Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is anticipating a thrilling end to the Premier League season after his side overtook Arsenal at the top.

United beat Derby 1-0 on Saturday, before the Gunners were held at home by Middlesbrough and United are now ahead on goal difference with a game in hand.

Ferguson said: “The league is bubbling up very nicely now, it should be a fantastic finish to the season.” and Wenger added: “We have dropped lots of points and it is a big disappointment.”

Arsenal’s result against Boro was their fourth draw in the league in a row, a run that has seen the Gunners’ five-point lead at the top evaporate.

Wenger continued: “When you are in a race with the opponents we have, it is not ideal to be on this run, but we must keep our spirit and focus. Now we play Chelsea next, so it’s very interesting. We will see at the end of the season what effect this result has. I feel the spirit is there and the players are giving everything, but at the moment it’s not working for us.”

United play their game in hand at home to Bolton on Wednesday and Ferguson said: “Hopefully we can win that as well and stay at the top.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, are only three points behind the top two and have a game in hand on Arsenal, who they entertain at Stamford Bridge on 23 March.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant is “almost sure” Frank Lampard will still be a Chelsea player next season. Lampard, 29, is out of contract in May 2009 and says he does not want to wait until the summer to agree a new deal.

“We plan for next season and I can tell you that Frank will stay at Chelsea. The club wants Frank,” said Grant.

“If we wait and nothing happens then I have got a year left, which is not a position I want to be in,” said the England midfielder.

Newspaper reports suggest Chelsea are lining up a £25m bid for Werder Bremen’s Brazilian midfielder Diego, placing Lampard’s future in doubt.

But Grant said: “Lampard has scored more than 100 goals and I think he will score 150 for Chelsea, I am sure of that. Any player who plays like this is not easy to replace. He is a very important player for the team. He can score and he can also defend. The situation with Frank has not changed.”

Lampard, who scored four goals in Chelsea’s 6-1 demolition of Derby on Wednesday, has been linked with a move to Juventus, who are managed by former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri.

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has revealed he intends to bring Chelsea striker  back to the club. Shevchenko, who is Milan’s second all-time highest goalscorer, left the Italian giants for Chelsea in the summer of 2006.

However, the Ukrainian international has struggled to show his best form at Stamford Bridge and has failed to hold down a regular place in the side.

Shevchenko has never hidden his love for Milan and Rossoneri surpremo Berlusconi is ready to offer a route back to the San Siro.

“I regularly hear from Andrie,” Berlusconi told Gazzetta dello Sport. “And I believe that Roman Abramovich will have no difficulties letting him go.”

“The fans should understand that it would be the right choice. Andrei is a personable player and represents the best solution for us,” added Berlusconi.

John Terry has again insisted that he wants to stay with Chelsea for the rest of his career. The Stamford Bridge captain was involved in a training-ground bust-up with first-team coach Henk ten Cate the day before Sunday’s Carling Cup defeat by Tottenham.

But he has been quick to reiterate that he wants has no plans to leave and is determined to guide the club to more silverware after two months out with a fractured foot.

He said: “I really can’t see myself leaving and I signed a new contract earlier in the season. I love the club, and I’m so passionate about Chelsea. I just want Chelsea to succeed. I like to think I know what the fans go through on a weekly basis. I don’t just come in, train and go home and forget about things, I take it home with me.”

“I am fortunate to be in the position I am at an amazing club like Chelsea, and to enjoy the things that come with being a professional footballer. I have been here on £45 per week and worked my way through to being where I am today. I appreciate everything and work hard every day.”

Terry also admitted that Avram Grant’s squad must use the defeat at Wembley to spur them on to glory in the remainder of the season. “It’s hard to take any defeat, let alone a final, The boys worked their socks off to get to the final, and it’s the worst time to lose, but we have to pick ourselves up, and we’re still fortunate enough to be in all three competitions, and we’re still very much in contention.

“The Premier League is still close, and we have a great chance in the Champions League and FA Cup, which is our trophy so we need to stay positive. Over the last three or four years we’ve got into a mode where we’ve been dominating things and we’ve been in the final stages and had a taste of success.”

“There have been a couple of occasions where we’ve lost out and that is not a nice feeling, and I think no-one likes to lose, we didn’t want to, but we have to use it as a positive and be more hungry in the future. Having that taste of defeat is not a nice feeling to have, and there are things out there we can win, like the Champions League that we still haven’t won.”

Portuguese full-back  has signed a new five-year contract at Chelsea. The 29-year-old has been a mainstay of the Chelsea squad since moving to Stamford Bridge from then-European champions Porto in 2004.

Ferreira had no qualms in committing his future to the Carling Cup finalists and is aiming to help the club to further glory.

“I am delighted to commit my long-term future to Chelsea, the fans have made me very welcome since I have been at Chelsea and I enjoy my football here a lot.

“We have had a lot of success and I am hoping we have more over the coming years.”

Since signing for Chelsea, Ferreira has made 130 appearances for the club, with his only goal coming in an FA Cup tie against Colchester United two years ago. He has made 18 appearances in all competitions for Avram Grant’s side this season, having missed six weeks of the campaign with an ankle injury.

Reggina are furious after they lost starlet  to Chelsea. Manchester United were also chasing the 15-year-old defender, but The Blues have won the race for his signature.

Reggina were ready to offer Camilleri a professional contract when he turned 16 early next month – but they have been informed that he has already agreed terms with Chelsea. Camilleri travelled to London at the start of this week and the move was sealed, but the deal has infuriated Amaranto president Lillo Foti.

“They let him sign a contract but will obviously use it only from March 7th – when he turns 16, But it is only a mirage to follow the rules, because his father told me that they have already signed.”

Foti is angry to have lost one of his best young players and he insists Italian football needs to do something.

“This is not only a problem for Reggina, but for the whole of Italian football, we have worked a lot on our youth setup and then someone from abroad comes and signs our players. As a club we have tried to defend our asset for our own interests as well as those of Italian football as a whole.”

Chelsea are yet to agree terms with Reggina, who are due compensation, but given Camilleri’s age, they will only likely receive a nominal sum.