former Leeds and West Ham man has clearly had other ideas.

Ferguson told reporters on Friday: “Rio hadn’t done anything football-wise when I spoke last week.

“When he read what I said maybe it gave him a kick. But he has come in and trained this week and done fantastic.

“He will train with the reserves today.”

Ferguson added: “He won’t be involved on Saturday, of course, but we have to try and think when we can get a game with him in the next two weeks he is that close.”

United entertain the Hammers in Saturday’s late kick off looking to bounce back from last weekend’s draw at Fulham (West Ham 2/7 – To Stay Up).

England striker Wayne Rooney sat out the trip to Craven Cottage through illness but is set to return against the Hammers while Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs will both be hoping to be promoted from the bench.

West Ham, who have lost both of their opening two Premier League games – against Aston Villa and Bolton, have moved to strengthen their forward line by snapping up Inter Milan forward Victor Obinna on a season-long loan deal.

The 23-year-old Nigeria international, who played for the Super Eagles at the World Cup in the summer, becomes the sixth signing of the Avram Grant era after Thomas Hitzlsperger, Tal Ben Haim, Winston Reid, Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne.

The Hammers have the option of making the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Obinna spent last season on loan at La Liga strugglers Malaga who avoided relegation by a single point.

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Wenger looking for strong start

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he is positive his side can make a strong start to the season as they look to build on their form from last year(Arsenal 7/1 to win the title).

The Gunners finished third in last year’s Premiership table, 11 points behind champions Chelsea, and qualified for the Champions League for the 10th year in succession (Arsenal 16/1 to win the Champions League).

Arsenal are currently holding an altitude training camp in Austria and beat Sturm Graz 3-0 in their second match of their pre-season tour.

Arsenal start their Premier League season with a difficult trip to face Liverpool but Wenger is targeting the match as the chance to kick start the Gunners’ season.

“The aim is to continue to progress as we have been doing,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official magazine.

“We were very close last year – closer than the previous season – so we are heading in the right way. We hope we can continue that this season.

“It is important to start well, start strongly and get into a good position early on and to try to maintain the level.”

Arsenal also started last season on Merseyside, beating Everton 6-1, provoking many onlookers to pronounce them the early favourites for the title. However, their form dipped during the winter months and they failed to pick up a single point against either of the teams that finished above them, Chelsea and Manchester United.

That meant that Arsenal’s run of trophyless seasons stretched to six, despite playing arguably some of the best football in the world.

During this time, Wenger has often been criticised for failing to open his cheque book to sign the big names that many people feel could make a major difference at the Emirates, in favour of promoting from within to develop one of the finest young sides in the World.

Many now feel that this could be the Gunners’ year with the acquisitions of defender Laurent Koscielny and striker Marouane Chamakh giving the squad a more balanced look, and Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is confident this is going to be the year they once again lift the Premier League trophy.

“We have a good young group who are very aggressive and want to improve,” he remarked.

“I think people will always say we can’t compete – it is not the first time, but we have to do what we always do which is work hard and play our own game, then we can compete.

“I hope we can compete for the title this year and I am convinced we will.”

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