Chelsea won’t get an easy ride against Man United, insists Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Chelsea not to expect an easy ride against Manchester United next weekend despite the Red Devils already winning the Premier League title.

The newly-crowned champions produced a dogged performance to deny top-four chasing Arsenal a much-needed three points on Sunday, with former Gunners captain Robin van Persie cancelling out Theo Walcott’s opener in a 1-1 draw at The Emirates.

Chelsea, who were 2-0 winners against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge, travel to Old Trafford next Sunday looking to cement their position in third place, with Arsenal a point behind the Blues and Tottenham Hotspur a further two back.

However, Ferguson reassured Arsene Wenger, who urged United to give 100 per cent against Chelsea after The Emirates stalemate, that the Red Devils will be looking to beat last season’s Champions League winners.

“We’ve got Chelsea next week and they’re fighting for a Champions League place,” he told MUTV. “We’ve got to honour the rest of the teams that are trying to get there.

“Nobody could say that we relaxed too much [at Arsenal]. We showed good aggression again in the second half in particular and with a bit more composure in front of goal I thought we could have won the game.”