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Jack Wilshere has warned Manchester United that Arsenal are now fully focused on clinching the Premier League title after being knocked out of Europe.

The Gunners’ hopes of Champions League glory were ended once more by Barcelona in the Nou Camp, who recorded a 3-1 victory as they overturned a first-leg deficit to progress 4-3 on aggregate.

Arsenal, though, do not have to wait long for a chance to redeem themselves on the pitch with the small matter of an FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s men are desperate to end their trophy drought and a few weeks ago they were still in all four competitions. They have since lost the Carling Cup final to Birmingham and fallen to Barcelona but according to Wilshere that has simplified their hunt for silverware, allowing them to concentrate purely on domestic matter.

With the Gunners now just three points behind United, who lost their last two league matches and visit the Emirates Stadium on May 1, there is certainly all to play for as Wenger’s squad now set their sights on a league and FA Cup double.

“We are still in two competitions, just three points behind Manchester United in the league and with a game in hand,” the 19-year-old England midfielder said. “Maybe now that we are out of Europe, we can be stronger in the league, concentrate on that more, really push on to try to win the title. We know Manchester United are a great team, but they have a European game next week, so they might play a weakened side, then we can go there and take advantage of that.”

Wilshere added: “We have got great mental strength, there is disappointment in the dressing room, yes, but we have got to pick ourselves up and go to Manchester United to get the win. Then we need to be strong now in the league, to push on and make sure we get a trophy at the end of the year. We want to win every game. When United come to us, we want to be in front of them, hopefully we will be.”

Wilshere’s mature performances over the two legs against the Spanish giants were certainly a positive. Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola had suggested before the game he had several players like Wilshere in his reserves. Wilshere, though, again showed his huge potential with an impressive display up against the likes of World Cup winners Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

“There is no better place to come and play your football, and if you have a good game it is a bonus,” Wilshere said. “I will learn a lot from my own performance, but I would rather be going through.”

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has broken his media silence to run the rule over this weekend’s FA Cup opponents Arsenal, describing the Gunners as the “main danger” to his side’s trophy ambitions. 

Ferguson refused to speak to the media before or after United’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday as he was aggrieved with the way his post-match comments about referee Martin Atkinson were reported, following the Red Devils’ 2-1 loss at Chelsea last week.

But he has abandoned his position to assess the threat of Arsenal, who visit Old Trafford for an FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday needing to pick themselves up after the disappointment of their Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.

Ferguson has been impressed, if not a little surprised, with the Gunners resurgence this season, and is happy to label them United’s chief Premier League title challengers.

The Scot believes the Gunners have “rearranged the pecking order” after emerging as credible title contenders ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City.

“Last season they faded around the February to March period to leave Chelsea and ourselves in a two-horse race that saw us pipped at the post by a point,” Ferguson said.

“I think most pundits expected to see something similar this season, plus a challenge from Spurs and Manchester City to make it even more difficult for Arsenal to get back up to the top.

“But Arsene Wenger and his players have rearranged the pecking order somewhat to come storming through to lie in second place. Clearly they represent the main danger to us achieving our ambitions in a revival of the rivalry of a few years ago, and I am sure they regard us as the major threat to their hopes.”

As for the Liverpool match, Ferguson held his hands up and admitted United deserved to lose to their rivals.

“I have no excuses for the poor performance at Liverpool, who were the better team and deserved their win,” Ferguson said. “I was disappointed because we didn’t perform to the level I expect and which, to be fair, we generally achieve.”

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Jefferson Farfan struck twice as Schalke fought back from an early deficit to earn a 3-1 win which ensured their progression through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Valencia.

Valencia, having drawn the first leg 1-1 at home, needed just 17 minutes to cancel out Schalke’s away goal when Ricardo Costa headed them in front at the Arena AufSchalke, but the home side turned things around with two goals either side of half-time.

Farfan drew the hosts level with a brilliant 25-yard free-kick in the 40th minute before Mario Gavranovic netted seven minutes into the second half with an effort that sneaked in after hitting both posts.

Then, after Valencia had missed a number of chances to get back into the game and Gavranovic had hit the woodwork twice more, Schalke sealed the victory and their qualification when Farfan netted their third deep into injury-time.

Schalke came into the game in disappointing form and with question marks over the long-term future of coach Felix Magath, and the Gelsenkirchen outfit’s fans must have feared things would get even worse as Valencia started well.

In the eighth minute Los Che defender Jeremy Mathieu saw a shot deflected just wide, and then nine minutes later the visitors got themselves in front.

Mehmet Topal did well down the left before firing in a fiercely-struck cross that Costa did well to head past Manuel Neuer at his near post.

Schalke striker Raul had a chance to cancel that goal out almost immediately but he headed wide, and soon after that Valencia almost made it 2-0 but Christoph Metzelder did well to block Aritz Aduriz’s effort.

The Royal Blues looked set to go into the break still trailing but, with five minutes to go, they were handed a chance to draw level when they won a free-kick just outside the area.

It was a dangerous position, and Farfan made the most of it as he curled a superb free-kick into the top corner past Vicente Guaita, who got a fingertip to the ball but could not keep it out.

That was a huge boost for Schalke going into the interval, and it got better at the start of the second half as they took the lead.

Guaita could only push a cross down to Farfan inside the area, and although the Valencia goalkeeper managed to save the Schalke goalscorer’s resulting shot, the ball fell perfectly for Gavranovic, whose effort hit the inside of the near post, rolled across the line and hit the far post as well before going in.

That goal set Schalke on their way to the last eight, but they had to survive some nervy moments before the end.

Within four minutes of Gavranovic’s goal Aduriz had two great chances to score, but he fired his first into the side netting with Neuer out of position and then, after being put clean through, he was denied by a brilliant save by the Schalke goalkeeper and captain.

Tino Costa then missed another good opening for Valencia while Neuer was called into action again to save a Juan Mata shot.

Valencia could not force an equaliser though, and Schalke twice came close to killing the game off late on when Gavranovic hit the woodwork on separate occasions.

The first saw his thunderous drive deflected onto the near post by Guaita, and he then saw a brilliant 35-yard lob hit the Valencia crossbar with Guaita struggling.

Schalke were celebrating a third goal late on though as Farfan broke away before dinking the ball over Guaita to settle the contest.

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