Meet Arsenal’s fear and future star

The team everyone wants to hunt down as the Premier League drags to a predictable close at the very top, is, surprisingly (or maybe not) Arsenal. Get to Arsenal and you will have Champions League action next year is the cry emanating from the new heavy-hitters of the league – Newcastle United. Slumping Tottenham and stuttering Chelsea don’t seem to matter anymore as the Toon army prepares for a final surge to shoot down the Gunners. The face of the enemy for Arsenal is Papiss Cisse, Newcastle’s gem of a find this season. Cisse himself wants to do an Alan Shearer for the Tyneside. But Arsenal have one eye on the future and media reports today further strengthened the rumours that Clint Dempsey is their man. According to the Daily Mail, manager Arsene Wenger has told chief scout Steve Rowley to draw up a list of targets and Dempsey is high on it. Ironically, it is Newcastle who are also said to be interested in signing the star. For now though, the Magpies are enjoying Senegal ace Cisse amazing start of 10 goals from his first nine games. Cisse, who joined Newcastle in January from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg said: “I know the No 9 shirt is a huge thing in Newcastle — a monumental honour for me. “Alan Shearer has set the bar very high and I must try to follow the path that he’s set. I need to be aware of the past and what the shirt means. “I’m doing all I can to be worthy. Alan Shearer is the example I have to try and follow. “The only way I can do that is by scoring goals and playing well and so far it’s gone better than I imagined.”