Arsenal pair sign up for 'fight to the end'

Arsene Wenger remained defiant today at the end of a week when his spat with Sir Alex Ferguson and the demise of his team's title hopes have captured the headlines.

Both Wenger and the Manchester United manager have agreed to call a halt to verbal hostilities in the build-up to their Premiership clash at Highbury on 1 February, after Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein and United chief executive David Gill brokered a peace deal.

While he has been dealing with the "who did what" issue following the battle of the buffet at Old Trafford in October, Wenger has also had to come to terms with the likelihood that Arsenal's championship crown is on its way to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are 10 points clear but Wenger said: "We will fight to the end. We will make it as hard as possible for Chelsea. It is a big challenge but I know that the guys I have are winners and this is when you show you are winners. You do not give up."

Wenger will go into that fight with the long-term futures Lauren and Sol Campbell secure and with a glimmer of hope that contract rebel Edu may yet stay.

The deals with Cameroon defender Lauren and England international Campbell will be announced in the next 48 hours. The contracts of both players run out at the end of the season but Lauren has agreed a two-year extension and Campbell is set sign for the next four years, effectively committing himself to Arsenal for the rest of his career.