Federico Macheda could be offered a five-year contract by Manchester United as soon as he turns 18, according to his agent.
The Italian youngster came off the bench to score a dramatic winning goal in stoppage time against Aston Villa just over a week ago.
On Saturday he did it again, snatching the decisive goal at the Stadium of Light to ensure that his side remain on top of the Premier League.
Macheda's agent Giovanni Bia believes that Sir Alex Ferguson will do everything he can to keep the 17-year-old at Old Trafford for a number of years.
"When he's 18 we'll talk again," Bia told Sky Italia. "I think Manchester will ask us to sign a five-year deal and I think that would be logical because it makes no sense to lose a lad at 21. We haven't talked about figures."
Macheda will celebrate his 18th birthday in August.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has dismissed talk of former manager Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge.
With interim boss Guus Hiddink still set to end his temporary spell with the Blues this summer to return to the Russian national team full-time, speculation is intensifying about the long-term managerial situation in west London.
AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has featured heavily in tabloid speculation while Mourinho, who is nearing the end of his first season as Inter Milan boss, has been linked with a return to the club he left 18 months ago.
However, when asked in a fans' question and answer session about Mourinho, Buck said: ''My honest answer is that I don't think it is likely to happen.
''Jose was a great coach, he is a great guy but I think his time at Chelsea Football Club has passed.''
Asked about Mourinho's abrupt exit in 2007, Buck added: ''Well first of all we didn't fire him; it was mutual that he left the club.
''There is not much more we can say than in September 2007. The board and Jose were not seeing eye-to-eye on a number of things and it was time we parted company.
''We have great respect, obviously, for what he did for Chelsea Football Club, we are on great terms with him. I saw him at the Manchester United match, he is a great guy and he did great things for the club.
''But in September 2007 Jose and the board and Roman decided it was time for Jose to leave.''
Buck also emphasised Hiddink's tenure is strictly short-term.
''Guus Hiddink came here on a temporary basis two months ago and it is thanks to the Russian FA that he was able to come here; it is purely a temporary role,'' said the American.
''There has been a lot of speculation about him staying, particularly as he has been doing a great job. That will not be the case.
''It is now up to the board to find a new manager for the long term and that is a process that we have started and is ongoing. Anything you might read is just speculation at this stage. When we have an agreement for our new manager we will announce it.''
Buck also expects some of the current squad to be sold to fund new signings during the summer months but did not rule out owner Roman Abramovich spending his own cash to get the right player.
The futures of Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou and Deco have already come under scrutiny this season and Chelsea may be ready to cash in on some of their stars to fund a rebuilding programme under their new manager.
''I think I could maybe discuss transfers generally,'' said Buck. ''We are expecting some players to leave this summer, I don't know whether it is three, four or five, and several players to come in.
''In the large part we would like to fund acquisitions with sales, that just makes good business, but I think that if the player came along at the right price, and it was a hefty price, and it worked for Chelsea, then Mr Abramovich would be willing to invest more money in the club for that transfer - but by and large we'd like to purchase players with funds that have been received by selling players.''
DAVID Edgar hopes to repay the faith shown in him by manager Alan Shearer by doing enough to keep his place in the Newcastle United side during their six-game relegation run-in.
The Canadian came in from the cold against Stoke on Saturday and put in an assured display at the heart of a three-man backline alongside Habib Beye and Sebastien Bassong.
And Edgar, who was making his first start since December, is looking to stay in the team for next weekend's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
"It was the first time I have played in my natural position this season," said Edgar. "And, hopefully, I can stay in the team.
"It was great for me, and great to hear that the gaffer has faith in me.
"Now I want to stay in the team and help to keep us in the Premier League."
It was Edgar's best friend Andy Carroll who came from the bench to head a late equaliser for United as he steered home Damien Duff's centre in the 81st minute.
And Edgar added: "It was a great header. I looked up in the air and wondered how he was going to get there, but he did, and we're all very happy.
"He's got that in his locker, and he's done it again."
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Federico Macheda has "something special", while the young Italian striker's team-mates have accepted he is now a genuine option up front.
Rome-born Macheda clearly has an eye for the spectacular. Having come off the bench to score a stunning winner on his debut against Aston Villa, he followed it up with an instinctive touch to provide a 2-1 victory at Sunderland.
"He has got something special about him, the boy," admitted Sir Alex. "He's just got that instinct that goalscorers have. He has good movement and he's quick.
"He isn't fazed by anything, and he got involved as soon as he came on, he had a really good 20 minutes for us."
'Kiko' may still be in his teens, but Macheda offers a real threat as back-up to United's regular forwards.
"It's great to be able to bring on a young lad like that," says Scholes. "He scored with his first or second touch, he looks like a great goalscorer and there's hopefully more to come from him."
Reds goalkeeper Ben Foster likes the confidence Macheda has shown. "It's a fantastic story," he said. "It was an unbelievable goal last week and he’s done it again.
"He’s saying it was a deft touch into the corner but I don’t think many of the lads are believing him!
"But I'm really pleased for him. He’s thoroughly deserving of his chance because he's been doing it in the Reserves all season."
From relative unknown to overnight hero, it's a lot of attention to be heaped on his young shoulders. But he is an assured and confident young man and has the right people with the right intentions surrounding him.
"I think the players will help there," adds Sir Alex. "I had a chat with his family this week, so he'll be ok I'm sure."
"He's quite a level-headed lad, actually," adds Foster. "I don’t think any of the lads will let him get carried away – Gary Neville puts his foot down with anything like that."
Arsène Wenger has pinpointed the moment when his young squad 'grew up' this season.
The Frenchman put his faith in youth for the current campaign but his policy was criticised after five defeats in Arsenal's first 14 Premier League fixtures. However, Wenger's team have rallied since their slow start, are unbeaten in 18 top-flight games and have a live chance of glory in the Champions League and FA Cup.
Another precocious performance will be required when Arsenal host Villarreal in the second leg of their Champions League Quarter-Final at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening. Fortunately, Wenger has seen plenty of evidence that his 'boys' can do the job of men.
"When did they grow up? There are different moments," said the manager.
"After our defeat at Manchester City we went to Chelsea and won. We played 2-2, 0-0 at home and still got a lot of negative publicity but still kept going.
"There was another decisive factor in Rome; when you miss your first penalty and come up against Totti, Baptista, Montella and Vucinic still to take a penalty with Pizarro. You know, you are away from home against penalty specialists.
"You have only kids really to take your penalties but you still manage to win. You need some mental strength and I believe it was a turning point in the belief of the team."
Matthew Upson believes West Ham United's defensive strength can carry the Hammers into next season's UEFA Europa League.
Gianfranco Zola's team have conceded just two goals in their last six Premier League matches. A similarly impressive record over the final half-dozen league matches of the season should see West Ham gather enough points to ensure they finish in the top-seven, securing European qualification in the process.
Upson, who is well-known for his in-depth interest in the finer points of the game, said there was no coincidence behind the Hammers' consistent defensive performances.
"We are looking very strong tactically and positionally," he said. "We have done a lot of work and people's awareness is good. Not only are we challenging for the ball well but people are in the right positions.
"Without a doubt there is a science to it in terms of awareness and positional sense and if you get those things right it makes everything a bit easier."
West Ham's impressive rearguard were at their best again at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, when only a superbly-taken second half goal from Russia international Roman Pavlyuchenko proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Upson and central defensive partner James Collins - back in the team following a hamstring injury - were as resolute as ever, while James Tomkins looked comfortable in an unaccustomed role at right-back.
"They didn't really create a lot. If you look at the possession stats we probably didn't do too well but that's not what the game is about. It's about the scoreline.
"Looking at the goal-scoring opportunities, there were very few of them. I thought we had the best chance of the match but unfortunately we didn't take it. It was a huge turning point, but we have to move on.
"There was no grey area. There was always going to be one moment that decided the game. Pavlyuchenko did well to drag his shot through Ginge's legs. James didn't get the wrong side of him or anything - it was just a great finish.
"As a young lad coming in and playing out of position at full-back, Tomka did well. It shows how far he has come. He uses the ball well and his future looks bright."
Upson will hope to celebrate his 30th birthday on Saturday with victory at Aston Villa. As a former Birmingham City player, the centre-back is sure to receive a warm welcome at Villa Park, where he could face the very different challenges of target-men John Carew and Emile Heskey and young speedsters Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
"It's another big test. We go there missing quite a lot of players, so our strength in depth is being really tested. I think we've come through it really well and the players that have come in have done a good job. We can go there and get a result."
"Hopefully we would do the same as we did last year and play our way out of the Championship.
"Hopefully we could come back with a good crop of players who have been through this experience this year and know what it takes.
"And hopefully a coach, who understands the league better, understands the quality of the opposition and knows what it takes to win games.
"The disappointment is that if we drop out of this league we are going to lose a little bit of the progress we've made.
"Whereas I feel if we could stay in this league it would be so much better next year because we would be able to add one or two quality players and go to places like Portsmouth and let them know they're in a real match."
Mission one has been accomplished - now Robbie Keane is setting his sights on Europe.
The skipper said getting past the 40-point mark was his only focus when he rejoined us from Liverpool in the January transfer window.
We did just that by beating West Ham on Saturday - stretching our recent run to two defeats in 11 in the Premier League with five wins in the last seven.
Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to strike the winner in the 65th minute against the Hammers to take us up to eighth with 41 points. Fulham's win at City on Sunday has moved us down to ninth, three points off West Ham in seventh.
"It was a good result," said Robbie. "It was important that we got the three points and got over that 40-point mark, that was the aim when I came here.
"We were third or fourth from bottom, so it's been a great few months for the lads and we've really pushed up the league.
"Now we can look forward. We couldn't look too far forward at the time because the reality was that we were down there. We're out of it and we can look to kick on.
"Europe has to be our aim now. We've done the hard bit - in the last eight games since I've been here I think it's five wins, two draws and a loss.
"It's been incredible for the lads, we've dug deep and done really well and we've got out of it. We've got the squad and we can now focus on moving forward."
Carlos Edwards has described Sunderland's remaining Premier League games as "six cup finals".
Sunderland start their run-in against fellow strugglers Hull City at the Stadium of Light next Saturday before travelling to bottom club West Brom.
Ricky Sbragia's men also face Everton, Bolton, Portsmouth and Chelsea as they look to stay up.
The Black Cats lie two points above the relegation zone after the weekend's fixtures.
And though Sunderland are fourth from bottom, Edwards was upbeat about their survival prospects after a good performance against Manchester United.
"We have the determination to get out of this," said the Trinidadian. "There were a lot of positives from the United game and hopefully we will take them into the next six games.
"We realise we're in a dogfight and we're up for it. We've got to make sure we show the same desire against Hull next week.
"People say the Hull game is our cup final but we have six cup finals, they are all as big as each other. We will roll our sleeves up and battle."
Edwards praised the fans after the 2-1 defeat to United on Saturday. "They could see the effort we put in and they backed us all the way," said the winger.
"We know that if we give everything, the crowd will give everything in return."
POINT-saver Andy Carroll hopes to win a place in the Newcastle United side during their six-game survival run-in.
The 19-year-old notched his third goal of the season as he came from the bench to steer home an 81st-minute header during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke.
And Carroll is determined to add to that tally in the coming weeks in a bid to help his hometown club climb clear of the top-flight drop zone.
"I need to stay fit now, work hard in training, keep doing everything the gaffer tells me to and hopefully win a place in the team," he told nufcTV.
"I was delighted to get the goal at Stoke because it was a goal we really needed.
"It was a good ball by Duffer and I just knew where the goal was and tried my best to get it up and over the keeper.
"It was an unbelievable feeling to see it go in and my head was still buzzing after the game.
"We're now two points behind Sunderland but we're all confident we can get out of trouble and we've got another massive game at Spurs next week."
ALAN Shearer admits that the introduction of Jonas Gutierrez and goal hero Andy Carroll helped to swing the game in Newcastle United's favour during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke.
The Magpies were trailing to Abdoulaye Faye's first-half header when the pair were brought on to add some "attacking energy" to the Geordies' search for a equaliser during the final half hour.
And the gaffer's changes paid off as Carroll soared to head an 81st-minute leveller to claim a much-needed point for the Geordies.
Shearer said: "The aim was to add some attacking energy when we brought Andy and Jonas on.
"We gambled a little bit and tried to go in there with a little bit more pace and power and it's paid off.
"But I think the players, particularly in the second-half, have shown me what they've shown me in training all week.
"And that is that they can pass is around, demand the ball and be brave going forward.
"The subs did help to change the game in our favour but we've now got to take that performance from the final half hour into our remaining six games."
NIGEL DE JONG has assured Blues fans that the players are hurting just as much as their supporters over the 3-1 home defeat by Fulham that dealt a huge blow to Mark Hughes' bid to snatch seventh spot in the Premier League.
The City of Manchester Stadium was stunned after Stephen Ireland's marvellous opener on Sunday was followed by an unexpected Fulham fightback that wrecked the Blues' storming run of six successive home League victories.
Dutch midfielder De Jong admitted: "We tried to do our best but in the second half it all went wrong. I'm gutted, we all are - two wins in a row and you can be seventh, so it's tough when you lose that kind of game at home.
"That's football, but it still hurts. You put every effort into the game, so of course it hurts - we don't set out to lose on purpose, nobody does, and we need to repay the fans by showing our true quality now.
"We have a huge game now against Hamburg on Thursday in the UEFA Cup and it's very important to show the fans what we can do. We're hurting now, but we have to be positive and make a fresh start from today."
Sunday's defeat rounded off the worst week of the season for manager Hughes' injury-hit team, having been outplayed by Arsenal at The Emirates and then beaten 3-1 in the first leg of the UEFA quarter-final in Hamburg.
Fulham even evoked a touch of deja vu for suffering Blues fans. Stevie Ireland scored first in Germany but City lost 3-1, then the midfielder hit another superb opener on Sunday only for lightning to strike twice.
With the Blues' season now under threat - and key players still battling against injury - Nigel added: "Of course it is going to be a huge test of our character, and we have a lot of young guys in the squad.
"We have to get our thoughts right and our focus right for the Hamburg game. We have to show what we are made of now, show the right mentality out on the pitch. Everybody has to give everything for the team."
Kevin Davies has maintained that Wanderers can still finish in the top-half of the Barclays Premier League following their spirited display at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
The captain was mightily encouraged with the never-say-die attitude at Chelsea after Bolton fought back from being four goals down to almost salvage a point against the Champions League quarter-finalists.
Indeed, even with Wanderers amazing late recovery in the final twenty minutes, Davies was disappointed that his team returned to the North West with nothing to show for their efforts aside from the moral victory.
He explained: "We still feel that there is work to do and we are targeting that top-ten. We knew it was going to be difficult but we started the game well and created the most chances in the opening half an hour.
"We didn't manage to take any of them and obviously they got their noses in front. And then to concede straight away in the second half, you expect them to come on and at 4-0 it was a case of how many they would get.
"We made a couple of changes, Chris Basham came on, did really well and gave us a bit of energy. We got one goal back and the spirits were lifted and then at 4-3 we were a little bit disappointed that we couldn't nick a point."
Wanderers eventually succumbed to Guus Hiddink's men by the solitary goal and much of the post-match debate centred on referee Peter Walton's decision to award a dubious penalty when Gretar Steinsson was adjudged to have handled inside the penalty area.
Commenting on the harsh decision, Davies said: "There was a first time ball played around the corner and from where I'm stood, it didn't look like Gretar moved his hands at all. It was ball-to-hand from my point of view, but the referee said he moved his arm.
"I've had a quick look and it looks a bit dubious to say the least, so it's disappointing. But we gave it a go at 4-0 and we had them on the rack at the end.
"When the third goal popped in they were certainly on the back foot, but it's disappointing that we let the game get too far away because there were parts through the game when we were on top.
"We've now scored seven goals in two games and if we can take those performances, especially the last 20 minutes from Stamford Bridge, down to Portsmouth then we will go down there and get a result.
"The most impressive part of our game was the amount of chances we created against a very strong Chelsea side."
Davies also revealed his delight in witnessing substitute Chris Basham score his first goal for Bolton Wanderers, a strike which made the score 4-2 and gave the Whites real belief that taking a point from the match was a genuine possibility.
He added: "He's a young lad and this season he has come on leaps and bounds. He's young, he's got that enthusiasm and I'm happy for him that he has managed to come on and get a goal.
"He's working hard in training, doing extra work so everyone is really pleased for him."
The lack of several established first team stars didn't help Rovers' cause as they fell down the table thanks to a 4-0 loss at Anfield on Saturday.
Already without Steven Reid and Brett Emerton to long term injuries, the continued absence of Roque Santa Cruz was added to by injuries to Jason Roberts, Morten Gamst Pedersen and El-Hadji Diouf.
And that, according to boss Sam Allardyce, played its part as the defeat Rovers suffered at the hands of Liverpool meant they dropped down to 16th in the table, four points above the drop-zone.
"It is no disrespect to the players that played, but our top players were recovering from injuries and we wouldn't have lost 4-0 if we had had our top players here," said Sam.
"You can't forget that we haven't got the size of squad that teams like Liverpool have and when we get key players injured it is a difficult thing to replace them, certainly when you are playing against a club like Liverpool.
"And it isn't just one and two players we were missing, we had Diouf, Pedersen, Roberts, Santa Cruz, Emerton and Reid. Far too many for us to cope with.
"It is difficult enough to cope with if you play a side in and around you, but against the likes of Liverpool it was always going to be difficult."
But perhaps the most disappointing aspect from Saturday according to the Rovers boss was the sides inability to compete in key areas of the pitch.
"I don't think we competed enough," added Allardyce. "I don't think we did enough to stop the opposition and I don't think we did enough to support Chris Samba who was basically the key to our game plan to try and get into the opposition's final third as much as we could.
"So that basic alone, which was part of our key plan never worked.
"Not that Chris Samba didn't do his job, he did, but the rest of the lads around him just let Liverpool pick up the flick-ons and the knock-downs rather than us picking them up which is one of our strengths, but it was just wasn't there from the start until the very end.
"I've no qualms about the result, I think they deserved it, but I am very disappointed in our performance though."
Arsène Wenger believes the long, enforced rest of Cesc Fabregas will help him finish the season strongly.
The Spaniard was key to Arsenal’s comeback at Wigan on Saturday. After a tough first half he began pulling the strings for his side and set up the crucial second goal for Mikael Silvestre.
That makes four assists in three games following his comeback from three-and-a-half months out with a knee problem. Wenger feels he is not only fresh but getting back to full strength as well.
“He was fantastic,” said Wenger at Wigan on Saturday. “He looks to get stronger and stronger from game to game. Today I found him physically much strong from Wednesday at Villarreal.
“I did think he needed a breather [earlier in the campaign]. Maybe it was too long for my taste but it will help him to finish the season strongly.”
The future midfield role of Cesc Fabregas may be more defensive than offensive, according to Arsène Wenger.
The 21-year-old played a key part in Arsenal’s second-half comeback at Wigan on Saturday but only after he had been pushed into a deeper position by his manager.
The visitors played their now familiar 4-2-3-1 in the opening 45 minutes with Fabregas helping to support front man Nicklas Bendtner. It did not work on this occasion, partly because the Spaniard was closely marked.
Arsenal struggled, conceded early and might have gone in to the break 2-0 down had Ben Watson’s free-kick not rebounded out off the inside of the post on the stroke of half time.
However Wenger switched after the break and gradually his side took over. They deserved to win but two goals in the final minute made the score a lop-sided 4-1. Afterwards Wenger explained his thinking.
“We dropped Cesc deeper into midfield and pushed Theo Walcott upfront,” he said. “I felt that we needed a bit more creativity.
“At some stage when a guy is man-to-man marked you either push him completely upfront to create space for other players or you push him completely deep. When he’s in the mid-zone and the ball comes out it becomes very difficult.
“It is a very difficult question to answer about whether that is Cesc’s best position or not.
“He certainly likes to be at the start of things but then he can also give the final ball.
“I would still say the deeper role suits him more because he likes to get the ball from the centre back and he has a good long pass. That’s more him than a guy who plays behind the strikers who might have more pace to penetrate.
“He is very good in the hole too but I believe that is because of the quality of his passing and less for his individual game.”
Gianfranco Zola has reiterated that his young players have every chance of proving themselves in the game - provided they "work hard everyday and keep the right attitude".
In a week when his homegrown Hammers were rightly in the spotlight for lifting the club back up to seventh place, much of the weekend focus at White Hart Lane was on James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas, Freddie Sears and Mark Noble. Despite a 1-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, the manager believed his crop of youngsters had shown they have every chance of one day living up to previous academy graduates .
"We will see in time," said Zola. "I believe that when Rio [Ferdinand], [Frank] Lampard or Joe Cole were coming through, they were just promising. Then they improved. It is just down to my players. If they work hard everyday and keep the right attitude, they can do that.
"I believe that everybody owns their own destiny. When I was started there were a few that said I wouldn't become a player but they didn't know my attitude and my mentality. I believe my players have the same attitude and they can become important players."
Despite media attention on comments from outside the club, Zola said he paid little attention. "I will use other things to motivate my players," he explained. "If they push themselves hard and they believe in what they are doing they are going to get beyond the limits that maybe people are putting on them right now.
"I would like to say that if they achieve something it is down to me but it is not like that. I can only show them the direction but after that they have to move on and it is all totally down to them. As far as I am concerned I will always be there showing them the line, but the work is down to them."
Where Zola will be working is on his strikeforce, with his defence still standing strong after conceding just twice in six games. He paid tribute to the efforts of Diego Tristan in leading the attack - especially in the absence of Carlton Cole and, since he arrived in September, Dean Ashton. Zola said: "Diego has done very well, it is not easy. This is the third game he has played of 90 minutes, more or less … you have to be understanding with him.
"We have played all season without Dean Ashton When Ashton is back it is going to be a huge thing for the club. We hope he will get a full pre-season. The [ankle] operation went well and he is doing very well. We are looking forward to having him back at his best."
For now, the emphasis is on those able to play in the final half-dozen games and defending a one-point lead on Fulham and a further two-point advantage on Tottenham Hotspur. Zola said finishing seventh, particularly above Spurs, would be "a big achievement for us considering also the kind of players they have in their team. It would be huge.
"The good thing about football is that it is not always down to money. You play against a team who has spent so much money and honestly West Ham stood up against them. That makes me very proud."
He acknowledged the impact made by match-winner Roman Pavyluchenko on Saturday after a difficult spell since his arrival in London, unlike the easy transition he himself had, first as a player and then in taking the reins at West Ham. He said he had arrived in an "environment which was perfect" and where "everything fell into place". Like his young players, the young manager has every chance of going all the way.
Michael Ballack admitted the Blues created a nervous climax to Saturday's win over Bolton.
Three second-half goals from the visitors produced a tense final 10 minutes to the weekend win as Chelsea strove to prevent Bolton's fourth, but fortunately the Blues held out, despite our northern rivals battering the Chelsea box in search for their equaliser.
'We lost concentration,' explained Ballack, 'We were too safe and they tried to play long balls and they are always strong in the air.
'Then they scored one and then another one and suddenly you start thinking, it shouldn't happen with a team like us.
'Once you concede you get nervous and it is difficult after to change the flow of the game and get back in the game, but we saved the three points which is important otherwise we would be very disappointed.'
Ballack helped Chelsea towards the win with his opening goal, the first time he's found the net in the Barclays Premier League this season.
'That makes me happy, but more importantly, after an exciting game we could get the three points and we played good football, although, in the end, we shouldn't concede three goals.'
On top of Ballack's first-half strike, further goals came from a Didier Drogba double and Frank Lampard's converted penalty.
Drogba's first goal, Chelsea's second, saw a sneaky Lampard free-kick tapped into the Ivorian's path just in front of the six-yard box. His second was a tap-in from close range following an Branislav Ivanovic header, as the Serbian searched for his third goal in four days after heading two against Liverpool midweek.
'It is always difficult if you play a game between such important games, and we started a little bit sloppy but we improved,' said Ballack.
'It was important we scored before half time, then we came out and we scored another three goals but then it was very close in the end.'
It was another three points secured though, but with Chelsea sitting third with 67 points, four behind Manchester United who still possess a game in hand, Ballack feels the Blues may have a better chance in the other remaining competitions, although he refuses to give up on the league.
'We will try everything, even in the league, we will try to win every game until the end and of course, looking at the table, we have more chance in the Champions League and FA Cup than the league.
'Next we have Liverpool. Everybody knows Liverpool is a big team and they have scored nearly four goals in every game recently, but we'll play at home and we are strong.
'But we will have to work again, with the same attitude and effort to get into the next round,' he added.
Arsenal new boy Andrei Arshavin has admitted that the transition from St. Petersburg to London has been anything but easy for him.
After no small amount of haggling, Arsenal finally succeeded in bringing in the Russian sensation at the end of the winter window for a £16.5 million fee.
Although Arshavin has managed to fit in seamlessly on the field pretty much from the word 'go', the same can't be said about his life off it.
"It is very difficult for me, everything is unusual," Arshavin admitted to The Sunday Telegraph.
"Now I'm in a hotel. Next week I will move. I have to settle. Everything is difficult.
"I'm happy to be here in English football - it is the best league in the world. I am happy with my professional life, but I am unhappy in everyday life, it is difficult for me," he added glumly.
"I am alone for the first time in my life. I had never left St. Petersburg before."
Blackburn will renew their interest in Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi this summer.
Manager Sam Allardyce was ready to move for the 27-year old from Schalke in January as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz, but Blackburn were unable to agree terms with Manchester City for the Paraguay striker who is expected to leave Ewood Park at the end of the season.
Allardyce will go back for Kuranyi but could face competition from Everton.
Blackburn midfielder Aaron Mokoena and defender Andre Ooijer will also leave in the summer.
Mokoena is set to join Stoke, although Sheffield United are another possibility if they win promotion back to the Premier League, while PSV Eindhoven insist Ooijer will rejoin them.
MARTIN O’NEILL saw Aston Villa fight back from a two-goal deficit then conceded their Champions League hopes are virtually over.
Everton boss David Moyes is also backing Arsenal to finish fourth after the Gunners’ closest rivals shared a point in a 3-3 thriller.
Villa chief O’Neill said: “This is a result that suits Arsenal. I wouldn’t disagree with what David thinks.
“We won’t give up but Arsenal have been on a long unbeaten run and we need to win every game.”
Moyes admitted: “Arsenal’s win on Saturday makes it very difficult for us to get there. Until it is mathematically impossible we won’t give up the chase. But you have to be realistic here. Villa and Everton have had a go at competing with the big four and come up a little short.
“Arsenal looked like they might struggle for a while earlier this season and if things had gone against them then you could see an opening.
“It was nice to entertain but it would have been nicer to win.” Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill put Everton in charge before John Carew got one back.
Steven Pienaar restored the two-goal advantage only for Villa to clinch a draw with a James Milner free-kick and a Gareth Barry penalty.
Moyes contested the decision to award a spot-kick after Joleon Lescott’s boot caught Stiliyan Petrov in the head.
He said: “I thought it was an indirect free-kick for dangerous play. You are allowed to raise the boot in the area and it was accidental. I also thought we should have had another penalty when Jo was pushed in the back.”
Fifth-placed Villa are now eight points behind Arsenal. O’Neill added: “Defensively, we conceded three goals at home and if you are going to win you shouldn’t be asking to score four goals.
“I thought we were fantastic going forward, a dream. But it was a great game.”
It was not Martin O’Neill, though. Nor was it David Moyes.
But 120 miles down the road, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger must surely have been beaming as the chasing pack effectively dropped out of the Champions League hunt.
The Premier League’s nearly men had cut each other’s throats. Yet in a wonderfully civilised, goal-laden way.
Villa’s fans will long remember the way their players fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 down.
Strikes from Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill in the first 25 minutes seemed to have given Everton an unassailable lead.
But they turned out to be just the starters in a remarkable goal feast.
John Carew sparked Villa hopes with his fourth strike in six games, only for Steven Pienaar to restore the advantage.
Then James Milner curled home a free-kick and Gareth Barry whacked a 65th-minute penalty past Tim Howard to cap an extraordinary afternoon.
Everton’s travelling supporters can now look forward to next Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United with something approaching optimism.
Yet a six-goal thriller does not disguise the fact the fifth and sixth-placed teams are only one point better off than before kick-off — and the gap to the Gunners is growing as the games run out.
Moyes virtually conceded the fight to break the cartel that is the Big Four is now a forlorn one.
At least he has a Wembley date to look forward to. Villa, on the back of a 10-game run without a victory, are virtually in league no- man’s-land for the final few weeks.
O’Neill’s exciting bunch of youngsters do not lack spirit, character or talent. But they have seemingly forgotten what it is to win.
And when O’Neill conducts his summer post-mortem on the campaign, he will have to accept that home form has been the weakest link. Five wins at Villa Park is a bottom-five return.
There was almost a sense of ‘Oh no, not again’ after 19 minutes when Leighton Baines crossed and Fellaini snapped up his fourth goal in five matches. Four minutes later Villa heads were in hands again. Cahill aimed his first header from Pienaar’s corner against the bar but made no mistake at the second attempt.
Not surprisingly, the visitors grew in stature and confidence, with Pienaar shooting wide and Cahill testing Brad Friedel.
Then a little ray of sunshine called Carew pierced the Villa gloom.
Milner crossed from the right, a defensive header fell to Barry who squared the ball back across goal. Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor failed to connect but big striker Carew was deadly from five yards.
Villa were convinced they should have had a penalty when Carew went down under a Joleon Lescott challenge just before half-time. And only a crucial clearance by Phil Neville prevented the Norwegian grabbing a second.
But Everton soon knocked the wind out of their sails again as the excellent Pienaar made it 3-1 in the 58th minute.
O’Neill has never lost five successive league matches in his managerial career but must have feared an unwanted first at that stage. His players have been knocked from pillar to post ever since going out of the FA Cup at Everton in February.
O’Neill has had one question answered, though. His players do not give up easily.
Exactly 60 seconds after Pienaar’s potentially lethal blow, Cahill had no option but to baulk Barry on a run. Up stepped Milner, who executed a perfect free-kick over the wall and past Howard.
Goodison boss Moyes was then convinced Lescott should have been punished by an indirect free-kick rather than a penalty after his boot grazed Stiliyan Petrov on the forehead.
Lescott clearly connected accidentally but his foot was high and referee Howard Webb had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Villa skipper Barry stepped up and blasted the ball past Howard.
The season’s fade-out could have serious consequences for Villa in terms of hanging on to Barry. Yet no one can dispute what he has given for the cause.
In fact, Barry will be as disappointed as O’Neill that a campaign which promised so much has petered out in the way it has.
As for Everton, a glamour date with United beckons. Moyes deserves some reward for the fantastic job he is doing.
MARTIN JOL will not be having any sleepless nights after this one.
Manchester City have to overcome a 3-1 first-leg deficit against the Dutchman’s Hamburg side if they want to reach the UEFA Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
But it is fair to say that dreams of silverware for the first time in 33 years are likely to remain just that for Mark Hughes’ men.
Because, on the evidence of this and their efforts in the Nordbank Arena, Sparky and Co are going out of Europe.
And it does not look like European football will be returning to Eastlands next season either.
Seventh place will get you there but, at the moment, West Ham are in the driving seat.
This was only the Cottagers’ second away league win of the season but, thanks to their home form, they are just a point behind the Hammers.
What a job Roy Hodgson has done. In April last year, he was brought in to save Fulham from the drop and engineered an incredible comeback here.
They were 2-0 down and relegated at half-time but came back to win 3-2 and, in winning their final three games, they stayed up.
Now Hodgson has Fulham riding high, while City’s season is slipping away.
This was their fifth defeat in six games in all competitions.
Just like Thursday in Germany, Stephen Ireland gave them the perfect start — but City ended up losing 3-1.
The defending was awful again, with skipper Richard Dunne and Micah Richards having absolute shockers.
To think keeper Shay Given left Newcastle because of a back four like this.
Boss Hughes must want the season to end now so he can spend more of owner Sheikh Mansour’s millions on shaping his side.
But he has already dished out £100million if you accept he gave the nod for Robinho’s £32.5m signing.
Hughes had only three of his buys in yesterday’s starting line-up and was hit hard by the absences of both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy.
Robinho was left on the bench and as for that waster Elano, the sooner Hughes gets him out the better.
A sub once again, Elano pranced around like a pop diva as he warmed up.
He even kissed a young fan on the head, causing more little ones to queue up in the hope of the same. Who on earth does he think he is?
When he and fellow Brazilian Robinho saw Ireland put City ahead on 28 minutes, they just stood still and clapped.Would you really want this pair in the trenches fighting alongside you?
When Robinho finally came on just past the hour mark, he responded with one weak effort on goal. Pathetic.
It is a shame he and Elano have not got the passion that Ireland displays.
He looked genuinely distraught at the final whistle, burying his face in his shirt as he left the pitch. In contrast, Robinho clapped the fans as he walked off — one person responded.
Yet what a start City had just before the half-hour mark. Ireland ran from inside his own half before curling a shot which, with the aid of a deflection, looped over Mark Schwarzer.
But once again City failed to build on this and, five minutes after the break, Clint Dempsey had the visitors level with the first of his two goals.
When Nedum Onuoha passed to Pablo Zabaleta midway inside City’s half, he failed to control the ball and Bobby Zamora pounced.
Richards tackled him but Dempsey picked up the ball and slid it into the far bottom corner.
And defensive blunders helped Fulham take the lead as Onuoha’s poor clearance bounced of Nigel De Jong.
Fulham’s Dickson Etuhu was on to it and he duly fired into the top corner.
Etuhu was at City between 2000 and 2002 and lined up opposite his brother Kelvin yesterday — but it is fair to say there were contrasting emotions in the family last night!
What a moment for Dickson to enjoy, his first goal for Fulham since moving to Craven Cottage in the summer.
The match was all over on 82 minutes.Dunne jumped in on Zamora, who skipped past him and was away.
He slid a ball through and Richards was scrambling to keep pace with Dempsey, who got there first to shoot through Given’s legs.
Afterwards, Hughes claimed injuries and tired legs were to blame for this.
There is no doubt that was a huge factor but a lack of heart could have had something to do with it as well.
Indeed, only Bolton and West Brom have lost more league games than City this season.
Having said that, Hughes needs to be given time to get this right.
The Welshman has proved he is a good manager and that has not changed despite the reaction of some callers to local radio stations.
Chopping and changing the manager has hardly led to unbridled success at this club over the last three decades.
This time next season will be a better time to judge Hughes’ reign.
He can only hope Sheikh Mansour feels the same out in Abu Dhabi — and a rising tide of opposition can be kept at bay.
OBAFEMI MARTINS’ Newcastle future is in the balance after his late withdrawal from the relegation clash at Stoke.
Fuming Toon boss Alan Shearer will read the riot act to the Nigerian striker this morning after he pulled out of the 1-1 draw with a groin injury.
Shearer said: “I wasn’t too happy I got the call at 11 o’clock, particularly after we trained all Thursday and Friday and had massages on Friday evening and there was no sign of it.”
He was particularly annoyed as the team had been working all week on a three-man attacking system which involved Martins, skipper Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi. But all that was thrown up in the air by Martins’ late pullout.
Shearer was clearly still angry after the game and added: “He said he’d woken with a sore groin and was unable to play.
“We got the doctors and physios to have a look at him and he couldn’t play. I’m not happy with the situation, to find out so late in the day.
“After working the last two or three days on a particular system it was disappointing and we had to reshuffle the pack.
“He didn’t sleep in that’s not true. I spoke to him and asked him and I’ll speak to him again.”
Toon coach Colin Calderwood was told to calm down after he got into an argument in the Stoke directors’ box over his relaying of instructions to the bench via a radio.
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