Future, Manchester United Versus Chelsea

Tonight, the 2nd and 3rd placed teams of the English Premier League will clash in a bid to challenge Liverpool for the title. Let's take a look at the league table, shall we?

1. Liverpool, Played 21, 46 Points
2. Chelsea, Played 20, 42 Points
3. Aston Villa, Played 21, 41 Points
4. Manchester United, Played 18, 38 Points
5. Arsenal, Played 21, 38 Points

Liverpool's draw with Stoke last night meant that Manchester United has a chance to overtake if they win all their games at hand. This makes today's game all the more important. By beating Chelsea, they get to pull away from their closest rivals while being within touching distance with Liverpool.

Liverpool would be hoping for a draw or a Chelsea win in tonight's match. A draw would mean that even if Manchester United wins all their games in hand, Liverpool will still be 3 points clear of Chelsea [46-(42+1)=3] and 1 point clear of Manchester United [46-(38+1+6)=1]. A Chelsea win would mean Liverpool is just 1 point ahead of Chelsea [46-(42+3)=1] and 2 points ahead of Manchester United [46-(38+6)=2]. That is, again, if Manchester United wins all their games in hand.

Of course, non-title contenders Aston Villa and Arsenal will be looking for a draw as well as they seek to consolidate a Champions League spot.

Personally, I will be hoping for a Manchester United win, that should give the papers more to write about how long Liverpool can stay on top. As a Manchester United fan, I had hoped United to be tops by Christmas. Sadly it did not come through. So this time, I'm hoping they will be there before February.