Youngster Jay Simpson believes Arsenal's 'kids' can win the Carling Cup after reaching the quarter-finals in style with a 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium. The two-goal hero would love to face a full-strength Manchester United in the last eight to try and emulate his club's senior players, who beat Sir Alex Ferguson's side in a thrilling Barclays Premier League encounter last weekend. "I don't see why we can't win it," he said. "Everyone's confident, and the boss believes in us - so we hope we can win the next game and take it from there. All of us want a big side in the next round, because we want to test ourselves. That's what it's all about - playing against the big teams and seeing what you can do against them. I'd be delighted if Manchester United or Liverpool put out their first team against us. If they draw us and put out a strong side it would show they've got respect for us."  

 Martin O'Neill says there is no point complaining of a heavy fixture load and player fatigue because this is exactly where he wants Villa to be. O'Neill says sampling European football and challenging in the upper echelons of the Barclays Premier League were his ambitions when he took over as manager. He said: "This is where we want to be. We want to be playing European football after Christmas - we have given ourselves a great chance of that. We want to be striving in the Premier League, matching the top teams and surpassing our efforts from last season."

 Paul Ince was delighted that Rovers claimed their first win in seven outings to book their place in the last eight of the Carling Cup. Roque Santa Cruz came off the bench to set them on the way, a Bardsley own goal doubling Rovers' lead five minutes later. But Kenwyne Jones goal a minute later could have set up a nervy finish, but Rovers held out safely to go through. "It was a nothing game in the first half, we really didn't get going to be fair," said Ince. "It is always the case when you change the team around. We hadn't won for three or four games so it was important to get a win under our belts. When you are 2-0 up you think the game is over and before you know it we've let one in and we have to learn from that, we can't afford to do that. You saw how much the win meant for the lads, it was important to get back to winning ways. At times our football has deserved us to win games, we've played some wonderful football and we haven't really got the wins we deserve."  

 Gary Megson says he hopes to sign several new players in the January transfer window. "We have some decent players at this football club. We just need to add to them with a few more bodies," he said. "That means when a few people drop out through injury and suspension, as we had at the weekend, we're not having to put a great onus on the kids coming through and learning their trade."   

 Didier Drogba has issued an apology after an incident following his goal in the Carling Cup defeat to Burnley on Wednesday. Following the goal Drogba appeared to gesture to the Burnley fans and threw an object that had been thrown on the pitch back into the crowd. He said: "This is something I want to make clear. I tried to celebrate the goal and I received some things at me. The big mistake I did was to throw it back so if someone was hurt I just want to apologise for it. This is not something I should show in a football match and I want to apologise. It was an incident in the heat of the moment and I regret it. It was just a mistake and nothing more."  

 David Moyes has been left baffled by claims that Emad Meteb is set to join Everton in January. The Egypt striker's agent had announced that a deal with the Toffees was imminent, with positive discussions having been held between the two parties. However, Moyes insists he has no desire to bring the African ace to Goodison Park. "I don't know anything about it. I've never heard of him," he said. "I might have seen him play, but the name doesn't mean anything to me."  

 Toni Kallio has been laid low with a virus in recent weeks but was at the Cottage on Sunday to witness Fulham's win over Newcastle United. He believes Fulham can now take advantage of their position in the table and create some distance from the pack below. He said: "I still don't feel 100 per cent fit yet but I'm feeling better and better each day. I was at the game on Sunday and getting three points from a so-called 'must win game' was brilliant. If we can get a couple more wins we'll be up near the European positions." 

 Goalkeeper Boaz Myhill could find himself as Wales' number one in next week's friendly in Denmark. The 26-year-old has made just two appearances for Wales and only made his debut this year in Luxembourg, but has made a big impression with the Barclays Premier League newcomers this season. Wolves youngster Wayne Hennessey, now with 14 caps, has been out of favour at Molineux in recent weeks, and his lack of first-team football could give Wales manager John Toshack the reason for promoting Myhill. 

 Rafael Benitez has blamed defensive errors for his side's Carling Cup exit at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur. Three goals in eight first-half minutes contributed to the 4-2 defeat when two goals from Fraizer Campbell and an effort from Roman Pavlyuchenko saw Spurs lead 3-0 at the interval. Damien Plessis gave the travelling Kop hope with a header three minutes into the second half but another goal from Pavlyuchenko effectively sealed the win for Harry Redknapp's side. Sami Hyypia's header was a mere consolation. "We didn't play well, that is clear," said Benitez. "We made too many mistakes in defence and gave the ball away too easily. To concede three goals in the way we did at the end of the first half we must be disappointed. We were really poor at the end of the first half. If you make a mistake and concede just one, then okay you can change it and make things better in the second half, but to concede three goals made it very difficult for us."  

 Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Mark Hughes and executive chairman Garry Cook. The meeting was the first since a Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Mansour, purchased a 90 per cent controlling stake in the club. The two hour meeting covered all aspects of the Club's operations, both on and off the field. After the meeting His Highness Sheikh Mansour said: "I find that both Mark and Garry share an ambition for success and the enthusiasm and capability to deliver on that ambition. I'm delighted at the potential for both men to positively impact the evolution of Manchester City Football Club in its entirety. I fully endorse the plans approved by the Manchester City board that Khaldoon, Mark and Garry shared with me tonight. They reflect our shared aim of seeing Manchester City Football Club evolve to become a significant force in the world of football. Importantly we see that evolution being on every level and borne out of a sustainable approach that has its foundations in the club's academy; its fans and the relationship with the Manchester community."

 Jonny Evans would love to get a crack at Arsenal's much-admired young Gunners in the Carling Cup quarter-finals. While Arsene Wenger's kids, led by 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, continue to sweep all before them, Manchester United's stars of the future required a late Carlos Tevez penalty to dispose of Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. "I would like to get Arsenal," said the Northern Ireland international. "After the weekend (a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium) it would be nice to get one back on them. Any team is going to be tough at this stage. But if you are going to get to the final, you have to beat the good ones at some stage." 

 Julio Arca knows a result against Everton this weekend will give Boro a massive boost going into the two "huge" home matches against Bolton and Newcastle. The midfielder's return to the side has coincided with an excellent run of form that has seen Gareth Southgate's men move to within just four points of fourth-placed Manchester United. And Arca is desperate to keep that run going come Sunday afternoon. "It's a very difficult game," said the 27-year-old. "Everton are a physical team. They have a lot of pace and energy and they've picked up their form in recent weeks. But with our confidence at the moment, there is no reason why we can't go down there and get something."  

 Joe Kinnear admits a fresh injury crisis could leave the club with major problems. Kinnear is only too aware of the lack of depth within the squad he inherited from Kevin Keegan, and with Uruguayan midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez having joined Mark Viduka and Alan Smith on the long-term casualty list, knows they cannot afford to lose many more bodies. "If we pick up injuries, then we struggle. That's our Achilles heel," said Kinnear. "If two or three key players hit the wall, then we struggle to replace them, and that is something that should be addressed in the long term as we come to the next window. That's an area that needs to be addressed. It's the under-belly of the side. We have got people who are prepared to come in and give plenty of effort, but they haven't got the same sort of ability as the ones we are losing going out."

 Manager Tony Adams has provided a boost for the Get on with the Game campaign by pledging to bite his tongue even if he thinks a referee's mistake has hurt his team. Adams admits he used to dish out fearful abuse to officials during his Arsenal playing days, but now Pompey's new leader is keen to set a different example from the technical area. He said: "Nobody is perfect. I can get things wrong and so can referees. And there is so much pressure on everybody, so much fear, that I can quite understand when people lose it now and then. I understand, though, that referees are only human, too, and that it is a difficult game to referee now because of the pace of it. So I will try to count to 10 and give them the benefit of the doubt - although I haven't been tested (as a manager) in that way yet. I am going to try to support them as much as I can - although they need to give us 10 penalties a year."

 Tickets for this Saturday's Barclays Premier League match against Manchester United went on sale to Season Ticket Holders on a first come first served basis from 9.30am on this morning. There are 200 tickets remaining following the priority periods with adult tickets in the £41 and £50 price bands available for purchase. Tickets will be on sale from the Britannia Stadium's Satellite Ticket Office, by Delilah's Bar, and NOT the main Ticket Office, or by phone on 0871 663 2007. For more information, please call the Britannia Stadium Ticket Office on 0871 663 2007. 

 Roy Keane has called on his side to be more ruthless in front of goal after their Carling Cup exit at the hands of Blackburn. Roque Santa Cruz and a Phil Bardsley own goal put Blackburn in control and although Kenwyne Jones pulled a goal back for the Black Cats, it was too little too late. Keane said: "Clearly, we don't score enough goals, so we are always putting ourselves under pressure. Even with our good all-round play, good opportunities, good balls into the box, we don't score enough goals, so we are always putting ourselves under pressure. It's groundhog day, the same scenario. It's frustrating. Again, there wasn't much between the two teams - there's has not been much in the games of late, but we are on the losing end, so we have to sort that out."

 Tottenham Hotspur have released initial plans for their new stadium, including a proposal to use the ground for a season while it is partially completed. The Northumberland Development Project, which will have a consultation process with local residents before planning permission is granted, would also require the removal of two listed buildings. Spurs are understood to be confident the benefits of the new stadium would outweigh the opposition to the removal of the buildings. The clubs have also revealed the companies involved in the plans, including designers KSS, who worked on the City of Manchester Stadium, and Buro Happold, who are involved in the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

 Tony Mowbray is hoping Albion can make their 'blanket' stretch far enough in Saturday's top-versus-bottom match with Chelsea. Mowbray picked up the analogy in a conversation with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez after last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Anfield. Benitez was alluding to how difficult it is for newly-promoted sides to cope with the wealth of talent the 'big four' possess in the Barclays Premier League. And now Mowbray must prepare his team to face a Blues outfit who will arrive at The Hawthorns on the back of a league and club-record nine successive away wins. "I had a great conversation with Rafa Benitez where he compared it to a blanket," he said. "The blanket is never quite big enough. If you try to cover your head your toes stick out and if you try to cover your toes your head is exposed. If we defend and everybody is back we are never going to score a goal. If we're positive and we take them on we leave ourselves vulnerable and Robbie Keane scores two goals. We're a bit like that blanket that is a bit short and we can't quite cover our head and our toes.

 Valon Behrami is back in training and eager to play his part once again for West Ham United and help the team get back on track this Saturday. The 23-year-old midfielder has made an instant impact this season after arriving in a £5m transfer from Lazio. He started the first nine Barclays Premier League matches but has missed out on the last two with a calf injury suffered away to Manchester United at the end of October. It has meant a watching brief of late, not something that comes easily to the Swiss international. "It has been very hard to watch the last games and not play because I want to help my team," he said. "It is tough to be out and to have to watch when you can't do anything for the team. It was very hard. It is much harder when the situation is like it is rather than when the team are getting the results."   

 Steve Bruce admitted his side had had their "backsides kicked" by Arsenal's youngsters after they lost 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the Carling Cup. "I am not going to make excuses, even though three or four of our players are under the weather," said Bruce. "We simply didn't make it a cup-tie. We gave them time and space and freedom to enjoy themselves. I thought we should have had a penalty for handball and if we had made it 1-1, it might have been different. But I am not going to make excuses. They were frightening on the night. The age of them. Arsene (Wenger) says it is the best crop of youngsters he's had and when you think of the young players they have had in the past, that is some compliment. They gave us a torrid evening."