English clubs head groups

English clubs involved in the group phase of the Champions League this year had a very positive opening as all four are on top of their respective groups.

In Group B, Arsenal lead with maximum points, while cup holders Liverpool, Chelsea (both Group G) and Manchester United (Group D) have gained four points from two outings.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday the third game from the group phase will be played, the first of two consecutive legs against the same side.

In the 11th all-English clash between Liverpool and Chelsea, the result was a 0-0 draw. The duo met in last season's semi-finals with the Reds winning 1-0 on aggregate after Luis Garcia's netting at Merseyside.

While Liverpool have been involved in 13 goalless stalemates from 27 draws in 122 European Cup matches, in the same competition Chelsea finished 0-0 eight times from 11 draws in 44 matches.

If it was not for that freak 1-2 home loss to CSKA Sofia in the third qualifying round at Anfield, the 'Pool would have been enjoying a run of 16 European Cup/Champions League matches without defeat.

Next Wednesday Liverpool will be on their travels to face Anderlecht in Brussels.

The Belgians are still in search of their first points after consecutive defeats to Chelsea and Real Betis.

Liverpool are undefeated against Belgian sides in European competition:

1964-65 (European Cup first round): Anderlecht - Home 3-0, Away 1-0.

1965-66 (Cup Winners' Cup second round): Standard Liege - Home 3-1, Away 2-1.

1975-76 (UEFA Cup final): Bruges - Home 3-2, Away 1-1.

1977-78 (European Cup final, Wembley, London): Bruges - 1-0.

Manchester United will claim an overall total of 120 victories in Europe if they defeat French side Lille at Old Trafford next Tuesday.

Breakdown of United's wins: European Cup - 91; Cup Winners' Cup - 16; UEFA Cup - 12.

Wayne Rooney will serve his second of a two-match ban for his red card against Villarreal. In the 2-1 win against Benfica Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Champions League top marksman for the last two seasons) joined six other team-mates in the present squad to chalk up 50 Champions League appearances or more.

The others are Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Roy Keane and Mikael Silvestre.

Lille have gathered only one point, having drawn 0-0 against Villarreal at home and lost 0-1 at Benfica. The Red Devils have encountered Lille in the same competition in 2001-02 when they acquired four points in the first phase group matches after a 1-0 win and an away 1-1 draw.

United have never lost at Old Trafford against French clubs in Europe. In nine encounters they won six and drew three times.

Successive wins

Arsenal have opened in great style by claiming back-to-back wins against FC Thun at home and Ajax away. The last time the Gunners attained successive wins in the competition was in 2003-04, beating Celta Vigo at home and away in the last 16 of the tournament.

The win in Amsterdam halted a run of five games without a three-pointer in Arsenal's European travels. They have now scored at least one goal in their last 18 Champions League games.

Dutchman Robin van Persie and Germany's Jens Lehmann both return after suspensions.

Next Tuesday the Londoners will be on the away front once more at Sparta Prague, who have only point to show sequel to their home draw against Ajax and their loss versus FC Thun away.

Arsenal have met the Czech Republic side in 2000-01 in the first group phase of the Champions League and emerged triumphant at home (4-2) and away (1-0).

Sparta Prague still have to win on aggregate against an English side. Their previous three clashes were:

1999-00 (UEFA Cup quarter-final): Leeds - Away 0-3, Home 2-1 (2-4).

2003-04 (Champions League group match): Chelsea - Home 0-1, Away 0-0 (one point).

2004-05 (Champions League group match): Manchester United - Home 0-0, Away 1-4 (one point).

Chelsea will play at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday against Real Betis, who lost at home to Liverpool but won away against Anderlecht.

If Chelsea concede a goal it will be the 100th netting against in their European history from a total of 112 matches. The record also denotes an amount of 193 goals for.

This will be the second commitment between Chelsea and Betis after their meeting of 1997-98 in the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, where the Blues won both legs for a 5-2 aggregate (home 3-1, away 2-1).

Chelsea went on to lift the silverware by beating VfB Stuttgart 1-0 in the final in Stockholm.

Rangers will be keen to claim a victory at Ibrox Park against Slovakia's Artmedia Bratislava.

It was against this same club that Rangers' rivals Celtic were humbled 5-0 away. In the return leg the Bhoys came close to force extra-time but they only managed to pierce the Artmedia rearguard four times in front of their own fans.

Rangers, like Artmedia, have three points to their credit. While the Glasgow side defeated Porto at home and lost away to Inter, the Slovaks have toppled Porto away and went down at home to Inter.

Rangers will be contesting their 130th game in the European Cup. That total produced these statistics: Won 56, Draw 25, Lost 48, Goals For 205, Against 179.

In addition to the Celtic encounter, only one other Slovak side, Tatran Presov, played against Scottish opposition. In 1994-94 they eliminated Dundee United from the first round of the Cup Winners' Cup 5-4 on aggregate.