Marseille strengthened their prospects of playing Champions League football next season while retaining an outside chance of pipping bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 crown with a 1-0 win away to Lorient on Saturday. Mathieu Valbuena struck the decisive goal after 25 minutes at Stade du Moustoir as Marseille secured their 12th 1-0 victory of the campaign to extend their unbeaten run in the league to eight matches.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes Liverpool were right not to take disciplinary action against striker Luis Suarez before he was handed a 10-match ban by the Football Association for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic. Ferguson said the incident reminded him of the treatment United received from the FA after French striker Eric Cantona launched a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan in 1995.

Relegation threatened Sochaux scored three times in an eight-minute spell at the death to salvage a 3-3 draw at Lille on Friday and hamper their hosts' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Cruising at 3-0 up with 11 minutes left through a Salomon Kalou brace and one from Montenegrin Marko Basa, Lille looked set to leapfrog Lyon into third place and a Champions League qualifying position. But an incredible eight-minute blast from Sochaux, who nevertheless remain third from bottom and in the drop zone, blew a hole in Lille's Euro hopes.

Arsene Wenger insists he never considered telling his Arsenal players not to hold a guard of honour for new Premier League champions Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Some Arsenal fans and players are reportedly unhappy that the Gunners are willing to mark United's 20th title by forming the guard on honour for Alex Ferguson's players prior to kick-off. The presence of former Arsenal captain Robin van Persie in the United line-up will further inflame the situation as the Dutch forward's move to Old Trafford last year remains a sore point with Gunners fans.