Wenger paints a European picture

Arsene Wenger believes the unquenchable thirst for money among top clubs will lead to a European League being formed in 10 years time.

The Arsenal boss flew in to Glasgow today for the first leg of the Champions League play against Celtic tomorrow night and claimed that there was no financial pressure on him to get to the group stages of the competition.

However, in the context of discussing whether Celtic or Rangers would be a welcome addition to the Barclays Premier League, Wenger expanded his views on the future of the game.

And in doing so, the Frenchman claimed greed could eventually put an end to the Champions League.

"I believe you have two parts of Scottish club football; you have Rangers and Celtic and then the rest," the Frenchman said.

"I would say that Celtic and Rangers could compete, certainly, in the Premier League in the top eight. "The other teams at the moment are not equipped for that.

"But I see more of a European League developing in time anyway. "The national leagues will survive, but maybe in 10 years you will have a European League.

"The way we are going now financially, even the money coming in from the Champions League for some clubs who spend so much money will not be enough anymore because the income is basically owned by UEFA and they distribute the money to the clubs.

"I'm not sure 100% that I am right, but I feel that there are some voices behind the scenes in our game aiming to do something about a European league, especially if the rules become too restrictive for the big clubs as things currently stand."

Wenger continued: "If a European league (does happen) the question is whether clubs will transfer from a national league or whether it is a franchised European league.

"That's the question people will have to answer.

"I personally believe only in sporting merit, so if one league is created there has to be promotion up and down. "But that would be, practically, very difficult to resolve.

"I do not want to kill the national leagues so each team should have to play in the national league and in Europe.

"That means the Euro league taking place in midweek and the national league over the weekend.

"All this would mean having two teams, basically."

Super six for joyful Wenger

Arsene Wenger basked in the glory of Arsenal's 6-1 win at Everton and insisted they are aiming to prove their critics wrong.

And while Wenger was purring over the performances of Cesc Fabregas and co at Goodison Park, Everton chief David Moyes said he "took responsibility for the performance" by his own side.

Everton slumped to their worst home defeat since 1958, with Fabregas scoring twice in the second half adding to first period efforts from Denilson, William Gallas and new boy Thomas Vermaelen.

Substitute Eduardo got the sixth in injury-time, before Louis Saha grabbed a consolation for Everton.

Wenger said: "I was surprised by the result, especially at Goodison. Everton were not at the level we usually face. The international week clearly disrupted them and their preparation.

"But we showed cohesion, attitude, team spirit and desire to play together, all these things were the reasons that we won.

"We have lost two good players, two great players (in Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor) in the summer to Manchester City, but when great players leave that allows space for other players to come in and prove they are good enough.

"People have been writing us off. But what is important is not what others say, but what we do.

"From being told we were not competitive before the game to now being told we are super-favourites is strange. But it is right to say that this is just the first game and we aim to continue to give our best.

"We have matured and this is a good basis to continue like that and to show what we want to do.

"Before the game we were seemingly being ruled out by everybody, and now we have won 6-1 there are two very big extremes.

"We are told we do not have the squad, well we want to show that we do have the squad."

He added: "Everton were not at their usual standards. But we did take every chance that came our way in the first half. They seemed flat, physically, usually their energy level is very high.

"That was not there and we were able to dominate physically from the start."

Everton boss Moyes, furious ahead of the game with Manchester City's conduct in their battle to sign Joleon Lescott, again dismissed claims from City boss Mark Hughes the deal was still on.

He said: "There is no deal, is there? And I have said often enough that Everton are not selling."

Moyes added: "We need to do better, I need to do better and coach them better to make sure we stop that happening again.

"There are no excuses for that. I take the responsibility and do better with the players that I have got.

"I have to do something about it (bringing people in). But that was virtually the cup final team, so the players have to take their responsibility to head the ball out of the box, mark people and go with runners at set-pieces.

"These things should be their basics. Things we should be doing naturally.

"There was too much wrong to mention. It was a disappointing result and it has knocked our confidence."

Arsenal skipper Fabregas revealed he had dedicated his two goals to his friend Daniel Jarque, the Espanyol captain who died of a heart attack recently.

Fabregas said: "He was my friend and what has happened was terrible. We were in the same under-21 side for two seasons, and his death is a great loss. I dedicate my goals to his memory."

Ancelotti wary of league strength

Carlo Ancelotti insists the Premier League title will be tougher to win than the Serie A crown.

The Italian coach guided AC Milan to Serie A success in 2004 but the quality of the opposition in the English top flight promises to provide him with a lot more obstacles.

Ancelotti will take charge of his first match at Stamford Bridge when the Blues face Hull City in the lunchtime kick-off tomorrow.

Ancelotti remains unbeaten since taking over from interim coach Guus Hiddink but the pre-season niceties will be dispensed when the real action gets under way.

Chelsea will face a gritty Hull side who will be determined to go one better than the goalless draw they achieved at the Bridge last season.

That competitive spirit inside the Premier League caught out former boss Luiz Felipe Scolari to such an extent that he was sacked last February.

Ancelotti insists he is "not stepping into the dark" as he prepares for his first game in the English league and is equally realistic when it comes to his appraisal of the task that lies ahead.

"This is my first season outside Italy so it is a bit different, but I want to do well with my team," said Ancelotti. "I am happy, not afraid. There's no tension or pressure.

"It is new but not the unknown. I'm not in the dark. I know my team very well. I appreciate the squad over the month I've had here, and the quality of this team.

"The ambition is to remain competitive until the end of the season in all the competitions - in the FA Cup, the Premiership and the Champions League.

"We want to arrive well in March and April in all the competitions. If we have strength and the right mental attitude, we can win at the end.

"In England the championship is more competitive because, in Italy, three or four teams can win. Here I think that more teams can win the league.

"To win a season in England is not easy for any team. It's not easy for Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, and also for Arsenal.

"To win here is very difficult. It's a difficult start tomorrow. We'll have to overcome difficulties in every game.

"We have to work to improve because the situation on the pitch has to be natural. Now it's not natural because some things are new for the players.

"But, with work, it will become automatic. We have to put continuity into the games. That wasn't the case in the last game - some periods of the game were very good, others not. We need to put continuity on the pitch."

Ancelotti has gathered inner resilience from the recent flurry of contract activity at Stamford Bridge.

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and defender Michael Mancienne - who has now joined Wolves on loan - have both signed new deals recently and the Italian now wants Ashley and Joe Cole to follow suit.

"I am happy that Didier signed a new contract because he is a very important player for this team, not only for now but for the future," said Ancelotti.

"He's a very important striker who did very well for the team and will do very well for the team.

"We spoke with Mancienne and we found a right solution for him because he needs to play games. He will be a Chelsea player for the future.

"Didier is a top striker. I don't know in the standings, but he is a top striker like Fernando Torres and Emmanuel Adebayor.

"I'm hopeful that Ashley and Joe will stay with us. For sure. This is the opinion of the club."

Tsonga knocks out Federer

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled back from 5-1 down in the deciding set to beat a stunned Roger Federer in the last eight at the Rogers Cup.

The Frenchman beat the world number one 7-6 (7/5) 1-6 7-6 (7/3) in two hours and 19 minutes in Montreal.

He will play Andy Murray in the last four after the Scot made short work of Nikolay Davydenko, beating the Russian 6-2 6-4 earlier.

Tsonga took the first set on a tie break after saving two break points, but Federer looked on course for victory when he raced through the second for the loss of just one game and moved 5-1 ahead in the third.

The seventh seed dug deep to reel off five straight games though, and had three match points at 6-5 and 40-0 against the Federer serve, only for the Swiss to save them all.

Tsonga was not to be denied in the tie-break, as Federer handed him victory with an uncharacteristic double fault.

Earlier Murray capitalised on the catalogue of errors by Davydenko, who had gone into the game on a 12-match winning streak, to claim victory in one hour and 21 minutes.

Murray converted all four of his break points, the last in the final game of the match when Davydenko went long with yet another unforced error.

The Scot dropped his serve once in the opening set, but that was to prove the only impact his opponent made.

"The start was important," Murray said afterwards on Sky Sports Xtra.

"When he broke me back in the first set it was important for stay strong there because he was actually making quite a lot of mistakes in the first set and I didn't want to let him back in, let him get into a rhythm.

"I felt pretty comfortable after the first set. My serve was helping me out, I didn't give him many chances in the second set.

"It's very difficult playing against him. He stands so close to the baseline, he hits the ball really hard and flat, you need to be on the defensive a lot against him. I managed to defend well and use my slice to change the pace of the ball."

The quarter-final line-up at Montreal featured the top eight players in the world, with Andy Roddick taking on Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro playing Rafael Nadal in the other two last-eight matches.

Real deny Ronaldo has swine flu

Real Madrid have officially confirmed new signing Cristiano Ronaldo has not contracted swine flu.

The club insists Ronaldo has contracted the normal strain of flu.

Rumours had persisted over Ronaldo's health after the winger pulled out of Portugal's midweek game against Liechtenstein because of the illness.

There were speculation that Ronaldo contracted swine flu during the club's tour of the United States.

Having played a few minutes against DC United with the symptoms, fears were raised that he could have spread the virus and those were heightened as he suffered on the return flight to Madrid.

But Los Merengues have issued an official denial that Ronaldo has anything other than a normal strain of flu and that he will recover in the next few days.

"The player is recovering from the common flu", Real Madrid gave a basic message to fans about the star's current condition," the statement read.

"Cristiano Ronaldo returned from Washington DC with the flu and has been told to rest at home and was prescribed medication."

Wenger believes in Gunners squad

Arsene Wenger admits he could head into the Barclays Premier League campaign with the squad he has now - and will "trust" his men to deliver.

The Gunners completed their build-up at Valencia on Saturday night, losing 2-0 in the Mestalla which was the only defeat of pre-season.

With the majority of the first-team squad now set to be away on international duty - including Theo Walcott with England and youngster Jack Wilshere in the Under-21s - Wenger is keeping his fingers crossed he will have no fresh injury concerns when the players return ahead of Saturday's trip to Everton, which is set to be closely followed by the first leg of the Champions League qualifier against Celtic in Glasgow.

Moves for former captain Patrick Vieira and Bordeaux's £12million-rated Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh appear no further forwards, while Arsenal have also been linked with St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

Defender Philippe Senderos is expected to join Everton, if a fee can be agreed, although the club will not entertain any interest in captain captain Cesc Fabregas, who has, not for the first time this summer, been linked with a transfer to Barcelona.

Wenger has complete faith in the men already at Emirates Stadium.

"Not at the moment, no," said Wenger when asked if there was any imminent news on the transfer front.

"We work always, but it would be pretentious to say that we signed anybody now before the season starts."

He told Arsenal TV Online: "I am very optimistic about the season and I am very positive about this team.

"We always have to listen to peoples' opinions, but you also have to trust what you see in the games and in training.

"Overall it was very positive preparation, and I believe we have shown quality in every game.

"It is unfortunate that now everybody goes away on international games, which is why we have to cross our fingers that everybody comes back in good shape.

"But overall, physically, everybody is ready to start."

Thomas Vermaelen is, so far, Wenger's only summer signing, with Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure the main departures as they joined Manchester City.

The Belgian centre-half did not feature in the final three friendlies because of a groin problem, but is expected to be available for this weekend.

"He is very close," said Wenger, who is without both injured wingers Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri.

"If we had wanted to take a gamble then we could have played him against Valencia, but we did not want to.

"He should be available for next weekend."

Walcott played the second half on Saturday, in what was his first appearance of pre-season having been given some extra time off following a busy summer of international football, which included the European Under-21 Championships, where England reached the final.

Wenger feels some more match against for the 20-year-old forward during Wednesday night's friendly in Holland would be beneficial.

"[England manager Fabio] Capello told me they would call him up so I am not surprised," Wenger said.

"Theo needs competition so if he plays it is good for us."

Meanwhile, Strathclyde Police have confirmed the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League play-off against Celtic will take place as originally scheduled on Tuesday August 18.

Concerns had been raised over the timing, because pop group U2 are holding a concert at Hampden Park on the same evening.

Supporters have been advised to arrive early at Celtic Park, with the gates set to open at 6.15pm.

"Strathclyde Police acknowledge that this will be a very busy time for the city, but as with any major event, public safety will be paramount," a police statement read.

"Contingencies will be in place across the whole of Strathclyde to ensure the safety of supporters and members of the public, not only for the match, but also for the U2 concert at Hampden Park.

"High-visibility policing and additional patrols in and around the city centre, together with a robust road policing plan will ensure that these events pass off safely."

Capello leaves out Owen

Manchester United striker Michael Owen has missed out on an England recall by Three Lions boss Fabio Capello.

Although Owen has not featured for his country since the friendly defeat in France nearly 18 months ago, it was thought his surprise summer switch to Manchester United might prompt a return to international duty.

However, after watching England's fourth highest goalscorer in action at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, when Owen drew a blank in United's 2-0 win over Valencia, Capello has left him out of his squad to face Holland in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

Instead, Owen's Red Devils team-mate Wayne Rooney is joined by Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Carlton Cole to form a four-man English strikeforce.

That means there is also no place for Peter Crouch, even though the Tottenham new boy was part of the England side that overwhelmed Andorra on their last outing at Wembley.

The other surprise absentee is David James.

James has been regarded as Capello's first-choice goalkeeper and was expected to return after missing the World Cup wins against Kazakhstan and Andorra after undergoing shoulder surgery.

However, even though James was part of the Portsmouth side that tackled Rangers this afternoon, he is missing from Capello's squad even though Ben Foster, who also sat out the June double-header because of a thumb operation, is in, along with Robert Green and Paul Robinson.

David Beckham will make the flight back from Los Angeles in order to take part, while James Milner gets a place in the senior ranks, although he seems unlikely to start in the Amsterdam Arena.

England Squad:

Foster (Manchester United), Green (West Ham), Robinson (Blackburn); Bridge (Manchester City), A Cole (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Liverpool), Lescott (Everton), Terry (Chelsea), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Manchester City), Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Carrick (Manchester United), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Milner (Aston Villa), Walcott (Arsenal), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Young (Aston Villa); Cole (West Ham), Heskey (Aston Villa), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Tottenham).