Fergie keen to spice up title race

Sir Alex Ferguson takes his Manchester United side to Fulham tonight urging them to turn the Premiership title race into one of the most exciting ever.

Yesterday's Highbury stalemate will allow United to cut the gap on leaders Chelsea to seven points and move to within two of fellow title challengers Arsenal if they can extend their four-match winning sequence by collecting maximum points at Craven Cottage.

With Everton maintaining their unexpected push towards the top of the table and fifth-placed Middlesbrough not that far off the pace, the battle for league supremacy could be one of the most open since the Premiership was formed in 1992.

And for Ferguson, that would be a welcome development after years of duelling between his own club and Arsenal.

"It would probably be better for the league if three or four teams were involved at the end," he said.

"We had a situation like that in February a couple of years back, although in the end it frittered away to ourselves and Arsenal. It could very well happen again, although at the moment it looks as though three teams will contest it."

The 2-2 draw between Arsenal and Chelsea gives United the chance to make up ground on their rivals, providing they can get a better result than the 1-1 draw they managed on their last two capital encounters with the Cottagers.

"There is an opportunity to close the gap and we have to take it," said Ferguson.

"Our form has been good over the last few weeks and we have been buoyed by that but equally, Fulham's confidence will have been lifted by their win over Norwich last week."

Ferguson also comes up against former United front-man Andy Cole, who netted 121 goals in 268 appearances for United until he left for Blackburn three years ago.

Ferguson said: "I still think he is one of the best strikers in the business and we will have to be aware of him, especially in the area because there are few as quick as he is inside the box."

Ferguson has his own striking problems at the moment, with former Fulham favourite Louis Saha out for at least three weeks with a knee problem, while Ruud van Nistelrooy's place in tonight's game is in doubt due to a troublesome calf injury.

It means either Wayne Rooney or Alan Smith will operate as a lone front man.

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