Ferguson: United were unlucky

Sir Alex Ferguson: Felt Manchester United were unlucky against Manchester City

United's lead at the top of the table was trimmed to 12 points with seven games remaining after an excellent solo effort from substitute Sergio Aguero earned City the win.
Ferguson, who believes there was an element of offside about City's opener from James Milner, was satisfied with his side's performance, particularly in the second half.

"It was a very tense, competitive game, it was the two best teams in the country," Ferguson told Sky Sports 1. "The opening period was end to end, but nothing quite happened.
"We were quite dangerous a few times on the counter-attack and we maybe could have done better, but in the second half I thought we were the better team and were unlucky to lose it.
"If you look at the goals we lost, I know Aguero is a fantastic finisher but we gave him a lot of room and for the first goal certainly Tevez is interfering with play, but the linesman that side, there's no way he's giving that, but Tevez is clearly in the road of the keeper. If that's not interference, I don't know what is.
"I was pleased with the performance in the second half. I thought we did really well coming back from 1-0 down.
"If you look at the whole thing it's not a bad day for us in terms of the performance level. It was a very intense game. You don't want to lose a derby game but we're okay."
Ferguson dismissed suggestions that United's huge lead at the summit had allowed complacency to creep in and he is now turning his focus to Sunday's game at Stoke City.

He added: "We won't be doing that. If you look at the history of this club over the years, we always make it difficult for ourselves and have the supporters hanging on the edge of their seats.
"It's a 12-point lead and there are only seven games left. Each game that goes along you whittle them down.
"It's Stoke on Sunday which will be a big effort and we'll have a go."

Kompany and Milner keen for Manchester City to take derby form into next season

Despite both players conceding that the Premier League title is an impossible target this term, they underlined the importance of Monday evening's win at Old Trafford

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany believes Monday evening's 2-1 win over Manchester United can provide a provide a springboard to his side ahead of next season.

Roberto Mancini's men reduced the points gap at the top of the Premier League to 12 points at Old Trafford but, with just seven games remaining, are unlikely to overturn the deficit entirely.

However, Kompany described the win as "massive" for the visitors as they look toward a probable fight to regain their title in the next campaign.

"A derby is always a special game and for us to be able to win this game is massive. Our fans are still celebrating – it’ll be a great night for us," he told Sky Sports.

"Every game you have to play to win and I do believe that the way we finish this season is going to have an impact on next season and it’s always going to start from the beginning again. So this is a good game to have under our belt and we’ll take it into next season."

The Belgian also hailed City's workrate off the ball as the reason behind their victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

"We all worked very hard. They played very offensively," he added. "They have an unbelievable strike force so we had to close the gaps.

"We had to be tight to them and we did that very well – I don’t think we gave a lot chances away and if you look at our overall play I think we were the better team. So I’m really happy with it."

Kompany's teammate James Milner, meanwhile, insisted his side was not more determined due to the distance between the teams in the table.

"Not really. Regardless of where we are in the table, a derby is a derby and you massively want to beat your rivals and that’s the case for every game," he said.

"It was massively important, we knew that. We came here and worked hard and got a good win.

"They’ve got such a great record at Old Trafford. They’re very tough to break down and they score a lot of goals here. We’re a bit disappointed to concede one from a set piece as I thought we defended really well."

Negredo: France match will be like a final

Spain forward Alvaro Negredo has stressed the importance of beating France ahead of Tuesday's crucial World Cup qualifier in Paris, labelling the fixture a "final".

La Roja trail the group I leaders by two points and Vicente Del Bosque's side go into the game aware of the permutations involved.

Defeat could consign the European champions to needing to win a play-off before securing their place in next summer's tournament in Brazil, while victory would put them in pole position to qualify as group-winners.

And Negredo is under no illusions as to the importance of the game.

"It's a real final, not only for us but for France too," Negredo told EFE.

"Spain will do whatever it takes to win the game. We have to fight to the death in France. We are obligated to win, just as we needed to win against Finland," he said.

"We have quality to win in any stadium in the world. This team have already shown what we are capable of."                                          

Del Bosque: Spain going to France to win

Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque has said he wants his side to beat France in their own back yard on Tuesday night.

La Roja conceded in the last 15 minutes of their World Cup qualifier against Finland on Friday, which ensured the game finished 1-1 and allowed les Bleus to forge a two-point lead at the top of Group I.

Del Bosque will want to avoid a third successive draw in qualification for the World Cup 2014 finals and a victory at the Stade de France would allow them to leapfrog Didier Deschamps' men.

The former Real Madrid boss told reporters on Sunday: "We will go to France to win. We have to play four more games [and] we must be optimistic.

"Tuesday is a very important match against France, but after that we will play three more games. We'll see how it goes."

It would be a major shock if the reigning world and European champions failed to qualify for the finals in Brazil next summer, though if they finish second behind France in Group I then they could still make it into the 32-team tournament via a play-off win.

Spain drew 1-1 with les Bleus in October last year at home, failing to replicate their 2-0 victory in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals against their neighbouring nation.

Thuram: Deschamps was more important than Zidane

The 41-year-old reflected on his success with France and believes Deschamps' impact was unrivalled, and underlines the differences between his former team and Spain

France legend Lillian Thuram says former team-mate Didier Deschamps was more integral to the French national team's success than Zinedine Zidane.

All three played a prominent role in France's World Cup and European Championship glory in 1998 and 2000, but Thuram believes the contribution of Deschamps is unparallelled to any other - even their famous number 10.

"Deschamps is a great coach. He was a great player, he has won everything and he knows what it takes to get to the top," he said.

"In World Cup 1998 and in Euro 2000, we had a genius in the form of Zidane, but the key was Didier."

Deschamps, now coach of the national team, welcomes Spain to Paris on Tuesday in a key World Cup qualifier which could determine who secures automatic World Cup qualification.

And Thuram, who ended his playing days in Barcelona, went on to highlight what he believes to be the fundamental difference between France and the European Champions.

"To play football and win, you need players who have can use their heads," Thuram said.

"When I arrived in Barcelona, I enjoyed playing with people balanced and normal: [Carles] Puyol, [Victor] Valdes [and Andres] Iniesta. This is because they are not footballers who think they are the centre of the world.

"The French, however, have forgotten how to be humble. The humility to understand that when you play for the France team, it is something much more important than your own self."

West Ham confirms completion of Olympic Stadium deal

The East London club will become anchor tenants for the Stratford venue and should move there at the start of the 2016-17 season.

West Ham has confirmed the completion of the deal that will see the club move into the Olympic Stadium in London from the start of the 2016-2017 season.

The Hammers had seen competition from Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn over the rights to the ground, but the Premier League club was named preferred bidders for the stadium by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) three months ago.

"I'm delighted that we have been confirmed today as the anchor concessionaire for the Olympic Stadium," West Ham vice chairman Karen Brady told the club's official website. "It was important to me that we struck a deal that would stand the test of time that represented the right deal for West Ham United and our loyal and patient supporters."

Initially, West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold were reluctant to pay anything toward the reconstruction of the stadium, but now are willing to put up 15 million pounds. Adapting the stadium could cost in total between 150-190 million pounds, with the rest of the money is being generated from sources such as the government and loans.

The roof will be extended and the seating capacity inside the stadium, which will slide over the running track, will be reduced from 80,000 to 54,000 under conversion plans, and it will be a UEFA Category 4 ground.

The Premier League club will be required to pay 2 million pounds a year in rent and has agreed to sell a portion of any future sale to the LLDC, with whom it is working to secure a deal to sell the naming rights of the stadium.

Sullivan and Gold praised the club's staff for their hard work, and said that the move will allow the club to compete at the highest level.

"Today's decision offers us a real platform to [compete at the highest level] and we are fully committed to making it a real success," the joint chairmen said in a statement. "We understand the responsibilities that come with calling the nation's iconic Olympic Stadium, which will be converted into a world-class football stadium, our new home. It is an honor we will take on with pride."

Zorc: Dortmund interested in Dzeko

The Manchester City striker has been linked with a move to BVB and the club's sporting director would like to see a transfer happen

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has admitted that Manchester City strikerEdin Dzeko is a target for his club, but says that there is an "economic aspect" to navigate.

The Bosnian has been mooted as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is likely to leave the German champions in the summer.

But the Schwarzgelben are insistent that they cannot do a deal for Dzeko if the Premier League champions are unwilling to set a realistic transfer fee.

"There should be little doubt about Dzeko being a top-class striker," Zorc told Bild. "He is a great forward and a player one should be keen on. However, there is also still somewhat of an economic aspect."

He added, "[A transfer] would be down to pure math because Dzeko is under contract at Manchester City beyond the end of the season."

Despite scoring 13 goals in all competitions this season, Dzeko has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Citizens' first team.