Mind games

Ferguson says Arsenal is over-confident

Alex Ferguson: "I think there is an air of that over-confidence at Highbury -- and that may well cost them." Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

LONDON (AP) -- Alex Ferguson is playing mind games again.

The Manchester United manager has turned up the psychological battle with Arsenal by suggesting the Gunners are overconfident and could pay for their cockiness by losing their bid for the Premier League title.

Arsenal is four points clear of Liverpool and five ahead of United, with three games remaining for all three clubs.

Arsene Wenger's side has also reached the FA Cup final as it pursues a repeat of its 1998 league-cup double.

"They keep saying they're gonna win this, they're gonna win that but they haven't won anything yet," Ferguson was quoted as saying Friday. "Sometimes you can be too confident.

"I think there is an air of that over-confidence at Highbury -- and that may well cost them. If that kind of thing happens, they may end up regretting all those things they have said. I think Arsenal will drop points, I really do."

Arsenal needs to win two of its remaining three games to end United's three-year reign as champions.

The Gunners return to action against Bolton on Monday before visiting Old Trafford the next week and then playing Everton on the final day of the season.

Ferguson further spiced up the United-Arsenal rivalry by suggeting the Gunners, who have had 12 players sent off this season, could be undermined by their poor disciplinary record.

"Maybe Arsenal are due a little blip with the few games they've not yet played in the league," he said. "Robert Pires is out for the rest of the season and they've got a discipline problem at times, so you never know what might happen.

"It's only really Arsenal who haven't had a blip. They've kept their consistency quite well, whereas we had a terrible blip earlier on in the season, Liverpool had a few blips along the way, so have Chelsea and Newcastle, while Leeds haven't really gone on this season.

"We're hoping that Arsenal can draw a game and Liverpool can draw a game. Then in the last week of the season we've got Arsenal coming here, which we need to win to stand a chance."

But Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said his side is not stupid enough to fall into the trap of over-confidence.

"I respect Alex Ferguson but I ignore any comment," Wenger told reporters at Arsenal's training ground Friday.

"Things are down to us and how we play. The belief and the determination are so high in the squad that we will keep going... we are really up for it.

"The commitment shown by my team in every game is a guarantee of achievement... the rest is just to be ignored."

Wenger, whose team have now won 10 consecutive league games, summed up: "To win, it's important that you're confident, and we are confident.

"But we are not stupid. We know it's all to do.

"I think we are at just the right level of concentration," he added.

"The team's attitude is just spot on. These guys are battlers and winners, and they know how difficult it is to win and that's why they put the effort in."

Wenger made it clear he was not expecting any help this weekend from north London neighbor Tottenham Hotspur, which faces Liverpool on Saturday, or Ipswich Town, which hosts champion Manchester United later in the day.

"We don't expect any favors from anybody, we just expect ourselves to do the job," the Frenchman said. "The three teams have different jobs, and difficult jobs at that."

With three league games left to play, Arsenal's next match is on Monday, away to Bolton Wanderers.

Ferguson said last week's win over Chelsea shows the Reds are still in the title race.

"It was a dominating performance, which I think made it clear that while we cannot be favorites for the championship, we have no intention of taking the pressure off Arsenal and Liverpool," he said.

"Our blip against Middlesbrough could cost us, because we now need our rivals to make mistakes, but the important thing is that we have not given up. It's good that our opponents on the domestic front are aware of that."

United captain Roy Keane will start against Ipswich after making a quick recovery from the hamstring injury sustained on April 2.

The Ireland midfielder made a surprise return as a substitute in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions Cup draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

Definitely out is England defender Gary Neville, who broke a bone in his left foot against the German side and will miss the rest of the season. His status for the World Cup remains in doubt.

Neville's place at right back will go either to his younger brother, Phil, or veteran Denis Irwin. Juan Sebastian Veron will be rested because of a recurring Achilles heel injury.

 

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