Ferguson fires off defiant blast

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was in defiant mood after his team ended Chelsea’s 40-match unbeaten league run.

A goal from Darren Fletcher divided the two sides in a thrilling encounter at Old Trafford.

Asked if he felt under pressure, Ferguson blasted: “It’s absolute b******s that, there is always pressure here. We went 13 games without winning once. Winning is always important here.”

He added on Sky Sports: “What we face is young players who have to get consistency, the bones of the team are sitting in the stand, no use to us. It’s belief, and remembering what their abilities are about.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Robin van Persie is starting to show signs that he can build a long-term partnership with Thierry Henry having scored his fifth goal in four games.

Henry found the target twice as the Gunners chalked up their sixth successive home league win with a 3-1 defeat of Sunderland.

Wenger said: “I feel that he is the closest prospect to partner Thierry Henry as a central striker. He does not have the experience and the final ball of Dennis (Bergkamp) but he can score goals and has some class as well.”

Rafael Benitez hailed the improvement in Liverpool’s defensive qualities and reiterated his belief his team is stronger than the one which achieved Champions League glory last season.

They ended an unwanted sequence with the 2-0 triumph at Aston Villa – their first away win for two years in a match immediately after playing in Europe.

Anfield boss Benitez said: “The most important thing for me is that the team is stronger than last season. There is one statistic which shows that in that we now have as many clean sheets in the Premiership as we had in the whole of last season.”

Wigan manager Paul Jewell knows his side face a big test of character after the international break but one he is relishing.

The newly-promoted side moved into second spot with a 2-0 victory at Portsmouth and are setting the top flight alight.

He said: “We have got two weeks now to prepare for our next game against Arsenal. After that there are a lot of other tough games before Christmas. But we have a winning mentality and everything is geared to winning.”

David Moyes believes his Everton side have finally reached a turning point in their season.

He witnessed their 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough, which took them out of the bottom three after a run of three games undefeated in the top flight.

Moyes said: “We have been trying to get a run going and in the short term we have done quite well. But now the signs are good, and we need to make this a long-term thing.”

Newcastle defeated Birmingham 1-0 and are proving difficult to break down as defender Steven Taylor acknowledged.

“From a defensive point of view, it was brilliant to keep another clean sheet,” he said. “That is six now – our record in the whole of last season. It just shows how we are improving.”

Steed Malbranque scored both goals for Fulham in the victory against the club that courted him in the summer – Manchester City.

Certainly City manager Stuart Pearce remains an admirer of the Frenchman’s all-round game after his team’s 2-1 defeat.

“I know a good player when I see one and Steed’s a good player. He scored two good goals against us, scraps away and is a credit to Fulham,” he said.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes believes his side are gaining momentum following the 4-1 victory against Charlton.

He insisted: “We won’t be involved in any relegation situation. That’s not an issue this season. We have earned headlines for the wrong reasons for too long. Maybe our general play has not warranted any credit being given to it, but here I think it did.”

West Ham boss Alan Pardew is taking his players on a mid-season break to Spain - but warned them the trip would be all work and no play.

Pardew will take advantage of the international football break to give his players a change of scenery after the 1-0 win over West Brom.

He said: “In the past, trips like this would have been about having a few lagers together. But there is going to be nothing like that going on this time. We have got other things planned for them.”