By Harry Pratt IAN WRIGHT starts his first Arsenal game in almost four months tonight when the new Premiership Champions take on Liverpool looking for a record-equalling 11th straight League victory. Liverpool and Tottenham are the present holders of that top flight statistic achievement, although the latter actually chalked up 13 wins on the spin if you add their final two games of the previous season. But an Arsenal win at Anfield and then again at Aston Villa next Sunday, will see Arsene Wenger's men become the first to win 12 in a row in the same season. Not that such feats appeared the uppermost priority on manager Wenger's mind yesterday as he revealed there will be a major re-shuffle of the his Highbury heroes in this evening's live SKY clash. In addition to Wright's inclusion, Steve Bould and and Gilles Grimandi also play, coming in for Tony Adams and Martin Keown, who are both being rested. Goalkeeper David Seaman and Dutch winger Marc Overmars will also sit out the game, with Austrian Alex Manninger taking over in goal and Christopher Wreh likely to be used on the left flank. However, it is the return of Wright and the form he produces which will be the most significant feature in a game virtually meaningless following Arsenal's dethroning of champions Manchester United, confirmed three days ago courtesy of the 4-0 thumping of Premiership strugglers Everton. With national coach Glenn Hoddle ready and waiting to see if the England striker will be ok for this summer's World Cup campaign, Wenger wants the 34-year-old star, who had 18 minutes as a substitute at the weekend, to have a decent crack at going to France 98. A succession of hamstring, knee and groin problems had meant the club's record goalscorer sitting on the sidelines since mid-January. Now Wenger is looking for Wright to have a major impact on the team's Double chase and earn himself a couple more seasons in north London in the process. A target of the proposed new Terry Venbales regime at Crystal Palace, Wright could also interest Bnefica boss Graeme Souness, who tried to sign him in December. Wenger, though, intends to keep him at Highbury. The Frenchman said: I still think Ian has a lot to offer us. He says he wants to stay at Arsenal for two more years and be a reserve if necessary. But I think, if anything, he is being a little too humble at present. He knows at his age he will not play all the games next season, but I think he can still be ready to fight for a place and I am happy to have his commitment. The only players missing from the Arsenal side because of injury are Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp and French midfielder Emmanuel Petit, the victim of Don Hutchison's X-rated studs-up lunge at the weekend. And Wenger is not optimistic about Durch star Bergkamp's chances of recovering from a pulled hamstring in time to appear in the FA Cup final against Newcastle a week on Saturday. That could well mean the line-up on Sundayat Villa Park is the one we will see at Wembley. Wenger is aware that with Villa still trying to grab a UEFA Cup spot it would be amiss of him either to hurt or help teams by not picking his strongest set of players. He added: The players will need to be competitive again before the FA Cup final even though some now need a rest with minor injuries. But we must also respect the Premiership situation with regard to the other teams battling to qualify for Europe.

LIVERPOOL MAN THOMAS HAILS GUNNERS HEROES   Liverpool midfielder Michael Thomas is the man who wrote himself into Arsenal folklore with the last-gasp goal ironically against Liverpool - which secured the Gunners' last title seven years ago. But he's still absolutely delighted about his former club's Premiership success and believes the team won the title playing the right kind of football: It was about time Arsenal won the championship again because they are such a big club, said Thomas. I'm really pleased for them and I'm glad for the supporters that this time the title was clinched at Highbury. Arsene Wenger has done a fantastic job and - no disrespect to George Graham - but they have won the League with style. The older players have been outstanding. They've always had it in them, but it seems that under Mr Wenger it has been released. Thomas is glad that the title race was all over before Arsenal's visit to Anfield, as his allegiances lie firmly with his current club. I'm pleased they've already won it because it won't matter if we turn them over, he said. Now they don't have to come to Anfield having to get a result to clinch the title again. But Thomas rather surprisingly insists that Liverpool is still a bigger club than Arsenal: At Liverpool the expectations are greater than at Arsenal. Everyone expects not only domestic success each season but also European success, so you are on a bigger stage. Thomas will be available on a free transfer in the summer and is hoping to resurrect his career. I'm not in the manager's plans and that is disappointing, but it is Roy Evans' job to do the best he can for the club and there are no hard feelings, he said. At the age of 30 I don't want to be just a squad player any more, I want to play, so hopefully I can find another club.

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