Arsenal
Arsenal - six points behind leaders Manchester United and three adrift of second-placed Chelsea, who travel to Old Trafford next weekend - now face a battle to hold onto third place and with it automatic Champions League qualification ahead of FA Cup finalists Manchester City. Aaron Ramsey, though, insists Arsenal are fully focused on finishing the campaign in style. "Our target was just to win the remaining games, so we have started on that," he said. "Hopefully now we can continue this and let's see where that takes us."Aston Villa
Kyle Walker is urging Villa to bounce back from the gutting defeat against West Brom with a win against Wigan. Walker said the dressing room was numb after the derby loss to the Baggies, as they pounced with minutes remaining to steal a winner at The Hawthorns. But he said the team would now show character and put on a solid display when they return to Villa Park at the weekend. He said: "We're all gutted. It was a derby and the boys in the dressing room were hurting on the final whistle. But we've got the game next week now and we have to pick ourselves up for that one. Saturday is a big game. Wigan need to win but we're looking to bounce back with one ourselves. We're determined to get this result out of our system and look forward. Wigan are going to come and try and get the win but we need to be defensively strong. The crowd will be behind us so that will be great. The fans are tremendous. Since I've been at Villa both home and away they have been brilliant.I've noticed them singing and chanting and it helps me play better. Hopefully they can cheer us on. We wish we were playing sooner than Saturday. I wish the match was on Tuesday so you can put this game to bed. But I'm sure Saturday will come around soon enough and we can get the result we're looking for. We'll stay positive." Birmingham City
Ben Foster has pledged his future to Birmingham as he approaches the end of his first season at St Andrew's. There has been speculation goalkeeper Foster could emerge as a target for some of the leading clubs after an excellent campaign following his £6m switch from Manchester United. He has helped Blues to Carling Cup glory and the verge of securing Barclays Premier League football for a third successive campaign. In addition, Foster has regained his place in the England squad. But Foster, whose rare error cost his side a goal in the 1-1 home draw with Wolves on Sunday, is adamant he is happy with life at City. He said: "I was at Watford on loan for two years and this is up there with that. I've loved every minute of this season. The dressing room we've got here and the spirit is fantastic. I wouldn't want to leave that to be honest with you. I'm back home in the area where I was born. I saw (West Brom striker) Peter Odemwingie being interviewed and he said a happy man at home is a happy man on the pitch. I totally agree with it. It is nice to be linked (with other clubs) but it is always the way. You see Heurelho Gomes at Spurs make a mistake on Saturday and Tottenham are going to be linked with 10 keepers. That's the way it is, but I'm happy here." Blackburn Rovers
Freiburg claim they have received an offer from Blackburn Rovers for striker Papiss Cisse. The Senegal international has scored 22 goals in this season's Bundesliga and has been linked with a host of clubs. Freiburg sporting director Dirk Dufner said: "I can confirm that Blackburn have made us an offer." Arsenal and Liverpool are also among the clubs linked with a move for the 25-year-old, who is under contract until 2014. Blackpool
Ian Evatt admits the Seasiders have to secure their Barclays Premier League future before the final day of the season. A point at home to Stoke City kept Ian Holloway's side out of the bottom three courtesy of their goal difference, which is just one better than Wigan Athletic's. Evatt believes one more win, which would lift them to 38 points, will be enough to secure a second season in the top flight but that it has to come in their next two matches as they head to Old Trafford on the final day - where Manchester United have dropped just two points all season. "Nobody knows how many points we will need but I believe three more will be enough," he said. "We will be going for them on Saturday at Tottenham. If we don't get them there, we will be looking at a massive match against Bolton at home. We have to win that one really because we don't want to be going to Old Trafford needing a win." Bolton Wanderers
Owen Coyle is looking forward to midfielder Sean Davis' return to action next season. The former England Under-21 international has not made a first-team appearance in more than 20 months after undergoing major knee surgery twice. His likely return will be for pre-season in the summer and Coyle said the player was striving to regain his fitness and form. "Sean is on his way back and the specialists are all pleased with his progress up to this point," said the Wanderers manager. "But he is still well away from being at the level Sean is capable of playing at. It will be next season before you see Sean back to his best but he is coming along well and after everything he's been through he's still in great spirits. His motivation is to get back and have a career he was known for." Chelsea
Carlo Ancelotti has urged his Chelsea players to seize "the moment" by beating Manchester United next Sunday to stay on course for the greatest comeback in Barclays Premier League title history. Asked what the key was to winning against their title rivals, Blues manager Ancelotti said: "The moment. You need to use character and personality to play this match. Both teams have that, but it is the momentum." Ancelotti, who revealed his players "spirit" had also improved since their European exit, said: "It is the best moment to play there because now our condition is good and the momentum is also. But obviously it will not be easy to play there. I don't think we are better (than United). I think we have the same power, the same strength, the same ability." Everton
David Moyes admits predecessor Walter Smith remains a source of inspiration as he bids to plug the huge financial gulf separating his team from the top Barclays Premier League clubs. Smith has led Rangers to two successive Scottish Premier League titles during a two-year spell when the club's debt prevented him buying a player. Given Rangers' budget dwarves all their other SPL rivals other than Celtic, Moyes - and Smith before him - faced more frustrating constraints with Everton unable to compete financially with the top English clubs. But Moyes has still led Everton to four top-six finishes since replacing Smith at Goodison Park in March 2002. "Managers have to work with no money sometimes," Moyes said. "To be a great manager doesn't mean to say that it's because you have money and you buy players. You also have to find ways of winning without money and make the best out your team, and I think that's what Walter has done. Walter has been someone I have always looked up to. When I played for the Scottish youth team a long time ago it was Andy Roxburgh who was the manager and Walter was the assistant. So I have sort of known him from those days. When I took the Everton job I had to make sure he was giving me my blessing, that he was happy with that. I have always found him a really good guy. He will be one of the great Scottish managers, that's for sure." fulham
Philippe Senderos made a winning debut for Fulham in the 3-0 defeat of Sunderland on Saturday. Having missed the majority of the season as a result of an Achilles injury, the 26-year-old came in for the absent Brede Hangeland and did well in what was at times a testing 90 minutes of football. "I haven't played a lot of football and this was my first competitive game of the season," he explained. "It took a little while to find my feet, which is natural, but of course, this was a good day all round. I had waited a long time to make my debut for the club, and I'm delighted to have finally pulled on the shirt. But of course, it is never about individuals - the team performed very well and in what was a difficult game we got the job done. I think we showed a lot of character and quite often in football, that can be the big difference." Liverpool
Kenny Dalglish has refused to speculate on what the club could have achieved this season had he been appointed sooner. Sunday's 3-0 win over Newcastle lifted the Reds up to fifth - ahead of Tottenham on goal difference - and their highest place of the current campaign. Since Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson in early January with the club in 12th place the transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. The Scot has taken 30 points from 15 matches, with his unbeaten home record showing six wins and two draws in the Barclays Premier League. Such results point to the folly, albeit with hindsight, of overlooking the former player for a second stint as manager when Rafael Benitez departed last summer. But the current incumbent was keen to avoid getting into a debate about potential scenarios had he ridden to the club's rescue sooner than he did. "I would rather the 'What if?' was if I had never taken charge," he said. "Because it would have meant they (the players) were doing a lot better than what we were, still have had the same run and the club would have been more successful than what it is at this moment in time. That's the `What if?' for me." Manchester City
Vincent Kompany was pleased Nigel De Jong and Zabaleta got on the scoresheet - even if it leaves him as one of only two outfield regulars at the club without a goal this season, alongside Jerome Boateng. "I was happy to see Nigel score because he really has been looking for that goal for such a long time," Kompany said. "I know he can score because I played with him at Hamburg and he did there. I hope that will trigger his account now and who knows, maybe we will see five or 10 goals a season from Nigel! He can handle the pressure. We joke about things like this but it's also a challenge. We joke about Zaba as well, and obviously he has also done it now. I had better start working on it now - I can score as well, so it can't be that long before I get one."Manchester United
Patrice Evra is focused on Manchester United winning the Barclays Premier League title despite the defeat against Arsenal. "Our destiny is still in our own hands," said Evra. "We have two massive games coming up, against Schalke and Chelsea. We must focus on recovering for the Schalke game but we also know if we want to win the title we have to beat Chelsea. If we don't beat them we are going to be in trouble. We don't want to be in trouble. But I have to say, I am not worried. Against Arsenal, we did not do the things we normally do. Hopefully it was an accident because we have five games left. Every one is like a final. We need to win them all." Newcastle United
Jonas Gutierrez admitted that Newcastle had been beaten by the better team on the day following Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool. The Argentine was United's outstanding performer as he continued to cause problems for The Reds' defence throughout an otherwise disappointing afternoon at Anfield. But his compatriot Maxi Rodriguez gave Liverpool the lead and Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez added second half goals as the Merseysiders' revival under Kenny Dalglish continues apace. Their latest three points took them above Tottenham and into fifth place in the Barclays Premier League, and Gutierrez was full of praise for their performance. "They are a strong team with really good players and I think they played a good game." he said. "Maybe the scoreline was a little big but I think they had the more opportunities to win. The difference was in the first half we created more of the ball and we could create more chances, but in the second half it was different because we didn't have too much of the ball so it's hard to do what we want. The second goal was bad luck for us because we're playing away in a stadium which is really big, against a big team, but that is football and we have to now think about the next game."Stoke City
Ryan Shotton is ready to take over from Rory Delap when he decides to stop taking Stoke's long throws. Delap has been the club's specialist at the set-play, but Shotton is ready to eventually take over after demonstrating a pretty decent delivery of his own at Blackpool. The 22-year-old notched up another milestone on Saturday with his Barclays Premier League debut - and wasted no time in showing the length and power of his throw once Delap had departed in the last 10 minutes. "I've had that throw out on loan at Altrincham, Tranmere and Barnsley," he said, "but I just haven't had the chance at Stoke because Rory has taken the limelight. I've just got to get that bit of spin on the ball and throw it a bit flatter. I haven't really practiced, but perhaps I should. If ever Rory comes off it's one of the things I've got in my locker." Sunderland
Despite their recent slump, Sunderland remain six points clear of the drop zone with just nine left for which to play, and they are unlikely to be sucked back into the pack. They head for Bolton next weekend before entertaining struggling Wolves, and then travel to bottom-of-the-table West Ham on the final day of the season. While manager Steve Bruce knows Mick McCarthy's men and the Hammers in particular will be scrapping desperately for the points, he is happy enough with the way the fixture list has panned out. He said: "We couldn't have wished for a better run-in, even though they are big games because they are teams who are fighting for their lives. But we know against the teams we are playing in the next few weeks, we are capable of getting a result. I would rather be going to, no disrespect, the Reebok at Bolton or West Ham rather than Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, so we have got a chance. The one thing I know about the Premier League is it's always a hard game. It doesn't matter who you play against, you have to be at the top of your game." Tottenham Hotspur
Niko Kranjcar's agent says a host of clubs are interested in signing the Tottenham midfielder and expects his future to be decided within the next 10 days. Kranjcar was a regular member of Harry Redknapp's starting XI last year but he has fallen down the pecking order this term, largely due to the improvement of Gareth Bale and the signing of Steven Pienaar. The winger, who has two years left on his contract, voiced his concern at a lack of first-team football last month, and his agent, Adrian Aliaj, admits he is becoming disheartened with warming the bench at White Hart Lane. Kranjcar turned down the chance to move to Werder Bremen in January, but may be tempted to move to one of the Serie A giants interested in him this summer if Redknapp cannot give him assurances about his future. "Niko is not happy with the situation at Tottenham at the moment. He wants to play. It is a shame that a man of Niko's quality is on the bench," Aliaj said. "He is loyal to the club and has a contract but it is difficult for him. It can be a problem when a player is not playing. When he is not playing he is not happy. He feels down. Some clubs in Italy are interested him. Lazio, Roma, Juventus - they are all interested, as well as some teams in Spain and in Germany. It's normal to have teams like these interested in a player with such quality. Niko will meet with the manager in the next seven to 10 days to sort out his future. After this meeting, then we will know what is happening." West Bromwich Albion
Paul Scharner had no complaints about being sent off for two bookable offences by referee Phil Dowd and praised his West Bromwich Albion team-mates for overcoming his absence and beating Aston Villa. He said: "I have no complaints, not really. It was maybe the wrong time to get my first red card in the English game. But the team battled on with 10 men and did really well. We fought back and I think in the end we deserved to win." West Ham United
Avram Grant was staying upbeat despite watching his side slip to a fifth straight defeat at Manchester City. City were 2-0 up within the opening 15 minutes, Nigel de Jong powering home his first goal for the club and then Pablo Zabaleta guiding a shot on target beyond Robert Green which Lars Jacobsen inadvertently blasted into the net as he attempted to kick the ball away. The Hammers hit back in the 33rd minute through Demba Ba, but it was the hosts who looked more likely to score another after the break and deservedly held on for all three points. "We made a very bad start - in the first 20 minutes we were not in the game, they had scored two goals and could have scored more," Grant said. "We had a great comeback and showed a lot of spirit and the character of the team, and we made it 2-1 - also Robbie Keane had a big chance. In the second half we could have done some more, so there were a lot of positives to take for the next games, which are the most important ones."Wigan Athletic
Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi is still convinced Wigan will beat relegation - and hopefully with something to spare. Wigan remain in the Barclays Premier League bottom three on goal difference after a late penalty from their former defender Leighton Baines denied them a vital win over Everton. Roberto Martinez's men now have just three matches to avoid the drop but Al Habsi feels the team can take huge encouragement from their latest performance at the DW Stadium. Wigan travel to Aston Villa next week before hosting fellow strugglers West Ham in a crucial contest and then facing Stoke on the final day. The Oman international said: "We are disappointed because we really wanted to win this game to make it more comfortable for ourselves. We played a fantastic game and it was not easy, but we have to understand everything is in our hands. We know we have three other games. They are going to be tough but we have to stay relaxed and think carefully about the next game against Aston Villa. I think the games against Villa and West Ham are the biggest games of the season. We don't want to leave it until the end - we want to get something from these two games. Of course we can do it. We have confidence and good players in the team."Wolverhampton Wanderers
Adam Hammill insists Wolves will take the point gained from St Andrew's as a positive as they aim for all three in Sunday's Black Country derby. Hammill, who came on at half time in the 1-1 draw, and his Wolves team-mates were unable to break down Birmingham's stubborn second half resistance having been reduced to ten men by the 29th minute dismissal of Craig Gardner. But he believes they have to move on from the point and concentrate on trying to add three more when West Bromwich Albion are the visitors on Sunday. "It's another point on the board that's the way you have to look at it," said Hammill. "It might be the one that keeps us up so we'll take the positives from it. We couldn't afford to lose against Birmingham and it's another point on the tally. It's going to go to the wire and we'll keep fighting. Teams are sometimes harder to break down with ten men. It might be strange to say that but they were compact, sitting back and fighting for every ball. Sometimes they can be difficult to break down but every point is a prisoner and we have to keep getting them. We were still pushing forward to try and get the goal and just didn't get a bit of luck or the ricochets which we might have got in another game. There was the scramble towards the end when it came out and handball was given against me when I didn't think it was." 
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