Wenger said: “He is an intelligent player and combines very well with the players around him. That’s the most important quality at the top level.

“One or two clubs asked about him but we didn’t respond. I wanted to keep him.”

Southampton striker Jo Tessem certainly believes it will be Arsenal – and not United – who lift the Premier League trophy aloft in May.

Saints lost 2-0 at home to the Red Devils on Saturday as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs separated the sides.

But Tessem said: “I think Arsenal are a much better team. They play better football and seem like a whole team more than Man United do, but you never know what’s going to happen.”

You never quite know what will happen at Elland Road either, with Leeds boss Terry Venables’ future still unclear after the £9m sale of Jonathan Woodgate to Newcastle.

He watched his shell of a team – ravaged by the January sales – lose 2-0 to an Everton side inspired by Canadian striker Tomasz Radzinski.

He scored the Toffees’ second after he was shoved in the box by Danny Mills to earn David Unsworth the chance to score the first from a penalty.

Radzinski admitted the club should now be looking at a fourth-place finish - which would mean qualification for the Champions League.

“At the moment we are in a position in the league to play European football. We should now not look back but forward and the next step, which is a place in the Champions League,” he said.

“Whoever is behind us now must worry about whether they are going to catch us and we have to worry about staying ahead.”

Tottenham boss Glenn Hoddle defended himself and club chairman Daniel Levy after the club failed to bring in a striker following the departures of Les Ferdinand and Sergei Rebrov during the transfer window.

“We worked tirelessly to achieve our goal and there were times in the last week when the chairman was still in talks at 3am,” said Hoddle.

“The chairman and myself are just as frustrated as our supporters. We were very close but there were difficult scenarios with a few players.

“I could have maybe brought a striker in on loan – but I didn’t feel it was right to panic-buy and gobble up money which might be needed in the summer.”

Even though Hoddle had to rely on old hand Teddy Sheringham for Spurs’ goal in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea, for whom Gianfranco Zola scored a sublime free-kick equaliser, the eternal optimist said: “I believe this squad can get into Europe, which would put us on a platform in the summer where we might be able to entice players of a better standard to the club.

“There’s a positive to any negative and that’s how I look at it.”

West Brom boss Gary Megson was heartened to see his side battle against the odds to beat Manchester City 2-1 at Maine Road.

An own goal by Phil Gilchrist cancelled out Neil Clement’s opener but Darren Moore netted a winner as the Baggies withstood City pressure with 10 men after the late sending-off of Jason Roberts for clashing with David Sommeil.

“We have been told since the start of the season that we would go down and that is bound to have an impact,” said Megson.

“It would be easy to duck it and throw in the towel but there is plenty of character in this squad and we will keep on battling. You just keep picking yourself up and giving it your best.”

West Brom now face a make-or-break encounter with Bolton at The Hawthorns on Saturday but could then find themselves without Roberts for three crucial matches.

Michael Proctor’s two own goals contributed to Sunderland slipping to the bottom of the Premiership in a bizarre 3-0 home reverse to Charlton, but Black Cats manager Howard Wilkinson defended the youngster, who was unfortunate rather than negligent and left the field in tears when he was substituted in the second half.

“Michael’s a Sunderland boy, his dream come true is to play for Sunderland. He cares and it’s just ironic it happened to be Michael,” said Wilkinson.

“He’s a kid out there in the toughest man’s world, fighting at the bottom of the league, and I wish it had not happened to him.

“Other people out there were better qualified to deal with it, but afterwards he never shirked, never hid, and took responsibility. As a consequence I think he will be a bigger person for having dealt with it.”

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce was furious at the manner of his side’s 4-2 defeat at Bolton, a result which leaves the Blues just two points above the Trotters in 17th.

“It was self-inflicted. You can’t legislate for what happened in this game,” he said.

“We made elementary mistakes and shot ourselves in the foot when I thought we would go on and win the game.”

French striker Christophe Dugarry could be doubtful for the game against Manchester United tomorrow after suffering a hamstring problem at the Reebok Stadium.