Sir Alex Ferguson famously declared his first task as Manchester United manager was to "knock Liverpool off their perch".

Michael Carrick felt something similar when he arrived at Old Trafford from Tottenham in 2006.

But it was not Liverpool who were the team in Carrick's sights after his £18.6million move north. As back-to-back champions, Chelsea were the ones who needed to be dislodged.

Just as Liverpool were vanquished, so Chelsea have been too as United became kings of the English game.

With a European Cup also won at Chelsea's expense and the world champions tag attached following their success in Japan last month, United host Luiz Felipe Scolari's men this weekend with a feeling of superiority - even if it is not reflected in their current league position.

However, as Ferguson's side are aware, victory on Sunday would close the gap on Chelsea to a single point - with United still boasting two games in hand.

It is a position of strength. But as Carrick admits, it was not achieved without a lot of hard work.

"It was tough to break Chelsea's hold on the league," the England international told Inside United.

"That first Premier League trophy probably surprised a few people, because they expected Chelsea to go on and win it again.

"But we started the season unbelievably well and really put the pressure on from the start.

"It was important to get ahead, because Chelsea were very rarely slipping up. But our flying start meant they were chasing, which they had not done for a few years.

"That gave everyone here the belief we could win it again."

United have since gone on to retain their trophy and win the Champions League, beating the Londoners in a tense penalty shoot-out in Moscow when John Terry slipped as he strode up to take the spot-kick that would have seen him collect the trophy rather than Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs.

But Carrick still looks back two years with a tinge of regret at a European Cup semi-final defeat to AC Milan and an FA Cup final loss to the Blues a month later - when Didier Drogba bagged an extra-time winner.

"I came here to win things, so it is the ones that got away I am still not too happy about," he said.

"The Champions League defeat in Milan still rankles with me, even though we won it last year, the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea too.

"As good as the ones that we won were, it is the others that we missed out on that bother me. It is not easy to take."

Carrick's obvious determination follows the example set on the training ground by Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville every day.

The blinkered approach to the game is shared by Sir Alex Ferguson, hoping to have Ferdinand available after a recent injury for Sunday - in addition to Patrice Evra, who has now completed a four-match ban imposed for his clash with Chelsea groundstaff at Stamford Bridge last season.

Carrick feels United's major rivals, including table-toppers Liverpool, will have every reason to be worried if the hosts emerge victorious this weekend.

"If I was in their shoes I would want to be as far ahead as I possibly could be," said Carrick.

"At this stage of the season, we could have been a lot further behind than we are when you consider all the away games - especially after Champions League matches - and the fact our two games in hand are both at home.

"We are very positive at the moment. It is strange how the season has gone.

"Obviously we want the points on the board, and it would be nice to be sitting on top of the league.

"But when you take everything into account it is not too bad.

"The games are there on paper. It is up to us to take advantage."