Manchester United will take a giant stride toward retaining their Premier League title if they beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park today.
United’s lead at the top was cut to two points by Chelsea after the Blues won 1-0 away to Everton on Thursday.
But an away win against a Rovers side managed by Mark Hughes, the former United striker, would see Sir Alex Ferguson’s Champions League semi-finalists go five points clear with three games left in the season.
If the contest for the title is now a two-horse race, the battle to avoid the drop is less clear-cut.
Basement club Derby County have long been doomed, but there are several other sides who could yet the fill the two other relegation places. And second-bottom Fulham will hope history repeats itself when they face Champions League semi-finalists Liverpool, who continue to have to cope with the ongoing row between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at Fulham this time last season angered then-Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock, whose side went on to be relegated on the last day of the season.
Rafael Benitez used the fixture to give regulars a rest ahead of more important Champions League games and Bolton manager Gary Megson has already voiced fears the Spaniard will do the same at Craven Cottage today.
Fulham bolstered their survival hopes with a 2-0 win over Reading, themselves now just three points above the drop zone.
Reading manager Steve Coppell did his best not to be distracted by Benitez’s possible team selections ahead of the Royals’ game against Arsenal.
“There is nothing I can do about it, so why should I be concerned? You trust in the integrity of the league and I see no reason to doubt that,” Coppell said.
Wigan Athletic took a giant step towards top-flight survival after Emile Heskey’s injury-time goal secured a 1-1 draw away to Chelsea on Monday.
But they are not yet absolutely safe ahead of today’s game against Derby and manager Steve Bruce hopes fans, who have not exactly been flocking to the JJB this season, will be enticed back for today’s game at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s up to me to try and produce a team that the people of Wigan will come out and support in force,” Bruce said.
Birmingham City are two points above the bottom three heading into tomorrow’s second city derby against Aston Villa.
The match sees Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, once manager of Rangers, again facing Villa manager Martin O’Neill, previously in charge of Celtic, in a derby match.
“It is a tough game for us, but I also say it is the occasion where people can become heroes overnight,” McLeish said.
Newcastle United and Sunderland head into tomorrow’s northeast derby with both sides looking increasingly likely to stay up.
Kevin Keegan had to wait nine matches before overseeing a victory in his second spell as Newcastle manager but wins over Fulham, Tottenham and Reading, as well as away draws at Birmingham and Portsmouth, have seen the Magpies climb up the table.
“The confidence was low, but the confidence now is where you would like it to be,” said Keegan of a match which sees Sunderland striker Michael Chopra up against his hometown club.
Sven-Goran Eriksson, like Keegan a former England manager, insisted on Thursday he was not about to be sacked by frustrated owner Thaksin Shinawatra.
A win for the Swede at home to high-flying FA Cup finalists Portsmouth tomorrow would not do Eriksson’s cause any harm.
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