Vieira has twin target in sight for Gunners

PATRICK VIEIRA has every confidence Arsenal could yet salvage their own double from this season.

Despite a successful Premiership title defence now looking out of their grasp, victory at Blackburn on Saturday kept the Gunners within two points of second-placed Manchester United.

Arsenal will meet Mark Hughes’ men again in next month’s FA Cup semi-final at the Millennium Stadium and the France midfielder believes it would be some achievement to go on to lift the famous trophy as runners up in the league.

“Arsenal are a big club and we want to finish as high as we can,” reflected the Gunners skipper.

“We know that to finish first will be very difficult and that Chelsea are in a really good position to win the Premiership. We wanted to keep tight on Manchester United, because to get second place would be really important. Hopefully if we finish second and win the FA Cup, it would be a good season for us.”

Arsenal were missing several key players against Rovers at Ewood Park, where a fine individual effort from Robin van Persie just before half-time proved enough to claim all three points. It was a sixth goal of the campaign for the 21-year-old Holland forward, and his captain has been impressed by what the youngster has shown.

“It is his first season at the club and it has been a bit of a tough time,” Vieira said.

“He is learning a lot, and is still really young - but he is a boy with a lot of talent and you could see that in the goal he scored.”

Vieira, though, insisted Saturday‘s result would have little influence on the outcome when the sides meet again in Cardiff for a place in the FA Cup final.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg would be expected to feature for the Gunners on April 16, and Vieira reflected: “The FA Cup is a different competition and will be a completely different game.

“We had a few boys who were not here, but we keep working really hard for each other. And way they Blackburn lost, they will fight in the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for both clubs.”

Vieira, 28, will be away with the France squad for this week’s World Cup qualifiers, along with Henry, who is expected to be available despite being sidelined recently by a calf problem.

The first of those matches is against Switzerland in Paris on Saturday, where Vieira could come up against his Highbury team-mate Philippe Senderos, who has earned a first call-up to his full national team.

The emergence of Arsenal‘s youngsters into the first team has been one of the highlights of a frustrating campaign for Arsene Wenger, whose side failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they lost to Bayern Munich.

And despite admitting he is likely to be in the market for “one or two players” over the summer - Verona starlet Valon Behrami, 19, and Stuttgart midfielder Alexander Hleb, 23, the latest names to be linked with a switch to Highbury - Wenger insisted: “We have to find the right way to build a great team.

“To put new players in front of Senderos, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy just because they have made a name would be a mistake.

“That is why we have to add one or two players. We must be wise and not destroy what we have built up with our intense work.”

Meanwhile, Brazil midfielder Gilberto played in the reserves against Southampton on Sunday night as he continues to build up his match fitness following a back problem, along with Pascal Cygan, who had been out with a thigh injury.

However, England centre-back Sol Campbell (ankle) and Brazil midfielder Edu (knee) are still some way from a return to first-team contention.