Sport

English FA Premiership: The Big Kick-off

Arsenal

Sat Aug 15 1998 - 01:00

Arsenal

Manager: Arsene Wenger. (Appointed: Sept '96) Ground: Highbury. Capacity: 38,500.

Last season: Premiership: 1st; FA Cup: winners; Coca-Cola Cup: semi-finalists; UEFA Cup: 1st round.

Players in: Nelson Vivas (Lugano) £2 million; David Grondin (St Etienne) £500,000.

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Players out: Ian Wright (West Ham) £750,000; David Platt (retired); Matthew Wicks (Crewe) free initially, rising to £100,000; Scott Marshall (Southampton) free; Chris Kiwomya (released).

Title odds: 5-2 (second favourites).

Aston Villa

Manager: John Gregory (Feb '98). Ground: Villa Park. Capacity: 39,339.

Last season: Premiership: 7th; FA Cup: 5th round; Coca-Cola Cup: 3rd round; UEFA Cup: quarter-finalists.

Players in: Alan Thompson (Bolton) £4.5 million; David Unsworth (West Ham) £3 million; Fabio Ferraresi (Cesena) free.

Players out: Savo Milosevic (Real Zaragoza) £3.5 million; Steve Staunton (Liverpool) free; Fernando Nelson (Porto) £1.1 million.

Title odds: 40-1.

Blackburn Rovers

Manager: Roy Hodgson (June '97).

Ground: Ewood Park. Capacity: 31,367.

Last season: Premiership: 6th; FA Cup: 5th round; Coca-Cola Cup: 3rd round.

Players in: Kevin Davies (Southampton) £7.25 million; Sebastien Perez (Bastia) £3 million; James Corbett (Gillingham) £1 million; Darren Peacock (Newcastle) free.

Players out: Colin Hendry (Rangers) £4 million; Stuart Ripley (Southampton) £1.5 million; James Beattie (Southampton) £1 million; Per Pedersen (Strasbourg) £900,000; Patrick Valery (Bastia) £80,000.

Title odds: 20-1.

Charlton Athletic

Manager: Alan Curbishley. (1991)

Ground: The Valley. Capacity 20,000 (by September).

Last season: Division One: 4th (promoted via playoffs); FA Cup: 4th round; Coca-Cola Cup: 1st round:

Players in: Neil Redfearn (Barnsley) £1 million; Chris Powell (Derby) £825,000; Andy Hunt (West Brom) free; Simon Royce (Southend) free; Emeka Ifejiagwa (Lagos) undisclosed.

Players out: Phil Chapple (Peterborough) free.

Title odds: 250-1.

Chelsea

Manager: Gianluca Vialli (Feb '98). Ground: Stamford Bridge. Capacity: 34,500.

Last season: Premiership: 4th; FA Cup: 3rd round; Coca-Cola Cup: winners; European Cup Winners' Cup: winners.

Players in: Pierluigi Casiraghi (Lazio) £5.4 million; Marcel Desailly (AC Milan) £4.6 million; Albert Ferrer (Barcelona) £2.2 million; Brian Laudrup (Rangers) free; Mikael Forsell (HJK Helsinki) free.

Players out: Danny Granville (Leeds) £1.6 million; Mark Hughes (Southampton) £650,000; Mark Stein (Bournemouth) free.

Title odds: 4-1.

Coventry City

Manager: Gordon Strachan (Nov '96). Ground: Highfield Road. Capacity: 23,662.

Last season: Premiership: 11th; FA Cup: quarterfinalists; Coca-Cola Cup: 4th round.

Players in: Paul Hall (Portsmouth) £300,000; JeanGuy Wallemme (Lens) £700,000; Philippe Clement (KRC Genk) undisclosed; Ian Brightwell (Manchester City) free.

Players out: Viorel Moldovan (Fenerbahce) £4 million; John Salako (Fulham) free.

Title odds: 100-1.

Derby County

Manager: Jim Smith (June '95). Ground: Pride Park. Capacity: 30,500.

Last season: Premiership: 9th; FA Cup: 4th round; Coca-Cola Cup: 4th round.

Players in: Horacio Carbonari (Club Atletico Rosario Central) £2.7 million; Stefan Schnoor (Hamburg) free.

Players out: Chris Powell (Charlton) £825,000; Robin van der Laan (Barnsley) undisclosed; Dean Yates (Watford) free.

Title odds: 100-1.

Everton

Manager: Walter Smith (July '98).

Ground: Goodison Park. Capacity: 40,200.

Last season: Premiership: 17th; FA Cup: 3rd round; Coca-Cola Cup: 3rd round.

Players in: Olivier Dacourt (Strasbourg) £4 million; John Collins (Monaco) £2.5 million; Marco Materazzi (Perugia) £2.5 million; John Spencer (QPR) £1.5 million; Alex Cleland (Rangers) free.

Players out: None.

Title odds: 100-1.

Leeds United

Manager: George Graham (Sept '96). Ground: Elland Road. Capacity: 40,000.

Last season: Premiership: 5th; FA Cup: quarterfinalists; Coca-Cola Cup: 4th round.

Players in: Danny Granville (Chelsea) £1.6 million; Clyde Wijnhard (Willem II) £1.5 million.

Players out: Rod Wallace (Rangers) free.

Title odds: 25-1.

Leicester City

Manager: Martin O'Neill (Dec '95).

Ground: Filbert Street. Capacity: 22,517.

Last season: Premiership: 10th; FA Cup: 4th round; Coca-Cola Cup: 3rd round: UEFA Cup: 1st round.

Players in: Gerry Taggart (Bolton) free.

Players out: None.

Title odds: 100-1.