London derby a turning point again?

ARSENAL’S clash with Chelsea a year ago marked the turning point in a season that finished with the Premier League title heading to Antonio Conte’s side at Stamford Bridge.

Arsene Wenger’s team inflicted a 3-0 defeat on their rivals at The Emirates that day but Conte used the experience to change his formation and Chelsea went on a 13-match winning league run.

For Arsenal, it was to be their only victory all season against any of the teams who finished in the top four. The north London club came fifth, missing out on the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, and thus go into Sunday’s showdown at Stamford Bridge off the back of a Thursday night match against Cologne in the Europa League.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will have had a four-day break following their Champions League mauling of Qarabag on Tuesday.

Although the circumstances are very different from this time last year, when Arsenal were in the Champions League and Chelsea were not even in Europe, it is business as usual for Wenger. “Wednesday night or Thursday night is no different for us, apart from the fact that it’s a different competition, but when you play Wednesday-Saturday it’s similar to Thursday-Sunday,” the Frenchman said this week.

The pressure will be on Arsenal to avoid a third successive league defeat on the road having already come unstuck at Stoke City and Liverpool, where they were thrashed 4-0.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have once again learned from their mistakes to put together a three-match winning run following a shock opening-day home defeat by Burnley.

After their 6-0 victory at home to woeful Azeri side Qarabag on Tuesday, Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said they were relishing the prospect of facing the Gunners.

“Sometimes it is good to face a big team early,” he said. “Last year it didn’t work out against Liverpool and Arsenal, but this season we have already won at Tottenham. It is good to face Arsenal now.

“We are doing well. After the bad first half against Burnley, I think all our performances have been good. We have shown good spirit, good football and good wins most importantly of all.”

A blockbuster of a Sunday does not end in London, with the late kickoff featuring Wayne Rooney’s return to Old Trafford as Everton take on league leaders Manchester United.

The 31-year-old former England captain is sure to get a warm reception from the club where he became record goalscorer in January this year before returning to his boyhood team in July.

Last month Rooney retired from international football to concentrate on prolonging his club career and he has scored twice in four league appearances for the Toffees. Ronald Koeman’s side are looking to bounce back from a chastening 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur, while Jose Mourinho’s new-look United have yet to drop a point at home.

United’s winning start to the season was halted at Stoke last week in a 2-2 draw, meaning they top the table on 10 points, ahead of rivals Manchester City on goal difference. City travel to Watford on Saturday, with Marco Silva’s team unbeaten in the first four matches of a top-flight season for the first time.

Saturday’s action begins with former England manager Roy Hodgson in charge of Crystal Palace for the first time, at home to Southampton. – Reuters STANLEY MENZO is confident that his Ajax Cape Town team is just one win away from turning things around. And the Cape side won’t have a better opportunity of recording that win than tonight, when they host Polokwane City in a PSL fixture at Cape Town Stadium (8pm kickoff ).

Ajax haven’t had the best of starts to the PSL season, but head coach Menzo is confident that better times are coming. Three games into the new season, the Cape side has picked up just one point. They come off a 1-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates, and the former Netherlands goalkeeper knows how important victory is against Polokwane.

“One point after three games is not good enough,” said Menzo. “We have to catch up. This is a crucial game against Polokwane, we have to make sure that we win. It won’t be easy, but we have to go for it. We’ve got Roscoe Pietersen back from suspension and Rheece Evans back from injury, and that will help.”

In essence, the problem at Ajax is that they are desperate for an injection of confidence and, above all, a good dose of old-fashioned leadership and personality in the team. Now, with the availability of Pietersen, a solution may just have been found.

Pietersen was red-carded in the final game of last season and has subsequently been suspended for Ajax’s three opening fixtures of the new PSL season. Among their stand-out players during a difficult time in the last campaign, his return after suspension is major boost for Menzo. Pietersen’s versatility is probably even more important, in that he can play in the centre of defence or as a holding midfielder.

Menzo also took the opportunity yesterday to reveal the club’s latest acquisition. The Ajax coach doesn’t always get too excited about players, but there was a glint in his eye when he spoke of Soumaila Ouattara, the 22-year-old central defender from Burkina Faso. A free agent, the Burkinabe was able to pen a deal with the Urban Warriors outside the transfer window.

While Ouattara won’t be available against Polokwane tonight – Ajax are still awaiting a work permit – Menzo had no doubt the player would be vital during the rest of the season.