Neither, surely, could have happened if Graham were still at Highbury.
Liverpool’s failure to qualify for Europe, a source of great anguish at the time, may actually be working in their favour. At St James’ Park tomorrow they will seek to exploit any leg-weariness on Newcastle’s part following their rearguard action in Rome.
Intriguingly, the Premiership statistical service reveals that Spurs have made more tackles than any other team, while Arsenal have had the most shots. Spurs’ response to their shattering last-gasp exit from the Uefa Cup in Germany – wins over Arsenal and Southampton – demonstrated their growing resilience under George Graham. However, they will miss Emmanuel Petit, who aggravated a knee injury against his countrymen.
Tottenham and Liverpool have moved in stealthily behind the leading pack. Leeds were back among Russia’s frozen waste this week and, although they did not play, tiredness could again be a factor.

The match marks the start of a gruelling sequence of seven games in four competitions in just 21 days which should determine whether or not David O’Leary’s “babies” burn out as Villa did last season.
Third-placed Arsenal, who won at Derby in the Worthington Cup with a makeshift side, should have enough in the tank after Thursday’s defeat of Nantes to step up their challenge. Their only defeat since August, at Wimbledon three weeks ago, came on the back of an arduous haul from Moscow. Paul Jewell’s side may not be the soft touch Barnsley were, though neither is one of the division’s older and slower line-ups likely to live with the section’s best passing side.
Leeds, who would displace the Tokyo-bound Manchester United as leaders by beating Southampton tomorrow, have also discovered that Europe is a double-edged sword. Defeats at Derby and Watford, not to mention surrendering a two-goal lead at home to Arsenal, highlighted the problem, although their best result, the 5-0 mauling of Manchester United, also came after a European diversion.
A visit from Bradford would seem to offer Chelsea the ideal opportunity for their first League win in the two months since then.

Ellis was reputedly aggrieved that the Champions’ League place which appeared Villa’s for the taking last winter did not materialise. Yet participation in Europe’s most lucrative tournament can be a mixed blessing, with only Manchester United having evidently mastered the art of maintaining performance levels when returning to domestic action.
Chelsea have looked conspicuously laboured in most of their Premiership matches following Champions’ League games, prompting complaints that Gianluca Vialli has his priorities wrong. But, in the words of one such cliché, Gregory needs his team to do his talking for him today.
The touchline ban he received yesterday must have embarrassed Ellis, who moves in the highest Football Association circles, but Gregory is thought to be safe at least until Wednesday, when Villa receive Southampton in the Worthington Cup. His thinly veiled criticism of Ugo Ehiogu’s desire for the fray showed that his refreshing refusal to hide behind platitudes perseveres. For a while he got it, but since the start of the year Villa have lost 17 and won just nine of their 33 Premiership games.
That is relegation form, and the man they call “Deadly” is not renowned for his tolerance.