Nani: Gunners main threat

Manchester United winger Nani views Arsenal as a bigger title threat than Chelsea this season.

The Gunners visit Old Trafford on Monday looking to consolidate top spot in the Barclays Premier League table. For their part, United know a home win would allow them to jump back to the summit, while retaining a match in hand following the postponement of last week's visit to Blackpool.

It promises to be a feast of football, with Nani believing it represents the acid test of United's trophy ambitions.

"Arsenal are a bigger threat than Chelsea now," he said.

"Chelsea have lost a few games and drawn some and their confidence looks a bit low.

"But Arsenal have been winning and being top of the league gives you great confidence."

The north London giants have lost three times on home soil this season.

However, away from the Emirates they have been a formidable force, managing recent victories over Manchester City, Everton and Aston Villa, none of whom United were able to beat on their own travels.

"Arsenal have been doing well. They are growing up in the way we are," the Portugal star said.

In Samir Nasri, the Gunners boast a player who is at the very top of his game and arguably the most influential in the top flight at present.

"Nasri is the most important player in the Arsenal team," said Nani.

"He is a very big danger for us and we have to take care of him."

Arsenal might well feel the same way about United's confident winger.

It was Nani's direct running that got Arsene Wenger's side into a flap on their most recent meeting in January as United extended an unbeaten run against Arsenal to four matches in very impressive style.

"I like to play against Arsenal," he said.

"It is good playing against any big team but I have done well against them in the past.

"The way they play gives you a chance to show your quality."

Man Utd board warming to Inter Milan boss Mourinho

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho's character is growing on the decision-makers at Manchester United.

The Daily Mail says those closest to the former Chelsea manager insist he is far from content in Italy.

That, given half a chance, he would be back here in a flash. While nothing is ever straight-forward with the self-anointed Special One, his most likely suitors at Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool might just want to consider how they would respond should he suddenly become available.

At United they see changes in Mourinho. They see a more mature manager with more humility after his experiences at Chelsea and Inter, and they see someone who was utterly charming when he came to Old Trafford last season for the first knock-out stage of the Champions League.

They also see him as someone chief executive David Gill could work with.

Man Utd legend Cole: Man City making all the right noises

Manchester United legend Andy Cole says Manchester City are heading in the right direction under Sheikh Mansour.

Cole, in his column for the National in Abu Dhabi, is convinced City are getting the important decisions right.

He wrote: “The step up from where City have been placed in recent years is massive.

“The top four is such a hard group of teams to break into yet they have already beaten Arsenal, the team playing the best football in England at the moment. And while City have dropped points by drawing, they have only lost one of their 11 league games this season

“City are sixth in the table, with a game in hand on most of the teams above them. They were 13th this time last season. The club have undergone a big change and there have been a lot of player movements, but City are moving forward in the right direction.

“I see that every week when I watch my son play for City’s Under 15s. The club’s new resources are not just being lavished on first-team players, but on the infrastructure. There were bound to be some growing pains, because City have gone from a club who went for the second tier of players and now they go for the first.

“When I played there, the big signing was the Greek striker Georgios Samaras for £6million (Dh30m). With respect to him, now City sign world-class players."

Man City's Adebayor: We'd have beaten Man Utd if I'd been playing

Manchester City ace Emmanuel Adebayor was gutted to miss their derby defeat at Manchester United.

Adebayor, who missed the Manchester derby because of a three-match ban imposed for a stamp on Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, said: "No way did United deserve to beat us. I am sure I would have scored had I been on the pitch."

The Togo ace also told the People: "I had a bad afternoon against Manchester United because I am sure that if I had played that day then I would have scored a goal.

"It was a shame that we lost in added time. United did not deserve to win - a fair result would have been a draw."