LONDON (AP) _ Arsenal can make its good start to the season even
better when it enters the Carling Cup against Newcastle on Tuesday.
The Gunners are top of the Premier League, have tied manager
Arsene Wenger to a new contract and have been confirmed as England's
most profitable club.
They now enter a competition in which they were runners-up last
season. In one of eight matches Tuesday, Arsenal meets a Newcastle
side enjoying its best start to a season in six years.
Arsenal routed Derby 5-0 on Saturday to continue its unbeaten
start, defying predictions that it would struggle following the sale
of star striker and captain Thierry Henry.
Arsenal reached the final last season, eventually losing 2-1 to
Chelsea, even though Wenger continued to use England's second-tier
cup competition to give second-string players first-team experience.
Some of those players, such as Gael Clichy and Abou Diaby, are
now first-team regulars, so Wenger has to decide whether to field
them at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday or perhaps introduce another
batch of youngsters.
Cesc Fabregas made his debut for Arsenal in the competition four
years ago and is now the team's key midfielder, taking over the role
filled for a decade by Patrick Vieira.
The 20-year-old Fabregas, already a strong tackler and a creative
player, scored just four goals last season but has hit seven in the
first six weeks of this.
He was already likely to sit out the game to keep him fresh for
the more prestigious Premier League and Champions League, but is
sure to be rested after being substituted with a calf problem in the
71st minute against Derby.
``The game was over and I wanted to take him off, but he saw I
wanted to take him off and quickly took advantage to score a goal,''
Wenger said. ``That is amazing because it tells you how much the
psychological boost comes from the confidence you get from the goals
you scored before.
``If you had not scored the other six, he would not even try to
shoot.''
Fabregas could be replaced by Denilson, who starred in last
season's Carling Cup semifinal win over Tottenham, or Lassana
Diarra, who has yet to start a match since moving from Chelsea last
month.
Newcastle will be without England striker Michael Owen, who was
substituted with a groin problem on Sunday for the second straight
match. Brazilian midfielder Claudio Cacapa is also out after he too
limped out of the 3-1 win over West Ham that lifted Newcastle to
fifth in the Premier League.
``Unfortunately Claudio had to come off late in the game because
of a groin problem,'' Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce said. ``He'll
definitely be out of the Arsenal game and, like Michael, will see a
specialist because he could possibly have a hernia.''
A hernia injury would rule a player out for several weeks, and
Owen could miss England's crucial European Championship qualifiers
against Estonia and Russia next month if he needs surgery.
Like Arsenal, Liverpool enters the Carling Cup in the third round
because it is in European competition.
While Liverpool is at Reading on Tuesday, Manchester United,
Blackburn, Bolton, Chelsea and Tottenham make their debuts in
Wednesday's eight matches.
Liverpool has won the Carling Cup a record seven times but seems
to be fading after topping the Premier League early in the season.
Manager Rafa Benitez will switch his lineup again, with reserve
captain Jack Hobbs, goalkeeper Charles Itandje and midfielder Lucas
Leiva in contention for a place in the team. Winger Jermaine Pennant
and midfielder Javier Mascherano will sit out the match after
getting hurt in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Birmingham.
In Tuesday's other games, Portsmouth is at Burnley, Manchester
City hosts Norwich, Charlton is at Luton, West Brom hosts Cardiff,
Blackpool hosts Southend, and Sheffield United hosts Morcambe, a
League Two club that beat Preston and Wolves to reach the third
round.
