Red Devils set to seal title victory
LONDON: Manchester United will all but retain its Premier League title on Saturday if it becomes the first English side to win at Stamford Bridge for four years.
The teams, who could meet in next month's Champions League final after away leg semifinal draws this week, go into the match knowing a United win will end any realistic hopes Chelsea has of claiming a third title in four years.
With three matches to play, United, bidding for a second consecutive title and a 10th in 16 seasons, leads with 81 points, three ahead of Chelsea, which is undefeated in 80 league matches at home since it was beaten by Arsenal 2-1 in February 2004.
Its only other defeat since then, apart from a penalty shootout loss to Charlton Athletic in a League Cup match, was to Barcelona in the Champions League in February 2006.
Even if United loses and allows Chelsea to pull level on points, Alex Ferguson's team would stay top with a superior goal difference of plus-54 compared to Chelsea's plus-36.
United would still remain favorite for the title but could not afford to slip up again in its remaining two matches at home to West Ham United or away at Wigan Athletic.
Chelsea's last two games are at revitalized Newcastle United and at home to relegation-threatened Bolton Wanderers.
Both teams go into Saturday's match buoyed by their Champions League results with Chelsea drawing 1-1 at Liverpool and United holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp.
Ferguson said after his team's draw that defender Nemanja Vidic, who missed the game in Spain because of illness, might play on Saturday, but remains a doubt.
"I would think he's doubtful but he's back at the hotel taking plenty of fluids and had some soup this afternoon. That's promising, so let's hope we can get him there on Saturday."
"He will be desperate to play and if we do get him there it will be a bonus to us."
Ferguson added: "It will be a different sort of game on Saturday. We will have to address the way Chelsea play and certainly impose ourselves better than we did against Barcelona."
By the time hostilities are over at Stamford Bridge, the spotlight will switch to the other end of the table with Bolton, Reading, Birmingham City and Fulham all involved in the battle to avoid the fate of already-relegated Derby County.
Agencies
(China Daily 04/25/2008 page24)
