Crunch Time

[Dunny]

Arsenal remaining fixtures;
Feb27;Stoke(away)
March6;Burnley(home)
March13;Hull(away)
March20;West Ham(home)
March27;Birmingham(away)
April3;Wolverhampton(home)
April10;Tottenham(away)
April17;Wigan(home)
April24;Man City(home)
May1;Blackburn(away)
May9;Fullham(home)

Man United remaining fixtures;
Feb27;West Ham(home)
March6;Wolverhamton(away)
March13;Fullham(home)
March20;Liverpool(home)
March27;Bolton(away)
April3;Chelsea(home)
April10;Blackburn(away)
april17;Man City(away)
April24;Tottenham(home)
May1;Sunderland(away)
May9;Stoke(home)

Chelsea remaining fixtures;
Feb27;Man City(home)
Mach6;Portsmouth(away)
March13;West Ham(home)
March20;Blackburn(away)
March27;Aston Villa(home)
April3;Man United(away)
April10;Bolton(home)
April17;Tottenham(away)
April24;Stoke(home)
May1;Liverpool(away)
May9;Wigan(home)

Who will lift the premiership trophy?

[Karl]

Nice post!
GUNNERS time, now!

[Me]

Gunners have the easiest fixtures.

[Dunny]

Gunners have the easiest fixtures.

On paper!!,but football is not played on paper LOL!!!

[Dunny]

Paul Scholes returns Manchester United to top of Premier League

Wolves 0 Man Utd 1


(Stephen Pond/Empics)



Paul Scholes celebrates his goal against Wolves



Image :1 of 2





Jonathan Northcroft, football correspondent, at Molineux

• 15 Comments

gSiteLife.Recommend("ExternalResource", "7052366","http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7052366.ece");Recommend? (6)








div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;} PAUL SCHOLES is far too pie-and-mash a fellow to be called something so pretentious as a renaissance man but the recovery of this little maestro’s powers should cheer the purist in every football fan. While Ryan Giggs appeared immune to decline, age was hastily corroding Scholes until a sudden rebirth. Just as Manchester United were invigorated by their Carling Cup semi-final with Manchester City, and have been more their old selves since, so that tie sparked something in Scholes. He scored a vital goal in its second leg and followed with vintage performances at the Emirates stadium and San Siro. And now this: a precious winner to put United back atop the Premier League.

It was Scholes’ 100th Premier League strike. He is the 19th player to manage the feat, following in the footsteps of Giggs and Wayne Rooney who each reached the ton earlier in the season. “One hundred goals from midfield is outstanding. A fantastic player,” Sir Alex Ferguson said. Scoring apart, Scholes displayed the maturity and focus required by title-chasing teams in assignments like these. Wolves were feisty, awkward and enterprising and would have been deserving of a point had Sam Vokes equalised in stoppage time rather than thrashing over from eight yards. Scholes, ironically, was the United man playing him onside. “He’ll suffer for it,” said Ferguson of the miss.

So it came down to what Scholes did at the other end. Arriving in the 73rd minute, it was despatched icily, drawing on all a 35-year-old’s experience. Antonio Valencia crossed low from the right, Nani stopped the ball and then fed it farther into the box and Jody Craddock’s half-clearance diverted the ball to Scholes.

With supreme calmness he controlled it, walked round keeper Marcus Hahnemann and shot into the far corner of the net. “It was fortunate that we got a goal from the old fella,” said Rio Ferdinand, returned from a back injury. Scholes, typically matter-of-fact, added: “I’m very pleased with that. To score goals is what you need to do to win big games.”

function slideshowPopUp(url){pictureGalleryPopupPic(url);re turn false;}Related Links

• Gomes keeps Tottenham's FA Cup hopes alive

• Walcott breaks goal drought to seal win

• Premier League and FA Cup previews: Dunne fit for Reading

Multimedia

• All today's scores and scorers

There was always much more to his game, even in the old, 15-goals-per-season ‘Ginger Assassin’ days, but scoring has always been a good measure of how Scholes is playing. This was a throwback finish and he now has three in seven games and six for the season, which is one more than his combined tally for the previous two campaigns. “The way we play him now, sitting deeper, takes away from the goal threat he had as a young player but he was the best man for the chance to fall to,” said Ferguson.

Inspiration was needed in the absence of Rooney, who had a sore knee. Rooney acquired the problem after playing twice at the national stadium in four days and not for the first time Ferguson was cursing some poor Football Association sod. He blames the Wembley turf and also holds it responsible for the season-ending hamstring injury Michael Owen suffered in last Sunday’s Carling Cup final. Dimitar Berbatov, United’s one fit experienced striker, made a weak job of shouldering the burden in the first period but was transformed in the second and, as Ferdinand noted, performed a crucial task in occupying Wolves’ back four to enable Scholes and the rest of the midfield to push up in pursuit of victory.

Initially, they were oppressed. Wolves’ shaven midfield trio of Karl Henry, David Jones and Adlene Guedioura resembled three skinheads intent on vandalising an edifice. Their aggressive pressing efforts influenced a first half where United could not settle on the ball and Scholes, Michael Carrick and Darron Gibson, as Ferguson admitted, had “no control” of the game. Kevin Doyle was the first half’s alpha attacking force. He carried possession 30 yards to feed Matt Jarvis but Gibson got something on the ball to draw the sting from Jones’ shot when he tried to convert the cutback.

From another Jarvis centre, Stephen Ward nodded straight at Edwin Van der Sar when he should have scored. Wolves were frustrated not to lead and aggrieved that Peter Walton didn’t book Nani when, going in high for a ball, his boot caught Ronald Zubar in the face.

United’s players went to the dressing room fearing the hairdryer. They re-emerged with greater purpose and early in the second period Berbatov exchanged passes with Valencia only for Christophe Berra to block his shot and Patrice Evra cantered forward to accept Gibson’s pass and test Hahnemann with a snap-shot from 15 yards. Wolves would not be muzzled, though. With Zubar and Ward overlapping Jones drew a foul from Nemanja Vidic on the edge the box but wasted the free kick.

Wolves’ efforts went unrewarded but manager Mick McCarthy can cling to the notion that if his side keep playing this well, relegation can be avoided. He had a word for Ferguson’s claim that United were clearly superior: “propaganda.”

Star man: Paul Scholes (Man United)

Yellow cards: Wolves: Craddock, Jones Man Utd: Vidic

Referee: P Walton

Attendance: 28,883

Wolves: Hahnemann, Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Jarvis, Guedioura (Ebanks-Blake 84min), Henry, Foley, Jones, Ward (Keogh 84min), Doyle

Man Utd: Van Der Sar, Brown (Neville 46min), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Scholes, Gibson (Diouf 62min), Carrick, Valencia, Berbatov, Nani (Park 73min)

To see how the action unfolded click here
Scholes latest centurion
Paul Scholes joined the list of players who have scored 100 goals in the Barclays Premier League
Player + Matches
Alan Shearer 124
Thierry Henry 160
Ian Wright 173
Robbie Fowler 175
Les Ferdinand 175
Andy Cole 185
Michael Owen 185
Jimmy Hasselbaink 200
Wayne Rooney 247
Dwight Yorke 254
Teddy Sheringham 254
Matthew Le Tissier 254
Robbie Keane 255
Nicholas Anelka 258
Dion Dublin 271
Emile Heskey 407
Frank Lampard 414
Paul Scholes 436
Ryan Giggs 534

[Dunny]

Arsenal 3 Burnley 1: match report

Read a full report of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday March 6, 2010.



By Simon Briggs at The Emirates
Published: 8:20AM GMT 07 Mar 2010

Get well soon: Arsenal players wear t-shirts in support of Aaron Ramsey Photo: PA


Should Theo Walcott end up at the World Cup this summer, playing in the right-wing spot that once looked to be his destiny, we will regard this match as the moment when he proved his strength of mind.

Only a few days ago, Walcott was taking a hammering for his anonymous display in the international friendly against Egypt. “He just doesn’t understand the game,” said Chris Waddle, breaking ranks from the wingers’ union.

Related Articles

• Premier League table
• Ramsey 'overwhelmed by terrific support'
• Alan Smith: Arsenal begin to flex their muscles
• Saturday action
• Premier League fixtures
• Telegraph player rater

But Walcott certainly understood what was required when Arsenal’s centre-forward, Nicklas Bendtner, turned into a miscue machine against Burnley. He needed to step inside, beat his man, and shoot for the far post. The same routine, in other words, that made his name against Croatia two years ago.

“He did what a player has to do: not talk in the newspapers, but do your talking on the pitch,” said Arsène Wenger after the game.

“It shows that he is mentally strong. I was interested to see how he would respond today. You never know how deeply it affects you, when you get criticised, and the way he answered that at his age is remarkable.”

Walcott’s goal gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead after an hour’s play, and allowed the home fans to stop grinding their teeth in anxiety. This was not the script they had expected. Wenger’s team had come into the game knowing that a 4-0 win would take them to the top of the table, for a couple of hours at least. But such ambitious plans had to be forgotten as soon as David Nugent brought Burnley level, five minutes into the second half.

How had it come to this? How could the Premier League’s leakiest travellers have come to the Emirates, a place where average teams have been ruthlessly exposed all season, and kept Arsenal within range? The answer had little to do with Burnley’s chaotic defence. Rather, it was down to a ham-footed display from Bendtner, who must have muffed at least six clear chances.

Wenger reshuffled his pack in response to last week’s horrible injury to Aaron Ramsey, whose absence was reflected in Arsenal’s “Get well soon, Aaron” T-shirts. Samir Nasri took over the central supply role instead, and made the most of the acres of space granted him by the Burnley defence.

It was Nasri’s delightful chip, which landed on Cesc Fabregas’s boot as gently as a butterfly, that created the first goal. Unfortunately for Wenger, Fabregas had to go off with a tweaked hamstring five minutes later, and he will be a doubt for Porto on Tuesday. As Arsenal’s leading scorer, his presence will be badly needed over the nine remaining league games, especially if Bendtner keeps missing the sort of chances you would back Mr Magoo to score.

“At the surface he looked OK,” Wenger said of the Dane, “but deep down he was really disappointed. I believe in his whole game, he was quite good, but in the finishing he missed chance after chance.”

Bendtner’s profligacy became a big deal when Nugent found himself in space between the centre-backs, with the ball looping enticingly on to his right foot. He didn’t manage the best of contacts - his attempt at a lob bouncing off shin pad as well as boot - but it was enough to carry the ball over Manuel Almunia.

Now Arsenal’s dream was under threat. Their captain was off the field, and their striker was in disarray. It was Walcott who took responsibility, producing a series of driving runs up the right wing.

His surge was all the more admirable because he had been muted in the first period, only catching the eye when reacting angrily to a tackle from Danny Fox.

Unusually, Walcott scored the goal with his left foot, curling the ball into the far corner of the net. Even though Andrey Arshavin settled any remaining nerves with a last-gasp third, it was that crucial second that could prove as influential as any moment of this Premier League campaign. Not just for Arsenal, but for Walcott himself.

[Karl]

BoyU was lucky to escape without losing. To BoyU's credit they fought and fought and in the end, won!

The "gingerhaired man" was terrific!

[Lazie]

BoyU was lucky to escape without losing. To BoyU's credit they fought and fought and in the end, won!

The "gingerhaired man" was terrific!

Yes, we were fortunate yesterday ... but on the flip side ... we were unlucky against Chelsea, we were unlucky against Villa, we were unlucky against Burnley ... so what if luck was on our side this time?

There were times when Arsenal was lucky ... right!

[Karl]

Yes, we were fortunate yesterday ... but on the flip side ... we were unlucky against Chelsea, we were unlucky against Villa, we were unlucky against Burnley ... so what if luck was on our side this time?

There were times when Arsenal was lucky ... right!

Young GUNNERS?

...most often in our draws...and loss to BOYU...we balled the hell out of them...not just balled them...but far and away walked into the oppositions PENALTY-AREA over and over again...and with gods turning a blind eye, failed to win!

If we had won even after of the games we should have we would be leading by 10 or more points!

Yuh figet that just your game that we should ahve won would mean a swing of 6 points! ...3 less for BoyU and 3 more for my YOUNG GUNNERS!

[Dunny]

Arsenal's title challenge was almost derailed at the KC Stadium but Nicklas Bendtner grabbed a last-gasp winner to secure a 2-1 win against 10-man Hull.
The Gunners took the lead in the 14th minute when Russian forward Andrey Arshavin slotted home after he was let in by Bernard Mendy.
But the hosts managed to get back on level terms when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was brought down in the box by Sol Campbell
The veteran centre-back was shown the yellow card as Jimmy Bullard stepped up to lash the penalty into the top corner.
Hull were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time when George Boateng picked up his second booking after a dangerous tackle on Bacary Sagna.
Arsenal predictably surged forward in the second-half but it took until the third minute of injury time for Bendtner to pounce on Boaz Myhill's parry and ensure a vital three points.
After falling to a fourth consecutive loss, the Tigers remain in the relegation zone with nine games remaining.
Changes

After their public altercation, Bullard was kept in the starting line-up and Nick Barmby dropped to the bench in one of six changes made by manager Phil Brown in the wake of the 5-1 humiliation at Everton.
Captain Cesc Fabregas was still absent for the Gunners and his playmaking ability was missed.
Jozy Altidore flashed a right-foot shot from 20 yards wide after turning Campbell early on before Vennegoor of Hesselink nearly got on the end of Bullard's chip forward.
The powerful City strike partnership made their presence felt against Campbell and Thomas Vermaelen from the start, but Arsenal's defensive duo stood firm and the visitors pounced on the break after 14 minutes.
Bendtner, coming off a Champions League hat-trick, found Arshavin with a pass across the edge of the box and the Russian stumbled through attempted tackles from Boateng and Mendy before prodding beyond Myhill for Arsenal's first.
However, Hull equalised from the spot after Campbell was adjudged to have hauled down Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Penalty

Dean Marney's ball was flicked on by Craig ************an to the Dutchman, who appeared to be in an offside position, but Campbell's attempted tackle led referee Andre Marriner to point to the spot.
Bullard stepped up and gave Manuel Almunia no chance as he rifled into the top corner.
Campbell was booked and Hull's Andy Dawson followed for a late tackle on Denilson, while Boateng and Bendtner were yellow carded for an exchange in the aftermath of the foul.
Gael Clichy forged forward down the left and went to ground in the area under a challenge from Boateng, but found himself booked retrospectively for a dive in a frantic final few moments of the first half.
And Boateng was soon walking off prematurely after a high challenge on Sagna saw the Hull captain dismissed for a second yellow.
The numerical disadvantage forced Brown into a reshuffle, with Altidore moving wide and Vennegoor of Hesselink becoming the lone front-man.
In a scrappy opening to the second half, Kamil Zayatte was felled by a firm Campbell challenge and had to go off moments later.

Resistance

Arsenal encountered stern resistance and Bullard attempted to relieve the pressure for 10-man Hull only to see his 25-yard drive go over.
Arsene Wenger introduced Theo Walcott and the England international's pace had an immediate impact.
He soared through on the right, cut back for Samir Nasri and Arshavin ballooned the ball high and wide.
Arshavin and Walcott combined to gift Bendtner an opportunity, but the striker's poor effort was blocked and looped out for a corner.
Walcott then had a half chance from Arshavin's pull back but could not connect.
Altidore was withdrawn for Kevin Kilbane late on and Hull put men behind the ball to frustrate Arsenal.
As the fourth official indicated six minutes of stoppage time, the visitors threw men forward.
Clichy had a shot from wide on the left, but Myhill was fully behind it.
The Tigers stopper could only block a swerving effort from Denilson soon after, but Bendtner reacted first to break the hosts' resistance and earn the Gunners a valuable win.

[Dunny]

Chelsea went back to the top of the Premier League after a consummate second-half performance saw them beat West Ham 4-1.
The Blues took the lead after just 16 minutes at Stamford Bridge when Brazilian defender Alex nodded a Florent Malouda cross past Robert Green.
But the home side were pegged back when old boy Scott Parker scored a superb equaliser, his half-volley whistling into the back of the net from 25 yards out.
Chelsea upped the tempo after the break though, and re-took the lead when Didier Drogba headed home at the far post, Malouda again the provider from the left.
The French winger had an excellent game, which he capped with a goal on 77 minutes, slotting home from the edge of the box with the West Ham defenders backing away, and Drogba put the gloss on the result in the dying minutes as he poked home a Frank Lampard shot that was parried by Green.
Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull made his league debut for the club and looked confident enough ahead of Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League last-16 return leg against Inter Milan.
The keeper, third choice all season, will be asked to play against Inter, who lead 2-1 from the first leg, due to injuries to Petr Cech and Hilario.
Test

Chelsea were given a sterner test than they would have wanted by a West Ham side that went in 1-1 at the interval.
Ancelotti's side had the better of the early exchanges but West Ham should have been ahead in the 13th minute.
Mido's low cross from the byline found Araujo Ilan unmarked just eight yards out but the West Ham striker blazed his effort over the crossbar.
The miss proved costly for West Ham as Chelsea went ahead two minutes later through Brazilian defender Alex.
The Hammers failed to clear a corner from Malouda and when the ball was returned to the France winger, his cross was headed home by the unmarked Alex.
It was the defender's first goal of the season but it could have been worse for the Hammers seconds later.
Another cross from Malouda caused panic in the West Ham defence and a deflection off Matthew Upson looked to be heading for his own net until goalkeeper Green just managed to palm it away to safety.
In the 27th minute, Chelsea carved West Ham open again and Frank Lampard's curling cross found Drogba at the far post only for the Ivorian to miss the target.
But West Ham were level in the 29th minute when former Chelsea midfielder
Parker sent a 25-yard volley over Turnbull and into the top corner.
Turnbull could do nothing about Parker's effort but once again Chelsea were guilty of failing to defend a throw-in.
The goal stunned Chelsea and their response was predictable and rapid. In the 35th minute, Green had to dive at full-stretch to keep out a 20-yard low drive from Lampard.
Two minutes later, Nicolas Anelka tried his luck from 20 yards but the ball was comfortably collected by Green.
Malouda was a constant threat to West Ham and five minutes before the break he sent over another dangerous cross but Paulo Ferreira could only direct his header into the arms of Green.
Chelsea almost restored their advantage when a 53rd minute cross from Malouda just eluded Michael Ballack at the far post.
But the home side were ahead again in the 55th minute and the driving force was captain John Terry.

Surge

The Chelsea defender surged forward to the edge of West Ham penalty area and allowed Drogba to lay the ball off to Malouda on the left wing.
The France winger delivered another pinpoint cross into the six-yard box and this time Drogba headed home from point-blank range for his 26th goal of the season, his 20th in the league.
The Chelsea fans began chanting, "There's only one England captain" as England coach Fabio Capello watched on from the West stand.
Moments later Chelsea were denied a third by a great save from Green who dived to his right to tip away a header from Alex.
In the 65th minute, Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole was given a chance to shine before Capello when he replaced Anelka.
It was followed moments later by a double substitution for the Hammers, Junior Stanislas replaced Kieron Dyer and Mido made way for Carlton Cole.
Malouda made it 3-1 to Chelsea in the 76th minute with a 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.
It was a fitting reward for the France winger who had set up both of Chelsea's earlier goals.
Chelsea were then denied a fourth in the 85th minute when Lampard's glancing shot hit the far post.
Drogba completed the scoring in the 89th minute with his 27th goal of the season, finishing off from close range after Green had palmed a Lampard shot into his path.

[Dunny]

Manchester United went back to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford.
It was no more than the defending Premier League champions deserved, having completely outclassed the Cottagers throughout the match.
After a goalless first half, it took Wayne Rooney just 30 seconds from the restart whistle to stamp his mark on the game.
A header down from Dimitar Berbatov fell to Rooney, who initially moved the ball wide to Nani before picking up again and hitting a powerful, low shot past a dumbfounded Mark Schwarzer.
Fulham had done well to hold him at bay until then but they were powerless as the match progressed.
The England striker notched his second late in the game, having again been set up nicely by his strike partner.
Not to be outdone, Berbatov made it 3-0 in stoppage time with a diving header to send United back to top spot.
It has come to that stage in the season where every round of fixtures bring their own pressure.
And, on the occasion chosen to mark Old Trafford's 100th birthday, it was United, needing to follow Chelsea and Arsenal, who after initial struggles had ended up with three points on Saturday.
On the face of it, a Fulham side in the middle of a titanic Europa League tie with Juventus would appear to be the perfect opponents.
Yet, as Sir Alex Ferguson pointed out in the build-up, Roy Hodgson has revolutionised life at Craven Cottage and masterminded a three-goal victory over these same opponents in December.
At the time, United were severely weakened by a loss of defenders.
Special occasion

With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic back those problems are now at an end. On this occasion, it was United's attack that misfired.
The hosts had plenty of possession and got into the right areas often enough. But at some stage, all their first-half attacks broke down.
Only twice could the Fulham defence take complete credit.
A collective effort ensured Rooney did not profit when Darren Fletcher elected to square the ball after charging into the box to reach Berbatov's return pass.
Schwarzer denied Rooney later in the half with a fabulous one-handed save after the England man had curled a shot goalwards from 20 yards.
Restored to the starting line-up after missing the midweek demolition of AC Milan, Berbatov had no-one to blame but himself for failing to convert his best chances, both of which were headers.
True, that part of the game is not the Bulgarian's strong point but, after finding space deep inside the Fulham box, he should have done better after being picked out by Antonio Valencia and Nani, respectively.
Rooney was grumbling at half-time after being hauled down by Stephen Kelly without winning a penalty. He was all smiles 30 seconds after the restart though.
A scrappy build-up saw Berbatov nod the ball into his strike partner's path.
Rooney then fed Nani before advancing into the big hole Fulham's disorientated defence had left.
Once Nani delivered the return pass back into exactly the same area, the outcome was inevitable.
With the home side in front, so was the result. Anxiety remained, though, as long as the wait for a second continued.
Rooney and Berbatov both failed to profit from decent half chances, in the latter man's case an acrobatic volley from Valencia's cross that flew narrowly wide.
At least they could claim to have got somewhere near the goal, unlike Patrice Evra, who screwed his 25-yard shot so wide it resulted in a Fulham throw.
The value of having Ferdinand and Vidic back in harness was seen as the clock ticked down.
Starved of possession and chances, Bobby Zamora had been given little opportunity to press home his England credentials.
But when he ran onto a flick from substitute Eric Nevland, Zamora must have felt it was the moment he had waited for.
Instead, after being caught out by the initial move, Vidic darted back and snuffed out the opportunity with a thunderous challenge.
For Zamora it was a frustrating afternoon. It looked like being the same for Berbatov after he failed to convert Park Ji-Sung's neat cross.
But after creating yet another goal for Rooney with a neat cut-back seven minutes from time, the £30.75million man finally located the target himself, from Park's cross, to complete a scoreline more in keeping with the one-sided nature of proceedings.

[Rockman]

You should hope none of the remaining games will be a difficult as the one yesterday..
Man U schedule mirrors Chelsea's,there might be a tiny hope for your team for finishing second )



Blessed

[Dunny]

You should hope none of the remaining games will be a difficult as the one yesterday..
Man U schedule mirrors Chelsea's,there might be a tiny hope for your team for finishing second )



Blessed

There are no easy games now Boss,everybody is scrapping for points.

[Dunny]

http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/...073218,00.html
Arsene Wenger was relieved to come away with a crucial three points after being frustrated for over 90 minutes against a tough Wolves side.
Despite Wolves being reduced to 10 men, Arsenal could not make a breakthrough until Nicklas Bendtner grabbed the only goal of the game deep into stoppage-time.
The Gunners eventually emerged with the three points, meaning they are now only one point behind Manchester United after their defeat to Chelsea.
Wenger gave credit to Mick McCarthy's side after the match and was pleased with the win despite the frustrating nature of the contest.
"It is an important victory," the Arsenal manager told Sky Sports after the match.
Chances

"They had a great keeper, they are a good side, they defended very well and we had chances but we couldn't score.
"The longer you leave it the more it gives them belief and they defended in a resilient, intelligent way and we needed to be patient.
"We got, finally, the three points but of course it was immediately after the Champions League game and you want the points, that's what we won today."
A stand-out performance from goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann helped keep the scores level as the final whistle approached.
But despite having numerous opportunities thwarted by Hahnemann and the Wolves defence, Wenger claimed his side never stopped believing that a winner would come.
"No, never, because I know my team never gives up," he added.

Never stopped

"What we have done throughout the season shows that we keep going in the end. We got a good cross and a good goal."
The Frenchman was not drawn on the issue of Karl Henry's red card for a tackle on Tomas Rosicky, but did admit that the Wolves player did not intend to hurt the Czech.
"I would like to see that again, it didn't appear to be a high-footed tackle," he said.
"It was certainly with full power, he was a bit unlucky to catch Rosicky but I didn't see any bad intention, it was maybe violent but not bad intention."
Wenger, whose side are three points behind leaders Chelsea, also promised to keep battling in the Premier League title race
He said: "The gap is three points, we caught (to within) one point behind Man United so it will be interesting, everybody has a difficult schedule.
"It will be very interesting but we will fight until the end."