Last chance for Arsenal


( L - R ) Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger, Man United's Cristiano Ronaldo - Ap



LONDON (AP)
Only one thing can keep Arsenal in contention for a trophy this season - a victory at Manchester United on Sunday.

After exiting the Champions League to Liverpool on Tuesday, the Gunners need to win at Old Trafford against the Premier League leader if they are to have any realistic chance of wresting the title from United's grip.

But Arsenal have already lost 4-0 at United in the FA Cup this season and needed a last-minute equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium in November's previous Premier League .

With morale low after a five-point lead turned into a six-point deficit in less than two months, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faces one of his toughest ever tasks when he tries to make his players believe they can win.

"He will talk about that for sure,'' Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor said. ''We will meet in the dressing room and he will tell us what to do.

"He has more experience than anyone here, and he knows the words to use so that we can come back on the pitch, be more successful, and want it more.''



Lack of experience
But that reliance on Wenger, who has won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups in 11 years at Arsenal, because of a lack of experience on the field could be what costs Arsenal a shot at success this season.

Wenger has spurned the chance to spend the club's reserves of cash on new players, preferring to rely upon the young talent he has brought through the youth teams.

The move paid dividends for the first six months of the season as the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Adebayor produced some of the most vibrant and penetrating football of the Premier League's 16-year history.

Unbeaten in the league until December, Arsenal's season disintegrated following a pair of cup defeats to two of their fiercest rivals.

Tottenham routed Arsenal 5-1 in a League Cup semi-final in January and United then beat the Gunners 4-0 in the FA Cup less than a month later.

Wenger's decision to field weakened teams in both matches seemed to have backfired because of the hit taken by the squad's confidence. Arsenal, who have not won the league since their unbeaten season of 2003-04, have won just two of their next 11 matches - a run that culminated with Tuesday's loss at Anfield.

"We were so close to the Champions League semi-finals but football decided it the other way,'' Adebayor said. ''As a player, these things are very difficult to take. We scored, it was 2-2 with only a few minutes to go and I do not know how they managed to get a penalty.

"You can imagine it ... within seven minutes we were in the semi-final. Then that all went away.''

And Arsenal's chances looked even slimmer Thursday when key midfielder Mathieu Flamini was ruled out for three weeks because of an ankle injury he sustained against Liverpool.

United, meanwhile, is flying after beating AS Roma 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney should be fresh after being rested against the Italian league title contender, and United got another boost when captain Gary Neville came on as a late substitute after more than a year out injured.

"Missing the end of last season was bad,'' Neville said. ''So it's good to be back to help the team now. People kept asking me when I was coming back and it was a bit embarra**ing.

"I'd try and give them a date and then it wouldn't materialise. But the fans have always supported me.''

Victory is just as important for United since Chelsea are only three points back in second place and host lowly Wigan on Monday.