London, Apr 11: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said that Manchester United can still win five trophies this season, but he is determined to stop their quest for glory and has not given up hope of catching Liverpool and Chelsea in the league.

Wenger is backing bitter rival Sir Alex Ferguson to hold off the Anfield challenge, but he believes his Gunners will still have a major say in the title race.

Arsenal is six points behind third-placed Chelsea, The Sun reported.

“We are on a very strong run at the moment and we want to keep that going, starting at Wigan this weekend. We have to play Chelsea, Liverpool and United in the league, so we will have a massive influence on the title race, even if we are too far behind to win it now,” Wenger said.

“Our first target is to get even further away from Aston Villa. But then we want to get as close as possible to Chelsea and Liverpool. Third place is very important this time because it means automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.

“If you finish fourth you go into the qualifying round and this time it will be an open draw, which means you can get anyone. Third place can make a massive difference. The title race is exactly how everyone wants it because, with seven games to go, nobody knows who is going to be champions,” Wenger added.

Wenger is equally positive about United’s prospects of reaching the Champions League semi-finals, where they are likely to face Arsenal. (ANI)