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HULL, England: 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." - AFP/fa
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