Robson lauds Ferguson record

Bryan Robson has heaped praise on Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, declaring that the 70-year-old's record will never be matched.

The Scot has overseen an unprecedented spell of success in the last 20 years at Old Trafford, despite the Premier League title looking like it might be heading to Manchester City this season.

The former West Brom boss and key member of Ferguson's early United sides does not believe that there will ever be another coach like him though, branding his record as a coach as 'unbelievable'.

"No, I don't think (his record) will ever be matched again just because of the way football is going," Robson told Yahoo! Sport.

"Plus it's just an unbelievable record that he has set now.

"The question that you get asked everywhere, especially when you're working with global companies, is: 'What are his qualities on the leadership and the management skills?'

"Quite rightly people are going to ask that because of the success that he has had. You get asked that all the time. Obviously Manchester United is really popular because of Sir Alex as well."

Ferguson has been manager at Old Trafford since 1986 but Robson insists that the coach still commands the respect of every player in the Red Devils' squad.

"I think he's still got that aura," he said. "You can see it in the younger players as soon as the boss is about; they are attentive to what he's doing, what he is overseeing, what he is looking at.

"So he still gets a big response, not just from the young players but from the senior players as well because of his achievements and his desire to win he still has a lot of respect from everybody at the club."

With Euro 2012 less than a month away, Robson believes that Paul Scholes is the best central midfielder that England have at their disposal should the United man come out of international retirement.

"He's probably the most talented in terms of vision and passing the ball," he said. "Scholes has got great vision.

"I don't know what Paul Scholes has got in his mind. He retired years ago.

"I don't think it's something which Scholes would probably take onboard after so many years out, but there is only Paul who can answer that question."

Danny Welbeck is another Three Lions contender from Old Trafford and Robson argues that the young forward would be a good pick.

"Well, I don't think Danny would let anybody down," he said.

"He's a real hard worker (and) he's worked very hard over the last couple of years to develop his talent.

"He's just started to score goals now and that will give him great confidence.

"The way Danny is playing for Manchester United at the moment, he wouldn't let England down if Roy Hodgson does put him in the squad and ask Danny to fill in for Wayne at this moment in time."

Carroll delighted after avenging Cup loss

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll was thrilled with his performance in the Reds' 4-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday.

After a fine cameo in Saturday's FA Cup final loss to the Blues, the forward was on form again in the comprehensive victory at Anfield, despite not finding the back of the net.

"I've been through a lot, I think, and coming out at the end of it with a few good performances has been great for me," Carroll told Sky Sports.

"I thought I was a little bit unlucky (not to score) but we're happy with the win. We had four different goalscorers so we're delighted with that.

"It's important that we go out to win all the time. In the last game (at Anfield this season) it means a lot to us and the fans, to leave this season and start the next (well)."

The result keeps Liverpool in with a chance of seizing seventh place but Carroll said they are capable of better next term.

"I think we've played quite well throughout the season and just haven’t got the results," he said.

"But we need to put that right and just keep playing the way that we know we can, because we've got some brilliant players."

Midfielder Jordan Henderson scored the game's second goal, his first since August, and was delighted to break his drought.

"It's been a while," Henderson said.

"I like to score as many as I can but I need to do it on a more regular basis, so I'll just keep working and hopefully I can do that."

Asked if the victory represented one of the best days of the season at Anfield, he replied: "It was probably one of them. We played well for 90 minutes so we're over the moon with the performance and result.

"Maybe there was a little bit of revenge but we were just concentrating on the game.

"I've learned a lot since I've been here so hopefully it'll give us confidence going into the next season."

Drogba tug-of-war continues

The struggle to secure Didier Drogba for next season has intensified as Chelsea and Chinese outfit Shanghai Shenhua fight for his services.

Chinese media have reported that Drogba's three agents will meet with Shanghai owner Zhu Jun on Tuesday.

However Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has started his own campaign for Drogba, urging his club to come to terms with the Ivorian.

"I'm desperate for him to stay. He is a magnificent player. He's a machine," Lampard said.

"Everyone has to move on at some stage and you have to find a different player or a different way of playing, but for what he has done at this club, he deserves everything."

A one-year contract extension was offered to Drogba in December, yet was rejected after he wanted two years.

Reports have claimed Chinese Super League club Shanghai have offered Drogba almost 250,000 euros-per-season on a two-year contract.

Drogba's agent Thierno Seidy had told L'Equipe in late April that Drogba had 'a lot of offers from everywhere'.

Shanghai assistant player-manager, and former Chelsea teammate Nicholas Anelka said in March he was confident of Drogba joining him as a strike partner.

"Yes, I am frequently in contact with him. If all things go smoothly, he should be joining us," he said.

However Anelka's confidence has waned, and is now unsure as to where the striker, who scored in Chelsea's FA Cup triumph on Saturday, will end up next season.

"Even if Drogba finally chooses to stay with Chelsea, that can only prove Drogba himself wanted to stay and Chelsea also wanted to keep him," he said.

"If Drogba cannot come to Shanghai, then there are no regrets because the world still has many other fine players."

Guardiola bows out in style

Departing Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has applauded the support fans have given him in his four-year stay at the club.

Guardiola presided over his last match at the Camp Nou on Saturday night as his side sent him out in style, Lionel Messi leading the charge by scoring all the goals in a 4-0 rout of local rivals Espanyol.

It may have been too late for Barcelona to take the La Liga title from Real Madrid's grasp but that was the furthest thing from Guardiola's mind as he applauded Barcelona's fans after the match.

"Life has given me this gift. During the past four years I have been close to you (the fans) and these players. I'm privileged," Guardiola said.

"I hope you, the fans, have enjoyed some good times with the team. We have felt you close to us.

"You do not know how lucky I am. I will miss you a lot, but I am confident that you will be in good hands," he added, referring to his successor Tito Vilanova.

"I must take off my seatbelt now but you all must remain seated and you'll have a great time."

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has revealed Guardiola can return to Barcelona any time he chooses after seeing the affection fans had for the outgoing 41-year-old.

"No one left before the end of the game," Rosell said after the match.

"Camp Nou has said tonight loud and clear: 'We love you, Pep'.

"Pep can return when he wants."

Part of the reason none of the Barca fans left could be attributed to Messi.

Messi has now scored the most goals in a single European league season, breaking Dudu Georgescu's record of 47 goals for Dinamo Bucharest in the 1976-77 campaign when he put Barcelona 2-0 up.

Messi has 50 league goals for the season, having followed up his pair of strikes with a further two more on the night and also securing his eighth hat-trick of the campaign.

The record is just one of several in what has been a memorable season for the Argentine, beginning with his five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League to earn him the distinction of being the competition's first player to score five in one match.

Messi also became Barca's all-time top goalscorer and the highest scorer in one Spanish season, while in the past week, his treble against Malaga meant he broke Gerd Muller's long-standing 67-goal haul in one campaign.

Wenger rules out Diaby for Euro 2012

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out Abou Diaby for Euro 2012 due to injury.

The injury-plagued France international has missed the majority of the campaign due to ankle and hamstring problems yet appeared to be fit heading into the summer.

However, the former Auxerre man picked up a calf strain in Arsenal's 1-1 draw against Stoke City last weekend and looks unlikely to feature again this season.

"Abou Diaby is not in the squad (to face Norwich on Saturday) and I think he's unavailable for the Euros," Wenger told RMC Sport.

"It would be unrealistic to think he can go to the European Championship. He has had no continuity this season. It's unrealistic to imagine that he can play in six weeks at the Euros."

Diaby has only made four appearances this season for the Gunners in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Wenger said Arsenal's popularity in African countries 'frightens' him and admitted the scheduled pre-season tour to Nigeria is not for sporting reasons.

The Gunners have regularly travelled to the Far East in recent tours but will also visit Africa for the first time ahead of next season.

Wenger said that the Gunners have forfeited some of their pre-season training plans at their London base in order to fulfil their commercial responsibilities.

"We have had to compromise on the sporting side, because we had a rational, methodical approach to our pre-season," the Frenchman told reporters.

"We have sacrificed some of that to go on tour.

"But we are in a race with the other clubs as well. I realised when I was at the World Cup in South Africa how popular a club like Arsenal is in Africa, especially in Nigeria. It is unbelievable.

"I was even frightened at some stage by how popular Arsenal is. In Kenya as well, it is absolutely unbelievable."

The Gunners coach also confessed that in a summer with a major international tournament - in this case, Euro 2012 - an extended tour creates further problems.

"A tour has advantages and disadvantages, let's be honest," he said.

"The advantage, of course, is to get in touch with your fan base in Asia - when you travel out there you realise how big the Premier League is and how big your club is over there.

"We are looking forward to doing it again, but unfortunately in the European Championship years or the World Cup years, on the purely sports side you suffer a bit more because your players have just come back and have to travel again, so the preparation time will be short for them.

"But on purely fan-base it is very exciting."

Ferguson: Hodgson right for England

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Roy Hodgson has the experience needed to lead England to success.

Hodgson was named the new England manager on Tuesday, arousing mixed reaction after Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was favoured for the role.

West Brom boss Hodgson has a plethora of international experience, managing clubs in eight different countries and leading the national teams of Switzerland, Finland and the United Arab Emirates during a career that has spanned nearly four decades.

Ferguson says Hodgson is at the right age to assume such a high-pressure role and has offered his backing to the 64-year-old.

"Roy has fantastic experience. He is a good man and has the right profile for the job in every respect," Ferguson said.

"You can't beat experience. I have always said that for that England job you need to be in your 60s.

"You need to go into it with all the experience behind you in the sense of do you really need club football when, at that age, you could be managing your national team.

"I always said Jock Stein was the perfect age for managing Scotland. He had all that experience of managing Celtic and Roy has that experience behind him. I hope he does well.

"The surprise for me was that for the first time I can remember, the FA didn't bend to the press."

Guardiola dismisses Mourinho influence

Pep Guardiola says his relationship with Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho did not play a role in his decision to leave Barcelona.

Guardiola, 42, announced on Friday he will not renew his contract with Barca after being 'exhausted' by his whirlwind four years in the job.

The last two seasons of Guardiola's tenure have been punctuated by spiteful exchanges with Mourinho, who is on the verge of leading Real to La Liga glory.

"Did Mourinho influence my decision to leave? Not at all. I had other opponents as well, but other coaches don't make you tired. Day-to-day work and winning does," Guardiola told a press conference.

However, the former Spain international midfielder refused to rule out a return to Camp Nou in the future.

"Will I again be Barca coach in the future?" he said.

"I can't answer that now. I really don't know."

Guardiola also championed the cause of Barca star Lionel Messi to retain the FIFA Ballon d'Or after Mourinho made a case for Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo to win the prestigious award.

"Mourinho says Cristiano Ronaldo should win the Ballon d'Or this year rather than Messi? There will be a day that Messi won't win it, but he's been brilliant this season," Guardiola said.

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Nesta bemused by penalty decision

AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta was left bewildered by the penalty given against him during their Champions League loss to Barcelona.

Referee Bjorn Kuipers pointed to the spot after the former Italy international had tangled with Barcelona duo Carles Puyol and Sergio Busquets in the area as they awaited the delivery for a corner shortly before half-time of the quarter-final second-leg clash.

Milan were incensed by the decision, given the ball had not been in play at the time, and Nesta has admitted that he has no idea why he was penalised.

"I pulled Puyol out of the way but only after he blocked me," the World Cup winner said. "Not a single one of the players protested."

Team-mate Clarence Seedorf also agreed the penalty was unwarranted.

"The referee blew and the penalties were given," he said. "It's true that I didn't see what happened but, speaking to the referee, for me he made a mistake (on the second penalty).

"If he saw that a foul was being committed (before the ball was in play), he should have stopped the game, which is what always happens.

"That was a key moment in the game, but we didn't lose because of that."

Despite the controversy caused by the penalty, which Lionel Messi converted to set Barca on their way to a 3-1 victory, Nesta conceded that the better side had progressed to the semi-finals.

"Barcelona are strong," he said. "If you leave them space, they start to play like they know how.

"There's a big difference between us but I think that Milan have the economic power and the technical talent to get closer and one day or another this (Barca) team will start to fall.

"I think that in these two games we've shown that they can be beaten. But it's true that they have Messi, who's like having an extra player and good for them that they have him.

"We were unlucky and there's no shame in losing to the best in the world."

The former Lazio captain has won two Champions League titles during his decade-long Milan career.

Fergie backs shoot-on-sight policy

Sir Alex Ferguson described Antonio Valencia's late goal on Monday as typifying Manchester United's history.

The defending champions beat Blackburn Rovers with two goals in the last 10 minutes to go five points clear at the top of the table.

United dominated the match at Ewood Park but did not find the breakthrough until the 81st minute when Valencia drilled home a cross-cum-shot, before Ashley Young secured a 2-0 victory with a precise finish.

"Coming so late in the game, it is an important goal," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"It typifies the history of the club. If you don't try to shoot, you're never going to find out if you can score like that.

"There was amazing power on it. It could have been a cross, could have been a shot, but it doesn't matter. There was great power (on the attempt)."

Ferguson felt that for all of the possession his team had enjoyed, they had struggled to really test Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

"It was a long night," he said. "We just had to persevere and we got our rewards for it.

"We weren't really creating any clear-cut chances – Wayne (Rooney) had a good free-kick saved by the goalkeeper, and there was a lot of great crosses by Antonio that weren't finished off.

"We always had them under the cosh, but we had to be careful of their counter-attack. They were dangerous at that point."

The result win puts United in control as they look to defend their crown, giving them the opportunity to, at least briefly, go eight points clear when they play QPR on Sunday.

"We've scored more goals, which is a big step for us – the goal difference deficit has gone down to only one goal," Ferguson said.

"It could come to goal difference, who knows. It's significant that we've now scored more goals than Manchester City. We look as if we can score.

"We've still got seven games left and my experience of these situations is that it doesn't matter what the points total is at the moment – what is really important is trying to win Sunday's game."

Meanwhile, Blackburn boss Steve Kean is convinced his side are playing well enough to stay up, despite dropping into the relegation zone.

"If we play for the full duration as we did for 80 minutes against Manchester United I am sure the points we pick up will be more than enough," Kean said.

"There were lots of aspects of our performance that pleased us, even though the eventual result is disappointing."

"We are now looking for United to do us a favour against QPR and Wigan."

"We will get plenty of points in our remaining games if we play like that and stretch it out for the whole game," Kean said.

"I think from United's point of view they will have looked at that for 80 minutes and wondered where the goal was coming from because we were getting into good positions off the ball and we were playing it cleverly.

"I thought it could have gone either way but you have got to take your chances and their goals were two great strikes.

"(Manchester United keeper) David de Gea had a great evening for them, pulling out all sorts of saves, so there were lots of aspects of our performance that pleased us, even though the eventual result is disappointing."

Blackburn travel next to West Bromwich Albion before Liverpool visit Ewood Park.

Phoenix defender unfazed by Glory

Perth Glory may have the Shane Smeltz factor but Wellington Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund has not seen much else to have him worried ahead of Saturday's A-League minor semi-final.

Smeltz grabbed all the headlines following his hat-trick in Glory's 3-0 win over Melbourne Heart on Sunday night and will be the man the Phoenix have to stop if they are to keep their dreams of reaching a first grand final alive.

"Perth are definitely beatable after watching (Sunday) night," said the New Zealand centre-back. "Shane popped up and scored those goals but to be fair I thought that was pretty much all they had.

"I'd be pretty disappointed if I let three go past from Shane Smeltz. We've got to go there pretty confident."

But keeping Smeltz scoreless is no easy task. He has notched seven goals in his past two games and now has 16 for the season.

But Wellington have done managed to in their two most recent encounters with the Glory and Sigmund has his New Zealand team-mate, and friend, in his sights again.

"He should always be watching his back when Siggy is chasing him," joked Sigmund. "It's mark him tight and don't let him have a sniff. As soon as he gets a sniff he just seems to be in the right place at the right time.

"Like the commentators were saying the other night, you won't see him for 60 minutes and then he'll just pop up and score a couple of great goals.

"That's the challenge to make sure you've always got him on your shoulder and you've marked him tightly."

Sigmund has also developed the knack of being in the right place at the right time too this season.

He opened up his account against the Glory in December with a match-winning header and added a further two goals to his tally in matches against Sydney, the latter when he headed home a Leo Bertos corner for Wellington's second against the Sky Blues in last Friday night's 3-2 win.

"It's just making stronger runs into the box, trying to lose my man," he said. "At times I'm starting a bit deeper and just trying to hit the ball.

"Sometimes it's luck, just popping up at the right time. To be fair at the weekend we spoke about trying to isolate me around the back post.

"It was Tim Brown who called it so he should take the credit for that one. It was nice to pop up and score that one."

Wellington will head to Perth as underdogs given they have never managed to win a finals series match away from home. They lost to Sydney in 2010 and Adelaide United last year.

"Everyone's confidence is high. Sometimes it's nice to be the underdog," said Sigmund.

"I don't think it really matters. Finals football, nothing is going to change. Whoever takes their chances and scores their goals and turns up on the day is the team that's going to go to the next round."

Reja relishes clash with Napoli

Lazio coach Edy Reja believes that Saturday's Serie A clash with Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico is effectively a final for both sides.

Napoli hold Italy's third and final Champions League place, but Lazio are just three points ahead of their opponents, with whom they drew 0-0 earlier in the season.

As a result, Reja feels that it is impossible to overstate the importance of the encounter for the two teams.

"This is a final for both us and them," he told Lazio Style Radio.

"Our destiny will be largely decided on Saturday.

"However, we must also pay attention to Roma and Inter, who are both drawing closer."

Reja, a former Napoli coach, has fond memories of his time at the San Paolo.

"On the Partenopei bench, I reached Serie A for the first time, and then Europe," the well-travelled 66-year-old reminisced.

"But I have also taken great satisfaction out of the things that I have done here with Lazio."

Reja, who has twice offered to resign this season, spent four years in charge of Napoli between 2005 and 2009.

Goal ace Young thrilled with victory

Ashley Young was delighted with Manchester United's 2-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers which moved them five points clear at the top.

The game was tight for 80 minutes until Antonio Valencia opened the scoring, and five minutes later Young, coming off the bench, sealed the victory.

Young told Sky Sports: "I think it was a massive game for us. We knew if we won today we would go five points clear at the top. It's a great result and a great performance.

"It's a crucial time in the season, everyone knows that. It's a squad game. The manager made a few changes tonight but everybody's in the squad to do a job and we got that done tonight.

"I think patience was important. If you look at how many balls Antonio (Valencia) put in the box, we were always going to create chances and when that first goal goes in it's a great feeling."

The win pushes United five points clear of rivals Manchester City and Young spoke of his pleasure at scoring.

"It's a massive lead (at the top of the table) for us," he said.

"It was a massive game tonight and to get that goal, that we knew was going to come at some point - whether he says it was a shot or a cross! It went in the back of the net so we're just delighted with that.

"It (Young's goal) ranks up there. For us to come here and get three points – we knew it was going to be a tough game but the boys were resilient and we knew if we kept creating chances that we would score one.

"We're just taking each game as it comes. We've got another tough game coming up on Sunday (at home to QPR) and we'll just look forward to that one now. We're five points clear now, but we've just got to concentrate on each game as it comes."

Manchester United can increase their lead to eight points if they beat Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, with Manchester City playing Arsenal later that day.

Deschamps talks up chances

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps still believes his side can qualifying for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The French outfit trail Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich 2-0 from the first leg, but Deschamps insists his side will fight to the end as they look to progress .

"We have to be realistic. Obviously we still stand a chance," Deschamps said.

"Although after the first leg, Bayern Munich is clearly the big favourite. What's important for us, for my players, is to hit the pitch fully aware of the game's stake.

"They'll play the best match possible. They'll try and get the best score. After, everything depends on the scenario. We'll see if at some point during the game, our chances can increase.

"In any case, we'll hit the pitch aiming for a win. It may not be enough. However the team hasn't lost its qualities after the first leg.

"It's rather pleasant and exciting to play this kind of game even if the result of the first leg makes our task a difficult one."

Deschamps said home ground advantage will favour the German side.

"It's going to be crazy in the stadium. It'll be full," he said.

"And Bayern is a team that performs well at home. So our task is all the more harder.

"I think that because it's the second leg of the last eight, and for the image of Marseille on an international level, we must do our best.

"And again in front of us there's an opponent with great qualities but we'll fight till the end in order to avoid having regrets. After, we'll see what happens."

Yakubu targets hat-trick against Manchester United

The Nigerian international believes the title race is still undecided, and recalled the two goals he scored at Old Trafford to give the Lancashire side a 3-2 victory away at United

Blackburn striker Yakubu has warned Manchester United that he believes he could score a hat-trick when the two meet on Monday at Ewood Park.

The Nigerian international scored two goals as his side clinched a shock 3-2 victory against the defending champions at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve.

And the forward recalled the day fondly, telling The Sun: "Scoring against United is always special — they're one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"To score two that day at Old Trafford was a great feeling. You always want to be at your best when you play the biggest clubs.

"But I always think I can score, no matter which club I am playing against. Whenever I get the ball I believe I can score.

"After I get my first goal I always feel I can go on and get a second. That's what happened at Old Trafford. Maybe I can do it again — to go one better and get a hat-trick against United. That would be great for me."

The Red Devils recently overtook rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and would go five points clear with a win at Ewood Park.

However, Yakubu believes his side, who have climbed out of the relegation zone after winning three of their last six league games, will not make it easy for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

He continued: "The league will be a fight to the end. City won't just give away the title. United could drop points at any time. Already this season we have won some games people did not expect us to win."

The forward has already scored 14 league goals so far this campaign, but underlined his desire for more and thanked his manager for giving him the opportunity to do so.

He continued: "I want to score more than 20 goals in a season. To score more than 20 in the Premier League is always a great achievement.

"Steve Kean gave me the opportunity to come back to the Premier League. He allowed me to prove what I can do — and I have to thank him for that."

Xavi doubtful for AC Milan clash - report

The Catalans will possibly be without their playmaker in Tuesday's crunch encounter versus the Rossoneri as the Spain international is being plagued by muscular problems

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has received some worrying news from the treatment table ahead of the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against AC Milan as he will possibly have to make do without Xavi due to injury, El Mundo Deportivo reports.

The influential midfielder featured for only 15 minutes in Barcelona's 2-0 Liga win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and missed Sunday's training session due to a muscular problem.

It is not yet exactly known how serious the 32-year-old's injury is, but the Spain international could miss Tuesday's encounter at Camp Nou due to the knock.

Xavi is expected to undergo a number of tests during Monday's training session at 18.00CET to determine whether he will be able to feature versus Milan.

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw at San Siro last week, and will be looking to beat the Serie A champions on Tuesday in order to book their ticket for the semi-finals.

Not impossible to overcome Real Madrid in La Liga, says Pedro

The versatile attacker has admitted that it will not be easy for the Catalans to retain their league title, but stressed that they will not give up just yet

Barcelona attacker Pedro has insisted that the Catalans can still pip arch-rivals Real Madrid to the Primera Division title.

The Blaugranas are currently trailing the Santiago Bernabeu side by six points, and although he realises that it will not be easy, Pedro believes that Barca can successfully defend their league title.

"We know we can do it. Madrid have a good lead but we just have to take it game by game, playing as we are now, and hoping that they slip up, so we can reduce the difference," Pedro stated on a press conference.

"It’ll be difficult because they are playing at such a high level, but we are in our best moment of the season with the mentality to be able to do it. It will be difficult to successfully defend the title, but not impossible."

Barcelona are currently preparing for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at home against AC Milan on Tuesday, before resuming La Liga action on April 8 against Zaragoza.

Van Persie believes tough run-in will bring the best out of Arsenal

The Gunners host Manchester City and Chelsea during their final Premier League games as they look to secure third place and claim automatic Champions League qualification

Robin van Persie has claimed that facing some of the Premier League’s toughest sides during the run-in is a bonus for Arsenal in their bid to finish in the top four.

The Gunners currently occupy third place, the final automatic qualification spot for the Champions League, but Saturday’s 2-1 loss at QPR ended a run of seven straight victories and has allowed rivals Tottenham to draw level on points.

Spurs have, what looks on paper, a significantly easier final set of fixtures, with Arsenal hosting Manchester City on Sunday and Chelsea two weeks later, but the Dutch striker feels stiffer competition will bring the best out of him and his team-mates.

“We have seven more games to play and I believe we can come third,” Van Persie told The Daily Mirror.

“It won’t be easy, everyone is fighting for every point and our opportunity is next week against Man City. We have to go for it and believe and we will.

“It is a shame we have to wait [until Sunday to face] Manchester City but it is how it is. We have to look forward and the next one is a big one.

“Even last week when we were three points ahead [of Spurs] with eight games we never thought it was done. Chelsea won and came closer but we have to look at ourselves.

“Everyone is disappointed but towards the end of the week I am sure the spirit will be how it was. We’ll have a couple of days to be disappointed but after that our focus is on Manchester City.

“They are second but drew against Sunderland so they will need the points. We have seven big games to play but if you look at the big name teams then we have City and Chelsea.

"As a fan of football I always like to play those games and one of them is next week.”

Van Persie is currently on a three-game goalless run after failing to notch against QPR, a rarity in a season where he has netted 26 times already.

And the striker put his latest shut-out down to the industry of Mark Hughes' side and Arsenal’s inability to capitalise on the momentum of Theo Walcott’s equaliser.

Van Persie added: “It was a tough game. I always thought after Theo scored his goal and we were level we could win the game. It was just a tough game.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes his side must replicate their recent success and win their last seven games to guarantee a direct spot in next season’s Champions League group stage.

“We have to win every single game now. That it why it is so disappointing to lose,” Wenger said.

“Manchester City is a good opportunity to put things right again of course. I believe that we will see a different Arsenal next Sunday but I can tell you as well that it will be needed.

“It is disappointing to lose a big run in the way we did. But at the end of the day, the result doesn’t lie.”

Prandelli buoyed by Cassano news

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is delighted that Antonio Cassano is poised to make his return to first-team action with AC Milan.

The Milan striker, who played an integral role in his country's qualification for Euro 2012, has not played since having an emergency heart procedure last November after falling ill following his club's Serie A clash with Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

It was initially feared that Cassano would not feature again this season but he could play some part in Milan's meeting with Fiorentina this weekend.

"I've very happy," Prandelli told reporters on Monday.

"I cannot say anything other than I'm just very happy."

Prandelli also had grounds to smile after learning that league officials have agreed to his request for a training camp at the end of the month.

The Azzurri boss had been hoping to hold several sessions in March and April but Serie A's finest rejected that idea.

However, a compromise agreement has been reached which will see clubs release their players for a two-day training camp on April 23-24.

Italy have been drawn in a group with Spain, Republic of Ireland and Croatia for Euro 2012.