Time for a sprint finish

Mikael Silvestre insists United's Champions League triumph over Barcelona will provide the inspiration to close out the Premier League title race.

The Reds slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea last weekend but remain ahead of Avram Grant's side on goal difference. With West Ham due at Old Trafford on Saturday, Silvestre is in confident mood.

"It’s a big bonus to beat Barcelona," he told MUTV. "It makes it much easier to recover in time for Saturday. We are full of confidence. We didn’t lose it at Chelsea, and against West Ham at home and Wigan away we are 100 per cent confident we can win the title."

United will also go toe-to-toe with Chelsea in the Champions League final and, although Tuesday's win over Barcelona was a nail-biting affair, Silvestre feels the Reds are well equipped to win the competition.

"We were on the edge all night," he said. "If Barcelona scored we had to get two goals, so we had to be careful. It was really nerve-racking, and that’s part of the reason why I went to do my warm-up – I couldn’t bear to stay there sat on my seat!

"I think in the end we deserved the win. We have been working hard since last year, where we were so close to reaching the final. I think we’ve improved as a squad. This year, it’s a step forward and it's a great feeling."