ARSENAL
Ivan Gazidis is sure Arsene Wenger will not walk out on Arsenal and fully expects the Gunners manager to honour his contract. Wenger is under mounting pressure after overseeing the club's worst start to a season in 58 years. With five Barclays Premier League matches gone, Arsenal have just one win to their name - against newly-promoted Swansea - and sit 17th in the table. "He is not going to walk out," Gazidis said. "There is absolutely no issue about Arsene leaving the club or the club pushing him out. He did not suddenly become a bad manager or somebody who became out of touch with the game. It is complete nonsense.
ASTON VILLA
Manager Alex McLeish had no complaints about his side's exit from the Carling Cup after a 2-0 defeat to Bolton. In a competition McLeish won with Birmingham last season, Villa were dumped out at the third-round stage after goals from Chris Eagles and Gael Kakuta. The Scot said: "We were not good enough on the night and did not deserve it. They got a break for their first goal before a break finish by Eagles and on their second-half performance deserved their victory. We had our moments in the first half but we never troubled the keeper enough. We got into some good crossing positions but never made the impact we wanted. Now it is up to the team to bounce back. That is the reaction I am looking for." McLeish had no complaints about the boos from the Villa fans at the final whistle after his side's first defeat of the season. He said: "I thought they were great and stayed with us. If their team gets beaten at home, they will not be happy but we are not unique in that respect." BLACKBURN ROVERS
Manager Steve Kean was impressed with summer signing Simon Vukcevic on his full debut for the club, but admits the player still has plenty to learn about the English game. The Montenegro winger scored the all-important final goal in Rovers' 3-2 Carling Cup win over League One side Leyton Orient in only his second appearance since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in August. It proved to be a crucial intervention as Dean Cox's 86th-minute strike made things closer than they should have been at the end after Ruben Rochina had put Blackburn back in front once David Mooney had equalised Jason Roberts' 43rd-minute penalty. "I think he showed glimpses," said Kean of Vukcevic. "It shows he wants to take people on and even if he is on the right-hand side he checks on to his left foot, like he did for the goal. He has got power and accuracy but what he has to learn is when to bounce it on with one touch and not necessarily have a trick. He obviously likes back-heelers because he's done about 17 in the last two games. He is just adapting to the pace of the country and not only the way not only Premier League teams but lower league teams come in and get in your face and you have to do things quickly." BOLTON WANDERERS
Manager Owen Coyle breathed a sigh of relief after his side ended a run of four successive defeats with a 2-0 Carling Cup win at Aston Villa. He said: "This result and performance has given everyone a welcome boost. We picked ourselves up and performed from start to finish." CHELSEA
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has described Roman Abramovich as a private person who has great passion for football and tremendous knowledge of the game. Russian billionaire Abramovich became Chelsea owner in 2003 and it is his financial backing that has helped establish the club as one of the most powerful in the world. He does not attend matches as often these days since the birth of his sixth child in 2009, but Buck maintains that his hunger for the game remains as strong as ever. "I would say that his passion for Chelsea has increased not decreased. His passion for football has increased, not decreased," Buck said. "His knowledge of football has increased exponentially. I'm not talking about what goes at the megastore, I'm talking about football. It would be pretty hard to name a current footballer that he couldn't give you statistics for. He doesn't miss a game in the sense that wherever he is in the world he watches the Chelsea game. He calls Eugene Tenenbaum [trusted club director and associate] or whoever after the game and they talk about it. He is very much on top of things." EVERTON
Assistant manager Steve Round is confident Ross Barkley will not be affected by speculation linking the youngster with a big-money move away from the club. Barkley, 17, put in an eye-catching performance on his senior debut in the Toffees' first game of the season against QPR and has continued to impress in the handful of appearances he has made since then. Reports have suggested that Chelsea are ready to pay £20m for the England Under-21 international when the transfer window opens in January, but Round does not think such talk will distract Barkley. Asked if he was worried the midfielder might be unsettled by rumours of interest from Stamford Bridge, Round said: "No, not at all. Ross is very level-headed. It's just speculation, he knows that." FULHAM
Martin Jol has admitted he could sell Andrew Johnson in January if he fails to agree a new deal at Craven Cottage. Johnson's current contract expires next summer and as yet no new deal has been agreed between both parties. Jol is keen to keep hold of the former Crystal Palace and Everton hit-man but accepts he may have to offload him if he does not resolve his contract situation. "We've talked to him over the last month and hopefully we can agree something, but if not we have to get on with it," said Jol. "We would like to have Andy on board [for next year], but he's on board [for now] anyway. If he doesn't sign the contract we will continue for this season. It's not a problem. Andy is a very good second striker. We play [Moussa] Dembele, Clint [Dempsey] and Bobby [Zamora], but I feel sometimes in a 4-4-2 Andy is one of the best options. If there was a club interested in him you could think about it [selling him], but if not I'm happy for him to stay here until the end of the season. But for now we need to get an agreement. Last week I thought we were close. We will talk with him again today and hope we can agree something." LIVERPOOL
Jamie Carragher admits the return of Steven Gerrard to competitive action will help to lift spirits in and around the Liverpool camp. The Reds have been shorn of their influential skipper's services for 17 matches, with a lengthy spell on the sidelines stretching back some six months. During his time on the treatment table, Kenny Dalglish has been busy bringing in a number of midfield reinforcements. Gerrard is, however, still very much the talisman at Anfield and Carragher admits it will be a relief to all concerned to see him back out on the field. "He is the captain, the biggest name here," Carragher said. "His presence will give everyone a lift. It's disappointing, of course, that he has missed the start of the new season, but what a player we now have to come back to help. I speak to him on a daily basis, so I know how much he has wanted to get back. That is what makes him the player he is. He is just so desperate to be part of the new scene."MANCHESTER CITY
David Silva admits he feels like he is a 'secondary actor' for Spain after being continually overlooked by Vicente Del Bosque. The classy playmaker has enjoyed a fine start to the season with City and is establishing himself as one of the top performers in the Barclays Premier League. However, Silva continues to struggle to establish himself as a regular in Del Bosque's starting XI and he believes the Spain coach does not have any confidence in him. "I think that I am only a secondary actor," Silva said. "The coach does not have confidence in me. With other coaches never have I noticed this sensation. I think my performance is positive but not sufficient for the coach. It is not easy to start in the first eleven of Spain because of the quality of players." MANCHESTER UNITED
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he has not been able to give Michael Owen the matches he deserves after the former England man's two-goal salvo against Leeds. Owen scored twice, with Ryan Giggs adding another in first-half stoppage time as Manchester United romped to a 3-0 Carling Cup third-round win at Elland Road. It means Owen has now scored an incredible 11 goals from his last 12 starts. That the run dates back to October 2009 just shows how difficult the 31-year-old has found it to break through at United, a task that is only made harder following the return of Danny Welbeck from a hamstring injury. "Michael Owen's finishing was fantastic," said Ferguson. "His goal ratio is unbelievable. We are very pleased with him. Unfortunately for us he has had one or two injuries. But with me having Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez, he is not getting the games he deserves and that is unfortunate." NEWCASTLE UNITED
Alan Pardew is hoping to see much more of Hatem Ben Arfa after watching him play his part in a thrilling 4-3 extra-time Carling Cup victory at Nottingham Forest. The Frenchman, described by Pardew as his "Heineken" player before the game, returned to the Magpies' starting line-up at the City Ground for the first time in almost 12 months, and turned in an encouraging display in a hard-fought encounter before being substituted 20 minutes from time. Pardew said: "He just started running out of steam a little bit towards the end when Forest had a little bit of control of the game. But he made one burst through the middle of the pitch - that just sets him apart from other players when he does things like that. If we get him up to speed and get him into what we do in the first team, he is going to be a massive bonus for us." NORWICH CITY
Paul Lambert maintains all of the Norwich squad trust his judgement as the Canaries boss looks to make the right calls to keep them in the Barclays Premier League. Captain Grant Holt was left out of the starting line-up at Bolton on Saturday in one of half-a-dozen changes which also saw Russell Martin move into the centre of defence at the expense of on-loan Manchester United man Ritchie De Laet. However, Lambert's selection paid off as the Canaries recorded their first victory in the top flight, after first-half goals from Bradley Johnson and Anthony Pilkington. The Norwich manager revealed all of the squad buy into the same ethos. "I have got to do my best for the football club and sometimes I make decisions that have to be made - but I explained it to the lads," Lambert said. "They know exactly why I do it and to be fair to them they have taken it on board. The likes of David Fox and Russell Martin, I know them really well because I have had them for two years. They know me, and you expect them to perform for you - that is how much trust I have got in them. Not just those two, but I trust the lads to give me everything they have got." QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Nottingham Forest have taken Clint Hill on a 93-day emergency loan from Queens Park Rangers after learning that left-back Chris Cohen is to be sidelined for the foreseeable future with cruciate ligament damage in his right knee. Steve McClaren was already in the market for loan cover and has moved quickly to snap up Hill. The 32-year-old, who can operate at centre-half or at left-back, will link up with the Reds later this week and could be in line to make his debut in Saturday's trip to Watford. McClaren told the club's official website: "It's a bitter blow for Chris who has been one of our stand-out performers so far this season but we are delighted to have agreed terms with QPR for Clint. He has great experience and will add to our defensive options." Hill figured in all but two of QPR's Championship fixtures last season as they landed the second tier title. He was named in Neil Warnock's starting XI on the opening day of the new Barclays Premier League campaign, but has been overlooked since being dismissed in a heavy defeat to Bolton. STOKE CITY
Manager Tony Pulis was delighted to see his players rewarded at the end of a long evening after they beat Tottenham on penalties to advance to the Carling Cup fourth round. The Potters triumphed 7-6 in the shoot-out at the Britannia Stadium thanks to Thomas Sorensen's save from Spurs debutant Massimo Luongo. The match, which for both teams was their third in six days due to their Europa League exploits, had finished 0-0 after extra-time with Sorensen palming a powerful strike by Roman Pavlyuchenko over the bar in the 53rd minute and Jon Walters failing to convert a one-on-one chance for the hosts in the additional half-hour. Sorensen then proved to be Stoke's hero and Pulis felt it was important his side - who suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday, a 4-0 thumping at Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League - emerged with the victory. "The big thing with the game is that we have had to play extra-time and then penalties," Pulis said. "I think when you have to go through all of that, getting beaten then would have been a massive downer for us. So with the way the game panned out and the way it ran, to win it hopefully will give the players a lift again." SUNDERLAND
After scoring his first goal for the club in the 4-0 win over Stoke, Craig Gardner is looking to prove his worth following his move from Birmingham City to the Stadium of Light this summer. Gardner scored 10 goals for the Blues last season and is hoping to replicate that form this season for the Tyne and Wear club. "I've come here with a reputation for scoring goals and I'm obviously keen to keep that going," he said. "The club have put faith in me by paying a fair bit of money to sign me from Birmingham, and I don't want to let them down. That means producing on the pitch and scoring goals." SWANSEA CITY
Although manager Brendan Rodgers will be looking to spring a surprise at his old club Chelsea on Saturday, he is also looking forward to catching up with some familiar faces and is grateful for the opportunity he was given. "They are a great club, I am really looking forward to it," he said. "I have some wonderful professional memories of my time there. It was arguably the greatest period in their history during my time there over four-and-a-half years. If I had not been there I would not be stood here today, it's thanks to the opportunity they gave me at that level. I still have many friends there and I will be proud to take a team back there, but we are going there looking for a result."TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Tottenham's plans to redevelop White Hart Lane took another small step forward when they signed a planning agreement with Haringey Council. The Section 106 agreement means they have agreed to pay some money towards local facilities in the area around the stadium if they decide to go ahead with the plans to redevelop White Hart Lane in a site adjacent to the ground in a plan known as the Northumberland Development Project (NDP). Spurs were given planning permission to undertake the NDP in October last year but they also want local and central government to contribute towards revamping transport and other facilities around the area - which is one of the most deprived in the capital. They will now sit down with the council, London Mayor Boris Johnson, and central government figures to see if they can come to an agreement. A Tottenham statement read: "The club can confirm that the S106 agreement in respect of the Northumberland Development Project has now been completed and planning permissions have been issued. This enables discussions with the London borough of Haringey, the Mayor of London and central government to continue as we seek to make the development viable and deliverable. As always, we shall keep all our supporters updated as these progress." WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Assistant manager Michael Appleton has stressed the need for the Baggies to focus on Barclays Premier League survival. Appleton is aware of the example of Birmingham, who won the Carling Cup last season but were eventually relegated from the top flight. He promised bottom-placed Albion would field a strong side in the third-round clash at Everton but admits one eye has to remain focused on Saturday's home league meeting with Fulham. Appleton said: "It's a 50-50 thing. Some people say `Birmingham got to the final last year, beat Arsenal and are now playing in Europe'. But, ultimately, they got relegated so it's about getting that balance right. It's about making sure you've got a side capable of beating Everton on the night but also making sure you've got enough bodies and a strong enough side to beat Fulham on Saturday." WIGAN ATHLETIC
Roberto Martinez is still smarting from his side's 3-1 defeat at Everton where they went down to two late goals after taking the lead. Martinez felt his side warranted a point from the match and said: "It is one of those days where you don't get the result you deserved. Ninety percent of our performance was exactly what we wanted and that little 10% was not to stop two crosses, one in the first half and one in the second. I feel we got heavily punished feel if we had played this game 10 times we would have got something out of it in nine of them."WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Mick McCarthy was happy to get back to winning ways after back-to-back Barclays Premier League defeats. Having previously fired three successive blanks, he was also pleased to see his side get among the goals with a 5-0 midweek win over Millwall in the Carling Cup. McCarthy was clear in stressing his obvious disappointment following Saturday's abject 3-0 home defeat to QPR, but felt the victory was the perfect way to bounce back. "We only had one bad performance and of course, it's in the Barclays Premier League, it looked awful, it was awful," he said. "It didn't make my lads a bad team, tonight was just the response we needed. It was a good performance and a much-needed victory to be honest for all of us, a much better performance. We started well, two goals up after seven minutes. It's always nice to score goals, of course. If you get the goals like we did early on then it makes it a difficult night for any team."
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