football: Blackburn set to present Forest with a striking problem

football: Arsenal attempt to revitalise their front line while attackin g partnerships promise to be key to Premiership campaign Phil Shaw looks ahead to a weekend when scoring reputations are on the line

From the grieving Magpies of the North-east to the eager Eagles of south London, from the Premiership summit to the relegation scrap, the familiar refrain of "Give us a goal" will have renewed resonance this weekend.

If anything can be guaranteed in football, it is that spectators at Blackburn will see their share. The rival striking duos in today's match with Nottingham Forest have a combined value, judging by the sums paid for Andy Cole and John Hartson, well in excess of £20m.

The difference, illustratedwhen Blackburn curtailed Forest's unbeaten start in late October is that Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton are a genuine partnership. By contrast, Stan Collymore and Bryan Roy tend to gloss over a lack of empathy with bursts of individual brilliance.

Moreover, Blackburn have the better centre-backs in Colin Hendry and Paul Warhurst, who contained Cole comfortably in Sunday's FA Cup stalemate at Newcastle. Should the leaders complete a double over Forest, they can sit back and enjoy Manchester United's visit to St James' Park knowing they could be six points clear of the champions with a game in hand.

The £7m man, who failed to score once in his last 10 games for Newcastle, may be best advised to watch the drama unfold on television. Now that it is dawning on the Geordie legions that Cole, like coal, is a thing of the past, a reversion from the heretical haranguing of Kevin Keegan to God-on-the-Tyne status seems certain.

For all Keegan's claims that they are already also-rans in the title race, Newcastle are entering a four-day period which will make or break their season. They would close to within six points of United by beating them, which would put a different complexion on Wednesday's replay at Ewood Park.

Like their Blackburn counterparts, whom many deemed to be too similar, Liverpool's Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler are forcing a reappraisal of the way double acts are evaluated. Fowler plays as if cloned from Rush, yet has as many Premiership goals as Shearer (20), and more than twice Cole's tally; proof that he is a top-class finisher in his own right.

Ipswich, second from bottom, might be tempted to revert to the massed defence for which they were vilified at Anfield last spring to prevent the troublesome twosome helping Liverpool to move a point behind United.

The fate of Ipswich will be of great import to Crystal Palace and Leicester, 18th and bottom respectively, who tangle at Selhurst Park. Palace's nine-game run without a League goal dates back to 5 November, though they have amassed 13 in three cup matches. Leicester could be 11 points from safety if they lose, so this fixture ought to generate the sudden-death intensity Palace need.

At Leeds, as at Newcastle, the sideshow, in the shape of striker-in-waiting Anthony Yeboah, threatens to overshadow the main attraction. Elation has given way to embarrassment over the Ghanaian's work-permit problems, and Howard Wilkinson's reputation would dip dangerously if Leeds endured a fourth home match without a win.

Brian Horton's position might also come under scrutiny if Manchester City followed collapse at Palace with anything other than a convincing win over lowly Coventry.

Amid fresh rumblings of a breakaway of clubs to a second stratum of the Premier League, two venues will today emulate Birmingham in posting attendances to underline the folly of basing decisions on a snapshot rather than the broader picture. Carlisle expect a five-figure turn-out against Preston, the nearest the runaway Third Division leaders have to a derby, while Wolves anticipate another full house to see Stoke.

As recently as 1987, both occupied a place in the League structure below Gillingham, whose fixture at Northampton goes ahead despite their descent into receivership.