10:27am Monday 12th May 2008
ARSENE WENGER has warned Alex Ferguson that his side will face a fight' to reclaim their Premier League crown next season.
The Arsenal boss offered his congratulations to Manchester United's team, who won the league for the second successive year, but immediately laid down the challenge for next year.
"The message I have is, 'Congratulations and get ready for the fight next year'," Wenger said after his side's 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
"This win gives us 83 points which is respectable. I have won championships with fewer than that and it highlights the level of competition.
"There was very little difference between the three teams who fought for the championship.
"Any little weakness and you were punished because Manchester United finished with 87, Chelsea 85 and we finished with 83.
"Where Manchester United made the difference was at home. They took similar points to us away from home and fewer than Chelsea, but at home, they had 17 victories."
The Frenchman admitted he was disappointed at his side's poor end to the season after throwing away a five-point lead over United, but insisted he had seen enough of his young guns to harbour high hopes for next year.
"It feels like an anticlimax for us. It's disappointing but there's hope for the future because we have such a young side.
"We had a very young side here: the average age was 22.3 without the bench, and with the bench it would have gone down to 20. I think we can only be stronger next season. I think we have learned."
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk