Reds on the comeback trail

The theme of the next seven days is one of taking stock.

On the football pitch the competitors in this weekend's featured Premiership matches have enjoyed mixed fortunes of late.

When Liverpool make their first ever trip to Arsenal's

new state-of-the-art Emirates Stadium on Sunday, they travel knowing they have a place in the next stage of the Champions League. The same cannot be said of the Gunners who squandered umpteen chances against main group rivals CSKA Moscow in the last round of matches.

The Gunners may be sitting pretty above Liverpool in the Premiership, but the Reds' improved form means that Arsenal dismiss the threat posed by Liverpool at their peril. It should also be re-membered that the Gunners went down to lowly West Ham at the weekend.

Liverpool's bid to scale the table can start in earnest. The match is on SS1 from 3.30pm.

Manchester United are in the same boat as Arsenal. Despite strong league form, a shock defeat in Europe means they are yet to secure progression.

The Red Devils travel to play a Blackburn Rovers side geeed up by a win in the UEFA Cup.

Rovers will hope Man U fans show up in numbers, bringing a boost to the club's coffers. For those who can't make it, the match is on Saturday on PPlus from 5.00pm.

After two sorry displays, England play Holland on Wednesday. The friendly against the Dutch will be a good workout for the side. Kick-off is at 7.00pm on BBC1.

Wales face Euro 2008 qualifying group opponents Liechtenstein, looking for a cricket score. Tune in to SS1 for Tuesday's 7.45pm kick-off.

On Saturday in rugby union, Wales and England face strong international opposition that they are expected to beat.

Wales' game against the Pacific Islanders is on BBC1, while England take on Argentina on SS2. Both matches kick off at 2.30pm.