Pennant flags his intentions

Leeds United 1 Chelsea 1: Much has been made of Eddie Gray's decision to field a Leeds side shorn of the summer's loan arrivals. Gone are Roque Junior, Salomon Olembe, Zoumana Camara and Lamine Sakho from the starting line-up, and it was a formula that again worked wonders here

But one hired gun remains and he is desperate to prove himself part of the "family".

Jermaine Pennant did just that on Saturday as his mazy run and goal helped lift Leeds off the Premiership's floor.

And the 20-year-old midfielder, on loan from Arsenal, understands every bit as much as his team-mates the depth of Leeds's perils, given they were spelled out in a dressing-room visit from chief executive Trevor Birch on Friday.

"I definitely feel for people here," he said. "I've got a contract at Arsenal, but your mind goes off that - it feels like you're part of it here as well. Everyone's like a big family. If it affects them it affects me.

"But the more games we play like this, and the better we play, people are going to want to come in and buy the club. It won't be easy to find buyers unless we get up the table and find some points.

"Trevor came down and told us about the financial side, saying there's not a lot to worry about, and I think we're going to get out of that slump soon. It was nice to know that we're not going to go into administration."

However his contribution to an unlikely draw against the Premiership's richest side might be among Pennant's last for Leeds, as his loan agreement has only one more match to run. Yet Pennant, who Arsenal once made British football's most expensive teenager, does not want to go.

"The more (my loan) keeps getting extended the more happy I'm going to be," said Pennant. "I'm playing week in week out and I'm giving it my best shot and hopefully we'll get Leeds out of the bottom three."

Pennant's goal, in which he scurried past John Terry and William Gallas before expertly lobbing Carlo Cudicini, won plaudits from both managers - though Claudio Ranieri was quick to point out that Claude Makelele had provided the assist.

It was just the sort of smash-and-grab raid that, in a match where otherwise Chelsea's dominance was overwhelming, was Leeds's only route to goal.

"These players have worked together for a long time and I feel they know the importance of the club staying in the Premiership," said Gray. "I just looked at the situation and felt that the players I know might just help. If we survive this season we'd be looking for whoever it is that comes in to take the club forward, at least to a European place."

Lucas Radebe and Dominic Matteo both pulled out goal-line clearances to keep their side in the game, but with Leeds sitting back and inviting on the opposition too much it was inevitable that Chelsea would score.

Damien Duff provided the goal, latching on to a rebound from Adrian Mutu's initial shot that Paul Robinson had saved.

"Now everybody gives us a little more respect and then they close the space and try to get in on a counter-attack. That is normal - it's like when other teams play against Arsenal and Manchester United," said Ranieri. "Now it's important for us to understand this and find the right solution."

Whereas both teams' fans had been anticipating this fixture in previous matches by singing of how much they hate each other, Leeds received support from an unlikely source.

"I'd like to see them stay up," said Chelsea's Frank Lampard, who awoke yesterday to reports of a £20 million five-year contract in the offing. "I've got friends in the team, they've got great support, they're a massive club and hopefully they can dig their way out of it. If they show that character they've got a good chance."

Guardian Service