Long haul begins in first gear

This afternoon all the pre-season spin will begin to give way to deeds, hyperbole to reality. One of only four teams - Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Leeds United - are likely to become champions and only one other, Liverpool, have reasonable grounds for challenging this assumption.

Alex Ferguson's United, who begin their defence against Everton tomorrow, remain the yardstick for all to follow.

Arsenal are particularly determined to begin with a bang this afternoon against Leicester at Highbury. Arsene Wenger attributes his side's failure to retain the title last season to their poor form before Christmas. And with no Double celebrations or World Cup to recover from, he hopes his players will make amends.

"Last time we lost the title at the beginning of the season," Wenger said. "Or rather we lost it twice. Once at the start because we picked up only 10 points out of the first 21, and the second time at Leeds. We have talked about it and the players know how important a good start is psychologically."

Chelsea have also been caught cold in the past two seasons, defeated by Coventry on the opening day each time. Gianluca Vialli will be relieved that Gordon Strachan's side are hosting Southampton, while he pits his wits against Peter Reid's Sunderland.

Vialli is hoping to cut out the errors which he believes cost Chelsea the title last season. "I made a lot of mistakes and I'm objective enough to realise that and to try not to make them again in the future," said Chelsea's manager.

Reid is confident that Sunderland have progressed since suffering relegation two years ago on their last visit to the Premiership. "We were tight at the back, but the fact that we couldn't score enough goals caught up with us in the end," Reid said. "Now we have a few players who can get them, but we're looking at one man in particular in Kevin Phillips."

George Graham will also be relying on a single figure, Steffen Iversen, to score the goals for Tottenham at Upton Park. He is the one healthy striker available to the Spurs manager, who said: "Everyone knows that more firepower up front is our priority but I can't spend £15 million or £25 million on a striker which is what the top ones command now. We're not ready for that yet."

West Ham's manager Harry Redknapp, on the other hand, is entering the season on a high. "People expect me to say we haven't a chance of winning the league but why not? I've believe in miracles. If we go in with the wrong approach it may cost us."

Among those aiming somewhat lower, Watford's first game in the top flight since 1988, against Wimbledon, will give Graham Taylor an early indication of what his team will have to do to survive.

Bradford's manager Paul Jewell has splashed out over the summer and his Premiership experience starts at the Riverside stadium. "All the games are going to be very difficult but there's no point looking too far ahead if you don't know what's going to happen so I'm just concentrating on Middlesbrough."

While Southampton, who have not won on the last 10 opening days, will be hoping to end this miserable sequence at Highfield Road, Liverpool, with a reputation for starting quickly, face newlook Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough where they lost last August.

Gerard Houllier is hoping to be given time for his own revamped outfit to settle. "I don't want to use a plea for patience as a shield for me," he said, "but it is just fact that it is not easy to adjust to the demands of the English game when you have come from the Continent."

Derby meet David O'Leary's Leeds side without their new Argentine striker, Esteban Fuertes, who has not received international clearance to play.