22 METROSPORT Friday, October 23, 2009 D TODAY SOCCER (7.45 unless stated) Coca-Cola Championship Watford v Sheff Wed................................................. League of Ireland Premier Division Cork v Drogheda Utd ............................................... Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers.................................... Galway Utd v Bohemians......................................... St Patricks v Derry City ............................................ League of Ireland First Division Kildare County v Wexford Y .............................. 8.00 UCD v Longford Town.............................................. FAI Ford Cup Semi-Final Sligo v Waterford Utd........................................ 7.35 HORSE RACING Ayr, Doncaster, Fakenham, Wolverhamton, Dundalk MOTOR RACING (until Sunday) World Rally Chship Rally GB (Cardiff/Swansea) RUGBY UNION The Magners League: Edinburgh v Munster (8.00), Glasgow v Connacht (7.30), Scarlets v Newport- Gwent Dgons (7.05) SATURDAY SOCCER (3.00 unless stated) Barclays Premier League Birmingham v Sunderland........................................ Burnley v Wigan ....................................................... Chelsea v Blackburn ......................................... 5.30 Hull v Portsmouth..................................................... Tottenham v Stoke.................................................... Wolverhampton v Aston Villa........................... 12.45 Coca-Cola Championship Barnsley v Bristol City .............................................. Coventry v West Brom.............................................. Crystal Palace v Nottm Forest.................................. Derby v QPR...................................................... 5.30 Newcastle v Doncaster ............................................ Peterborough v Scunthorpe..................................... Plymouth v Ipswich .................................................. Preston v Middlesbrough ......................................... Sheff Utd v Cardiff.................................................... Swansea v Blackpool............................................... Coca-Cola League One Brentford v Stockport............................................... Brighton v Oldham ................................................... Bristol Rovers v Yeovil.............................................. Carlisle v Southend .................................................. Colchester v Walsall ................................................. Exeter v Wycombe ................................................... Gillingham v Charlton............................................... Hartlepool v Tranmere .............................................. Huddersfield v Leyton Orient.................................... Millwall v Leeds ........................................................ Norwich v Swindon .................................................. Southampton v Milton Keynes Dons........................ Coca-Cola League Two Barnet v Darlington................................................... Bournemouth v Grimsby .......................................... Bradford v Hereford.................................................. Bury v Rotherham..................................................... Chesterfield v Burton Albion .................................... Lincoln City v Torquay .............................................. Macclesfield v Dag & Red ........................................ Morecambe v Northampton ..................................... Notts County v Crewe .............................................. Port Vale v Cheltenham............................................ Rochdale v Accrington Stanley ................................ Shrewsbury v Aldershot ........................................... Clydesdale Bank Premier League Aberdeen v Dundee Utd........................................... Hearts v Falkirk......................................................... Kilmarnock v St Johnstone ...................................... Rangers v Hibernian................................................. St Mirren v Motherwell ............................................. League of Ireland First Division Athlone Town v Monaghan Utd......................... 7.45 Finn Harps v Shelbourne................................... 7.45 HORSE RACING Chepstow, Doncaster, Aintree, Newbury, Stratford- on-avon, Kempton, Wexford. RUGBY UNION The Magners League: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys (6.30), Ulster v Leinster (6.00) A I B League Division One --Section A (2.30): Blackrock College v Cork Constitution, Dolphin v Shannon, Garryowen v St Marys College, UL Bohemians v Clontarf. SUNDAY SOCCER (3.00 unless stated) Barclays Premier League Bolton v Everton................................................ 1.30 Liverpool v Man Utd.......................................... 2.00 Man City v Fulham.................................................... West Ham v Arsenal .......................................... 4.15 Clydesdale Bank Premier League Hamilton v Celtic ............................................. 12.30 FAI Ford Cup Semi-Final Sporting Fingal v Bray....................................... 3.05 HORSE RACING Aintree, Towcester, Wincanton, Wexford MOTOR CYCLING MotoGP: Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang) fixtures RIOFERDINANDinsistsLiverpools recent struggles will count for nothing when they clash with champions Manchester United on Sunday. The Premier League leaders will hope to pile on the misery for their fiercest rivals at Anfield. Liverpool have lost four successive games for the first time in 22 years and another defeat would heap more pressure on manager Rafael Benitez. United, in contrast, are in much bet- ter shape having won twice since a poor draw against Sunderland, but Ferdinand insists that matters little. We all know there is a big rivalry between the two teams, said the United defender. But form just goes out of the window. It is about who performs best on the day and that is what we are trying to do. Ferdinand has also played down the significance of this individual fixture at this stage of the season, even though a win would lift United ten points clear of title rivals Liverpool. He said: It is just another game to play. We want to win as many games as we can this season and this is just another one along the way. After their third straight win in the Champions League on Wednesday, England defender Ferdinand hailed the growing influence of Antonio Va- lencia, who scored the late winner at CSKA Moscow. The goal followed on from his first for the club in last weekends defeat of Bolton. And the 24-year-old Ecuador wing- er, signed in a 16million deal from Wigan in the summer, is starting to settle into life at Old Trafford after a slow start to his United career. Ferdinand added: I think everyone is very pleased with what Antonio has done. Hes a really humble and quiet lad. He comes in, does his work and goes home. He is from the Paul Scholes mould of embracing hype and attention but hes the most confident guy on the football field and hes been very impressive since he arrived. He is playing very well and Im sure he will keep improving. Rio expects reaction from wounded rivals MARTIN ONEILL has warned his Aston Villa players against complacency after their stunning 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend. ONeills side one the Irishman describes as the best he has had since taking over as manager in August 2006 have also beaten Liverpool as they have risen to sixth in the Premier League ahead of tomorrows lunchtime kick-off in the Midlands derby at Wolves. ONeill said: You have to be pretty careful when getting a result or two against the top sides like Liverpool and Chelsea and then thinking you have made all this fantastic progress. But we have some really good players and have a decent squad with some not getting into the side at the moment and I think that has been really encouraging. It is probably the strongest we have been in the three years I have been here. LiverpooL boss rafael Benitez has warned reds fans Alberto Aquilani cannot be the immediate solution to the Anfield crisis. Liverpool head into Sundays premier League meeting with rivals Manchester United having lost their last four games their worst run for 22 years and with injuries to key players Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Aquilani, the 20million italian midfielder signed in the summer to replace Xabi Alonso, played in a Liverpool shirt for the first time on Wednesday night in the reserves as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery. But Benitez insists the 25-year-old needs time to settle in even when he is fit enough for the first team and that is still some time away. He said: Alberto is intelligent. He can see the pace is different here and the physical approach. When will he play? it depends on how he is physically. Always with a new player we talk about the problems they have settling down because the premier League is very quick and it is more physical. So for a new player who has been injured, like Alberto, it will be even more difficult. it is a question of keeping him training and when he is fit, we have to support him. Aquilani himself admitted he still has some way to go. i am happy to have made my debut. Although i only played for 15 minutes it is good for me, he said. i know i am not fully fit yet but i hope to be soon. ONeill puts Villa on alert Growing influence: Summer signing Antonio Valencia is starting to impress United supporters after a slow start at Old Trafford Picture: Action Images Slow recovery: Aquilani Rafa urges patience over Aquilani Form goes out of the window for this game BY kEVIN AITkEN sOCCer PREMIER LEAGUE JOHN TERRY has questioned whether Liverpool have the strength in depth to challenge for trophies after insisting Chelseas season will not be derailed by their transfer ban. The Blues are expected to hear within a fortnight if they will be allowed to recruit in January while their appeal over a Fifa ban is being considered. The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) has received Chelseas appeal against the ban preventing them registering new players for two transfer windows after they were found guilty of inducing Gael Kakuta to breach his deal with Lens two years ago. Should CAS turn down Chelseas request, skipper Terry has been encouraged by the way his team-mates have coped for three games in the Champions League while Didier Drogba has been banned. Carlo Ancelottis men have three wins from as many games in Group D matches following Wednesdays 4-0 victory against Atletico Madrid and, according to Terry, have proved the depth in their squad compared to out- of-form Liverpool. When Stevie [Gerrard] and [Fernando] Torres get injured, they seem to be very short in the squad theyve got, he said. Were very fortunate at Chelsea. Since Roman Abramovich came, we have had a lot of strength in depth in the squad like with Salomon Kalou scoring twice against Atletico with Didier Drogba being out. People said we would struggle without Didier, but we didnt. If you take Torres out of their team, who do they bring in? Its difficult, he concluded. 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