England, March 14, 2010 (AFP) - Arsene Wenger saw Arsenal maintain their Premier League title challenge with a 2-1 win at Hull and was then further buoyed by the imminent return of midfield star Cesc Fabregas.
Nicklas Bendtner's injury-time goal sealed a hard-fought win at struggling Hull to seal a fifth consecutive league victory and keep the pressure on title rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.
The dramatic finale mirrored Arsenal's recent success at Stoke City, and has seen them develop a reputation for leaving things uncomfortably late.
Wenger admitted: "We're leaving it late at the moment, exactly as we did at Stoke. Maybe it isn't good for my heart, but as far as the title is concerned, it's not bad."
The London club's hopes of ending United and Chelsea's Premier League dominance have been written off several times this season, but after this latest win saw them draw level at the top with their neighbours from across the capital, Wenger insists it would be unwise to rule them out with less than two months of the campaign remaining.
His confidence was further bolstered by the news that Fabregas, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, should be fit to face West Ham on Saturday.
Confirming that Fabregas is well ahead of William Gallas, who has been troubled by a calf problem, in his injury rehabilitation, Wenger said: "Fabregas has a chance to be ready for next week, but Gallas hasn't."
The 60-year-old Frenchman added: "We're in the fight and we have eight games to go.
"We're in there, so why shouldn't we believe? What I do believe is that we'll give absolutely everything to keep challenging, and we've seen that again here.
"The team spirit is there, it's special and you can see that."
Andrey Arshavin gave Arsenal an early lead, but that was cancelled out by Jimmy Bullard's penalty after Sol Campbell's foul on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - an offence for which Hull manager Phil Brown claimed the veteran Arsenal defender should have been sent off.
The visitors failed to fully capitalise on their numerical advantage once Hull skipper George Boateng earned a second yellow card for a foul on Bacary Sagna in first-half stoppage time.
They were thankful for Danish forward Bendtner following up to score after goalkeeper Boaz Myhill failed to hold a shot from Denilson.
Brown, whose side are in grave relegation danger after just one win in 15 games, insisted: "The pivotal moment was undoubtedly in favour of Arsenal. I admire Sol Campbell, he's a colossus of a lad, but he should have been red carded, it's as simple as that.
"He's denied a goal scoring opportunity."
Wenger failed to concur, and he added: "Sol wasn't lucky to stay on. I felt the foul was on him. Hesselink went in Sol's way and he had no other option but to touch him.
"There was no intention there and he wasn't in a position to score."
