Premiership Diary's Changes

The Premiership has been good to Arsenal giving them titles and, until the emergence of Chelsea, the undisputed position as the capital city's leading club.

Meanwhile the potential at Tottenham Hotspur remained untapped, the club unable to compete at home and unable to qualify for Europe. The great days at White Hart Lane were a distant memory as mid-table security was served up to a support shuddering under the heel of their nearest neighbours' trophy haul.

The rivalry goes back through the long history of the clubs with Spurs boasting the original double winning side in the good old glory days before Arsenals now long established hegemony.

The Sol Campbell transfer spiced the mix nicely but the clubs also boast different stylistic traditions with the defensive "1-0 to the Arsenal" contrasting with Tottenhams history of open and attacking play.

This year Davids is missing suspended from the Spurs midfield and Viera no longer plays for the Gunners so the struggle for dominance will be fought for by a new generation. Perhaps Jenas will step up to the mark for Spurs.

Chelsea got beaten by Charlton in the Carling Cup at a full Stamford Bridge with supporters enjoying a full blooded competitive match featuring all the international stars in both squads for half price.

Mourinhos men have now to face Mark Hughes's physical Blackburn Rovers having only just survived Evertons aerial onslaught last week.

Manchester United go to Middlesborough where McClaren is accruing more quality players but where results don't always follow. West Ham go to Anfield and the muscular Marlon Harewood will prove a handful but its where the Reds must expect to win.

Its been the warmest October in memory and Londons open spaces are jammed full with amateur footballers enjoying the game. In Regents Park the usual global mix of teams from every community is now supplemented by the woman footballers who play the beautiful game.

A ball was struck from the edge of the area and dipped just under the bar to beat a flailing keeper and it took just moment to remember that the striker was a young woman and that things are changing. At White Hart Lane the new generation will battle with old rivals, the ghosts of Greaves and Gilzean will dance with Defoe and Mido and Campbell will have played for both teams as did the big handed Jennings.

Its different and the same, football now and then, half remembered, half real and some part dreams.