Pro Eleven Headlines

Liverpool's Benitez wary of Redknapp factor

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is wary of Harry Redknapp's inspirational effect on last-place Tottenham when his Premier League-leading team visits White Hart Lane on Saturday.

A week into his reign as Tottenham manager, Redknapp is sure to get a big ovation from Spurs fans after his players fought back from 4-2 down with a minute to go to draw 4-4 with north London neighbor Arsenal on Wednesday.

That result came after he guided Spurs to their first league victory of the season - a 2-0 win against Bolton on Sunday - and the players say he has had an inspirational effect on them.

"It will always be a good thing in the short term because their players want to impress the new manager," Benitez said.

The four points gained - twice as many as the fired Juande Ramos managed in eight games - weren't enough to lift Tottenham away from last place. But Benitez believes they won't be down there for much longer.

"I think that they have a lot of quality and they will need time, but clearly they should be higher in the table," said Benitez, whose team leads Chelsea by three points with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Hull three points further behind.

"Roman Pavlyuchenko and Luka Modric are offensive players and Jermaine Jenas is a good player too. They are the reason why I have confidence they will improve. Tottenham have a lot of quality. David Bentley is another good player. He can shoot from distance and is very dangerous, so Pepe Reina will be aware of him."

Recalled to the starting lineup, Bentley surprised Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia with a 40-meter (yard) shot at Emirates Stadium, while Redknapp, who joined from Portsmouth on Saturday, gave Modric an attacking role behind a lone striker.

Without a league title since 1990 - two years before the Premier League even started - Liverpool isn't used to being top in a competition that has been dominated by Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

After playing for Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan, Leeds and Tottenham, Ireland striker Robbie Keane has joined the club he supported as a teenager. He knows that local-born stars Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are desperate to win the league title, despite their triumphs in the Champions League and UEFA, FA and League Cups.

"Stevie doesn't go on about it every day, but there is a born desire inside him and the likes of Jamie Carragher to win the league," Keane. "We have two local players here who want to win the title for the city.

"Their determination in how they play and want to win rubs off on everyone at the club. If we can all display a piece of the desire that they've shown over the last few years, then we've got a chance. You want to look back on your career and see medals, and there's no better medal than the Premier League."

Second-place Chelsea will be confident of staying in touch by beating Sunderland at home. The Blues lost their proud 86-game unbeaten home record when they were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool last week, but they responded with an easy 3-0 victory at Hull.

Third-place Arsenal, which goes to Stoke, is still reeling from conceding two late goals in the 4-4 draw with Spurs.

"Maybe we thought in our heads the game had been won," striker Emmanuel Adebayor said. "Now. we have to learn to see the game out.

"I don't know how I am going to sleep. We cannot afford to drop points any more and we dropped two more points. I am tired of saying that."

Hull visits defending champion Manchester United, which is eight points off the lead but with a game in hand. Villa does not play until Monday when it visits Newcastle.

Saturday's other games are Everton vs. Fulham, Middlesbrough vs. West Ham, Portsmouth vs. Wigan, West Bromwich Albion vs. Blackburn. On Sunday, Bolton welcomes Manchester City.


Roma in Need of Juve Win

Roma head into Saturday's testing encounter at Juventus in danger of dropping into the Serie A relegation zone.

Last season Luciano Spalleti's men pushed Internazionale all the way to the final weekend in the race for the Scudetto, but they have struggled this campaign and have won just twice to sit 16th in the table, 13 points behind joint leaders Udinese and Napoli.

Wednesday's clash with Sampdoria was stopped after five minutes because of heavy rain and Spalletti is eager to turn things around.

"We are going to Turin to win," he said. "Juventus are a big team and have recovered their enthusiasm.

"Our situation is more difficult because you need to control the pressure.

"We didn't play on Wednesday and our situation in the standings has worsened.

"But despite the difficult period we are under, we are going to Turin determined to win."

One player who will not be around to help will be captain Francesco Totti, whose career is increasingly looking doubtful because of recurring knee injuries.

Totti only recently came back from a long injury lay-off because of knee surgery but on Friday he broke down in training.

"It would be useless to play him," Spalletti admitted. "Not only for his condition but because it wouldn't help the team.

"We are trying to do everything to fully recover him and we thought we had after the international break but he had pain today."

Despite the Giallorossi's poor form and the fact they will have no support at the Olympic Stadium, with their fans banned from attending the game for security reasons, Juve will not take Roma lightly.

"It is going to be a fascinating game," said Juve forward Amauri. "Regardless of the problems Roma have encountered this campaign, they still remain a great team.

"It is going to be a big test for us although we have the advantage of playing at home."

Juve coach Claudio Ranieri has another reason to be wary.

"Let's not forget Roma go into the game rested considering they didn't play in midweek," he said.

The Turin giants' campaign appears to be back on track as last week's 2-1 triumph over Real Madrid in the Champions League sparked the Bianconeri into life.

Wins against Torino and Bologna have lifted the Bianconeri to ninth in the standings, five points behind the leaders.

However, Ranieri believes his team are still on the road to recovery.

"We have seen the light but we have not come out of the dark just yet," he said. "There is room for improvement and we need to continue to work hard."

Juve welcome back captain Alessandro Del Piero, who is set to partner Amauri up front.

Defenders Nichola Legrottaglie and Dzenek Grygera also return to the team having shaken off minor injuries.

Roma welcome back defender Philippe Mexes from suspension while Brazilian striker Julio Baptista has recovered from injury.


De La Red Leaves Hospital

Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Ruben de la Red has been released from hospital after fainting during Thursday's Copa del Rey tie at Real Union.

The 23-year-old Euro 2008 winner collapsed after just 13 minutes of the first leg of the fourth-round encounter - a match the Primera Liga champions lost 3-2.

He was kept in overnight before being given the all-clear on Friday to return to the Spanish capital - much to the relief of team-mate Marcelo.

"I have never been so scared in my life and I had never seen anything like it before," the wing-back told the club's official website.

"We were all scared. I've asked the doctor how he's doing and he told me he is fine."

Sevilla wing-back Antonio Puerta died on August 28 last year, three days after suffering a series of cardiac arrests during a Primera Liga clash with Getafe.

Marcelo added: "We prayed and asked God for this to never happen again and for Ruben to recover soon.

"He fell and we all thought he would get up, but he couldn't, so we called the doctor. The good thing is that he's fine now."


Man Utd sponsor deal for Hublot

Manchester United has signed a new multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Swiss watch manufacturers Hublot.

Hublot, which provided the timing at Euro 2008, has paid a reported £4m for a three-year partnership deal with the Champions League holders.

It joins Saudi Telecom, Budweiser, and Seoul Metropolitan Government as sponsors who have committed themselves to Manchester United this season.

The Swiss firm will now have its brand name around Old Trafford stadium.

United's shirt sponsor AIG has recently been, in effect, nationalised by the US Federal Reserve.

AIG required an $85bn (£52bn) loan last month from the US central bank in order to avoid financial collapse in the face of the global credit crisis.

At the time, United refused to comment on whether AIG's plight endangered any sponsorship money it might be owed by the giant US insurer.

After signing the Hublot deal, Man Utd chief executive David Gill said: "We are delighted to welcome such a prestigious partner as Hublot to the Manchester United family."

Jean-Claude Biver, chief executive of Hublot, said it was "an extraordinary partnership for Hublot".

Hublot was founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco. As part of the sponsorship deal, the luxury watchmaker is to produce a Red Devil watch, with a 45-minute counter - the time of a half of play in football.