EVERGREEN WENGER A CUT ABOVE

ON the short walk from Holloway Road tube station to The Emirates Stadium there is a life-size cardboard cut-out of Arsene Wenger. It’s there on matchdays and no doubt will be on display again today as Arsenal meet Tottenham in the North London derby. But Wenger is no dummy, in fact he’s looking like the real deal once more. And that cardboard statue is a tribute to the Arsenal manager, 67, and a way of Gunners fans showing they still trust Arsene. And so they should. Arsenal go into battle against their great rivals having gone 15 matches without defeat. They haven’t lost since the opening day of the season, when Liverpool beat them 4-3. Wenger’s side have won 10 of their last 11 matches, the one blemish being surprisingly held 0-0 by Middlesbrough. But they responded to that setback by winning 4-1 at Sunderland in their next match, then recovering from 2-0 down to win away to Ludogorets. Wenger (left) believes his side’s superb start to the season has been down to taking more of their chances. He admits that has to be the case when Arsenal’s style is built on an element of risk, in that they don’t adopt a defensive attitude. The Frenchman said: “The final ball is better. We have a risky game and therefore it’s important that we take our chances.” NEWCASTLE are on the radar Under of kit manufacturers have a good Armour.The Toon Puma but are relationship with as an seen by other companies as they attractive proposition return bid for an immediate That is to the Premier League. home because of 50,000 crowds and the high sales proportion of shirt on soccer-mad Tyneside. PAUL HETHERINGTON