Arsene Wenger has stepped in to defend Dennis Bergkamp after his forward was charged with violent conduct by the English Football Association yesterday.
Bergkamp, who has received three red cards in his Arsenal career, can expect a three-match suspension and fine should he be found guilty of stamping on Blackburn's Swedish defender Nils-Eric Johansson during Arsenal's 2-1 defeat at Highbury last month.
"I believe Dennis didn't want to harm or injure the player and that it was a frustrated reaction," said the Arsenal manager. "We will defend him. If you look at the number of players Dennis has injured in his career you'll find it is zero, but he has had a few kicks. The record of Dennis will speak for us and that will help us get him off."
Bergkamp, who denies the charge, follows his captain Patrick Vieira, who was found guilty of misconduct last month. The striker Thierry Henry has also been investigated over a challenge on Charlton's John Robinson, although no action was taken.
Wenger is proud of the fact that Vieira's red card against Chelsea in September was the first since Oleg Luzhny was dismissed against Blackburn as long ago as January.
"We're held to high standards but I don't want to compare us to others," he added. "I don't try to get into that because you get paranoid and then you think the whole world's against you. We always try to take the positives out of everything."
Arsenal welcome back Vieira for today's visit of Newcastle, who won there last December, the last domestic side to beat them in their run to the title last season. Henry was suspended following a tirade at the referee after that 3-1 defeat, when Newcastle's manager Bobby Robson said Arsenal had not learned how to "lose with dignity".
Arsenal are likely to be without Sol Campbell, who has a back problem, meaning Igor Stepanovs making a first Premiership start alongside Pascal Cygan. Martin Keown, Lauren and Ray Parlour are also missing, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst is unlikely to be involved after one first-team game since cruciate surgery.
Manchester United have begun legal proceedings against Lazio in a bid to recover £12 million they are still owed after selling Jaap Stam to the Roman club. The move follows reports that Gruppo Cirio, an Italian food group which owns 35 per cent of Lazio, is on the brink of collapse.
UEFA's executive committee rejected a request from the Liechtenstein FA yesterday to use temporary stands for their European qualifier against England next March. Liechtenstein normally attract crowds of around 2,000 for home internationals, but the England clash is already a 3,548 sell-out at FC Vaduz's Rhinepark Stadium.
The English FA yesterday denied rumours of a showdown meeting between Sven-Goran Eriksson and FA chairman Geoff Thompson, but bookmakers have shortened their odds on the England coach leaving his post. England has been chosen to host the UEFA European Women's Championship in 2005.
