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Andrew Leci

Luis Suarez will shake Patrice Evra's hand on Saturday at Old Trafford.

Thank heavens for that.

The world was waiting, with bated breath - taking a brief time out from contemplating the alleged atrocities currently taking place in Syria.

Unfortunately, the Suarez/Evra issue is set to provide more of a backdrop to Saturday's match between Manchester United and Liverpool than, say, a title race.

This hasn't been a feature in clashes between the two sides for longer than Liverpool fans will care to remember, and just for all you historians out there, it is worth reflecting on the fact that since the Anfield boys picked up their last English league title (back in 1990), Manchester United, their arch rivals, have picked up no less than 12.

It's interesting to reflect on the changes in the balance of power in football, in the north west of England.

Until the early 1970s, honours were even, with 7 titles a-piece, before Liverpool went on to dominate domestic (and some would say European) football in the subsequent two decades.

Liverpool picked up a fairly impressive 11 league titles in the space of 18 seasons, to leave their Manchester rivals trailing in their wake. It was a supremacy that no one thought any other club would get even close to threatening.

Cue....Alex Ferguson.

As most Manchester United supporters will know, it took Fergie a few seasons to get his act together and stamp his mark on the club, but having won his first league title with United in 1993 (the first ever season of the Premier League, incidentally), he's made something of a habit of it ever since.

11 titles followed that first one, as last season, Manchester United finally overhauled Liverpool's seemingly insurmountable total of 18, and the rest of history, as they rarely say, is in the making.

The thing is, not even the most optimistic Liverpool fan will suggest that Saturday's clash will be an encounter between two clubs who are title contenders this season.

United continue to keep their noisy City neighbours honest at the top, but Liverpool are no less than 18 points off the Barclays Premier League summit, and even their hopes of a place in the UEFA Champions League are hanging by a thread.

Any clash between Manchester United and Liverpool is eagerly anticipated, and it remains as arguably the most enduring rivalry in English football. But there isn't quite so much at stake this time round.

Don't get me wrong, it's a massively important game for both clubs, but for very different reasons, and perhaps it's fitting that the Evra/Suarez issue should be grabbing most of the headlines.

Strangely enough, having been up in the north west of England over the last couple of days, there has been more talk of Harry Redknapp, Fabio Capello and the next England manager, than Saturday's Old Trafford meeting.

This is something of a rarity in these climes, where, for the week before a Man Utd versus Liverpool clash, there would be talk of nothing else. Aliens could land in Salford, but if they didn't have a ticket for the game they'd probably be ignored and allowed to go about their business.

While Sir Alex Ferguson will be relatively happy with the status quo that exists between the two clubs, he will realise that right now, he has bigger fish to fry in the form of table-topping Manchester City.

Kenny Dalglish for his part, would like nothing better than to boost his side's hopes of a top 4 finish, while the possibility of derailing United's challenge for a 20th English league title will, I'm sure, be a delicious added bonus.

Manchester City versus Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday is not a title decider.

Having said that, should Spurs lose, their putative aspirational fire will be all but extinguished.

There's nothing like starting an article with a few big words to get everyone on their toes.

Tottenham Hotspur's title hopes (if they were ever truly made manifest) took a significant blow last Saturday.

Despite dominating possession and creating a plethora of chances, Spurs could only manage a draw at White Hart Lane against Wolves, thereby dropping 2 points, and failing to draw level with the two Manchester clubs at the summit of the Barclays Premier League.

It was a tired performance from Harry Redknapp's men - not physically, I would venture to suggest, as much as mentally.

Every game has become a ‘must win' scenario for the perennial underachievers in English football (a mini Cup Final, if you prefer) and that, week in week out, is exacting.

Spurs, unlike Manchester United for example, have not been in this position before (not in living memory anyway) and the pressure is clearly beginning to tell.

Interestingly, prior to the game, Redknapp had been talking up Spurs' chances of claiming their first English title since 1961, adopting the ‘why not...we've got as good a chance as any' approach.

After the game, it was back to the ‘...top 4 is what we targeted at the beginning of the season, and we're right in the mix,' attitude and stance.

Has Harry realised that this season, the title might just be too much of a stretch for a hugely talented squad that may lack the strength in depth of, say, Manchester City?

Redknapp tends not to shuffle his pack. This could be due to the fact that he doesn't have a big enough pack to shuffle, or because he doesn't have sufficient confidence in the peripheral parts of his deck?

Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael Van der Vaart, Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor are Harry's ‘go to' boys, and when fit, will start.

Let's be honest, even when not entirely fit, they will still start, and that may have been one of the problems against Wolves.

Scott Parker wasn't quite ready to come back from injury, and Adebayor hasn't been in great form of late. Redknapp, it seems, is not prepared to ring the changes, and it's an attitude that may well cost the club the services of Jermain Defoe, to name but one.

The problem is that with each game taking on so much significance, Redknapp isn't the bravest managerial soul alive, and while Roberto Mancini will keep everyone guessing in terms of his team selection for Sunday's clash with Spurs, Harry's starting 11 has probably already been inked in.

Mancini will know exactly what he will be up against, and can plan accordingly. Spurs will continue to play the way they know, and in a way that has worked tremendously for them this season.

But, there will be no surprises from Spurs at a point in the season when maybe, just maybe, things need to be freshened up a little.

Let's be frank; had you offered Tottenham Hotspur this situation in August of last year (especially after the two heavy defeats that began their campaign so ignominiously) they would have been overjoyed.

Even to be talked about as title contenders heading in to the second half of the season is quite an achievement, but the push is about to come to the shove, and it's a force that could prove difficult to muster.

Spurs have to make the call as to whether they are prepared to subscribe to the club's motto "to dare is to do", or whether a Champions League spot come season's end will be sufficient reward for their endeavours.

Sunday's match at the Etihad Stadium will, I suggest, go a long way towards determining the philosophy that abides for the remainder of the campaign.

Quite simply, should Manchester City win, they will be 8 points clear of Spurs, and while no one will doubt that all the clubs at the top will drop points before the curtain comes down in May, Tottenham's ability to pick up 3 wins, while Manchester City endure 3 defeats is highly questionable.

A win for Spurs though, and the gap will be a mere 2 points - eminently bridgeable.

Arsenal entertain Manchester United, also on Sunday, and in any other season, this would be the weekend highlight.

United will still fancy themselves for the title and few would bet against them - the club could write the ultimate handbook in closing out title bids. Arsenal, for their part, after a near disastrous start to the season are back in contention for a Champions League spot, but that may well be the full extent of their hopes.

Manchester City will be clear, if not overwhelming favourites for Sunday's encounter on a ground where they have won 10 out of their 10 league matches, and conceded a paltry 4 goals.

Spurs will need something very special on Sunday. Otherwise their title hopes will lie in tatters, alongside their fans' expectations, however unrealistic they may have been in the first place.

I am wondering the extent to which Michael Jackson was responsible for Mark Hughes' appointment as the new Queens Park Rangers manager.

If this sounds a little strange, let me explain.

In April 2011, Fulham's owner Mohamed Al Fayed unveiled a statue of the deceased pop icon outside the club's home ground, Craven Cottage. Jackson and Al Fayed were friends, apparently, and Jackson, obviously, was a ‘keen' football ‘fan', having attended a game in West London back in 1999.

Not surprisingly, the decision and implementation, caused a bit of controversy, with fans questioning both the motives and the relevance of the gesture, when a tribute to a ‘former great' or ‘club legend' would probably have been more appropriate.

Then Fulham's manager, Mark Hughes was understandably circumspect in his opinions, while seeming to support his paymaster.

"In fairness to the chairman, he's fully supported this club for a long time now, put in something like £200m. And if he wants to make that gesture to somebody who he knew personally then who am I to pass comment on it?"

A rhetorical question perhaps, but a suggested answer could read "the man who is managing a football club that some people have labelled a ‘laughing stock' and whose owner may not be entirely in touch with the aspirations of its fans or the state of the game in general."

Two months later, Hughes resigned from Fulham saying, "I hope the supporters and all those connected to the club will understand that as a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences."

The implications are obvious. In Hughes' opinion, Fulham did not match his ambitions, and after 12 months in the job he flew the coop, with many suggesting that he already had the Aston Villa job line up.

This was not the case, and Hughes spent 7 months in the managerial wilderness, frequently appearing on television as a pundit, as is the wont of unemployed, but articulate, former gaffers.

It led to a very entertaining media spat between Hughes and Al Fayed, with the Fulham owner labelling Hughes a "flop" and saying in an open letter, "What a strange man Mark Hughes is. Sacked by Manchester City, he was becoming a forgotten man when I rescued him to become manager of Fulham Football Club."

Subsequently, Al Fayed couldn't resist a further dig when he said "In every aspect of its work, Fulham is a progressive club with a top manager in Martin Jol, the man we had really wanted when Hughes was appointed." Ouch.

Anyway, all that is history, with Fulham ensconced in 14th place in the current Barclays Premier League table (a far cry from their 8th placed finish last season under Hughes) and Sparky, as Hughes was known throughout his playing career, having been appointed as the new Queens Park Rangers manager.

QPR, Hughes feels, despite being only one point and one place off the relegation zone heading into the weekend fixtures, does match his ambitions, and the former Wales, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City manager has been keen to point out that he is in it for the long haul.

Sacking Neil Warnock was, according to QPR's owner Tony Fernandes, a hard call to make.

"Trust me," he said, "in my 47 years of life I have never had to make such a tough decision."

That's quite a statement from a man who runs an airline and a Formula One team.

The fact is that QPR were struggling under Warnock, who many pundits have suggested is a decent enough manager, but who finds football's top flight a step to far, and whose constant overreaching doesn't produce the necessary results.

Fernandes felt that he had to make the decision now, in light of the January transfer window being open, and the obvious need to strengthen the squad. Hughes will have a couple of weeks to help negotiate a deal or several, and then the remainder of the season to ensure the club's Premiership survival.

One only has to look at Martin O'Neill and Sunderland for an insight into the ‘new manager syndrome'.

Sunderland were languishing when Steve Bruce was at the helm, and O'Neill has produced a remarkable turnaround - with the same players, and much the same formation.

Any corporate leader worth his or her salt will tell you the importance of man management and motivation, and that's exactly what Sunderland got and QPR now need.

Whether Hughes is the right man for the job remains to be seen, but Fernandes will put his money where Mark's mouth is, while hoping for (and expecting) the best. The challenges are obvious, as too is the ambition, and I think it's unlikely we'll be seeing the statue of a former pop star unveiled outside Loftus Road anytime soon.

2011 has been an extraordinary year in the world of sport, and if anything, 2012 looks all set to top it in terms of action, excitement, and the human drama that can lift our spirits and crush our souls in the blink of an eye.

When Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I could only reply, "more of the same please. Make next year as action-packed and as fun-filled as 2011, and you can put me down for feeding the reindeer next December."

Santa, I am sure, will not disappoint.

Firstly, we can look ahead to what promises to be an enthralling climax to the Barclays Premier League season.

With the two Manchester clubs slugging it out at the top of the table, like prize-fighters who've bet heavily on themselves, both will be glancing over their shoulders from time to time at Tottenham Hotspur, the perennial underachievers, who this season might, just might, be ready to shed the tag.

Spurs have delighted neutrals with their swashbuckling style and their occasionally blustering derring-do, and proved that results can be achieved playing attractive, flowing football - a statement to the pragmatists who threaten to turn the beautiful game into a drudge. Don't look away; you know who you are.

Furthermore, the ‘bun fight' that is the race for a UEFA Champions League spots has never been more hotly contested, with powerhouses Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all realising that their previously accepted divine right for inclusion is by no means assured.

I'm anticipating a fascinating year in the world of tennis as well, as Roger Federer continues to confound the critics who wrote him off, almost as a matter of course, throughout 2011.

At the age of 30, R Fed is long past his sell-by date as far as the tennis world is concerned, and yet he continues to draw on his reserves of experience and mental strength to defeat players several years his junior.

That he won the Tour Finals at the end of last season is testament to his resilience and seemingly indefatigable love for a game that has made him one of the most high profile sportsmen on earth, and the fact that he has done it with such grace, humility, sportsmanship and style, is enough to make ardent cynics vomit into their breakfast cereal.

Roger is a nice man; a genuinely good bloke; with an acceptably unattractive wife, and we love him for all of it. The fact that he has a backhand that can only have been made in heaven, endears us further to the living legend.

Would I love him to successfully defend his Australian Open title in January and secure his 17th Grand Slam win? Yes, probably; as long as he doesn't cry afterwards.

I'm also looking forward to the start of the new Formula One season, if for no other reason than it's going to be ‘precedental'. I don't even know if that word exists, but if it doesn't, it should.

For the first time ever, on the starting grid for the season-opening race in Australia in March, there will be 6 World Champions - past and present.

Kimi Raikkonen returns to F1 after messing about in rally cars for a couple of years - what was he thinking?

His rivalry with Michael Schumacher will resume, and I think it's fair to say that there won't be too many more circuit tours for the 43 year old German who, incidentally, has won as many world titles as the other 5 drivers put together.

Then there's Jenson Button, World Champion in 2009, Lewis Hamilton (2008), and Fernando Alonso (2005 and 2006), and lest we forget (unlikely) the reigning champ Sebastian Vettel, the youngest ever double champion, and the youngest ever consecutive champion.

The word ‘competitive' simply doesn't do justice to what promises to be an intriguing F1 season.

The golf world meanwhile, is delighted to be able to welcome back a seemingly rejuvenated Tiger Woods, although every other player on the tour may not quite share those sentiments.

Woods ended 2011 with a win at the Chevron World Challenge (his first tournament victory in two years) playing golf of the calibre that made him the very best in the world for a staggering 623 weeks, all told.

Tiger is competitive again, and significantly, healthy. I for one, can't wait until April, when he has a tilt at The Masters, looking for his 5th win at Augusta, and his first since 2005.

But perhaps the biggest and most compelling sporting event of 2012 will be taking place in London, from the 27th of July until the 12th of August.

It doesn't seem like 4 years since the last Olympic Games in Beijing, but my diary assures me that it is. When one epic edition ends, it's miserable to contemplate the long wait for the next one, and yet it's crept up precipitously, and almost unnoticed. Or maybe I skipped an intervening year...

Every Olympic Games boasts that it's going to be the biggest and the best in history, and in the current global economic climate such bravura may appear to be a little misplaced, or even misguided.

One can expect London though, to put the games on with a certain sense of style, and a very high level of organisational prowess, and it's gratifying to note that even the top people at the IOC are delighted by the arrangements made so far.

It's the biggest sporting gig on the planet, and it's never without its share of drama, controversy, excitement and nail-biting tension. Forget the "altius" and "fortius". I just want July to come round "citius".

Catch Andrew Leci on SportsCenter on ESPN every weekday at 7.30pm, for highlights and news from the world of sports.

Opinions are divided on whether sports television presenters should have opinions or not.

My opinion is that I don't really have an opinion on the issue.

In my opinion though, presenters should be facilitators, drawing the opinions out of studio guests who have played football at the highest level and lifted actual trophies as opposed to the plastic replicas I was occasionally given as a child.

Steve McMahon doesn't think I should have an opinion, at least not on air, but that may be because the cloak of devil's advocacy I tend to throw on in discussions with him make me argumentative and not a little irritating. 

I can certainly argue my way out of a paper bag, when the need arises. I could write a pamphlet on it.

At year's end then, and eschewing possible advice to the contrary, I am going to give my opinion, briefly, on every single Barclays Premier League team, ahead of 2011's final round of fixtures, and gaze into a crystal ball that's doing a better than average impersonation of a snow globe.

Blackburn Rovers - trouble with a capital T, and that rhymes with D and that stands for 'drop'. Steve Kean says that he wants to buy four players in the January transfer window. 

I would imagine that top class footballers around the world will be queuing up to put pen to paper. Not.

Bolton Wanderers - eight defeats in nine home games so far, four points from safety, and Owen Coyle continues to insist that the team isn't doing much wrong. Who'd have thought that any side would actually miss Johan Elmander, while club captain Kevin Davies can't even get a game.

Wigan Athletic - I have this image that Dave Whelan and Roberto Martinez will set up a home together on a Caribbean island and raise furry animals. Before that though, Wigan will try to actually play themselves out of trouble, and you have to admire that.

Wolverhampton Wanderers - while Mick McCarthy's interaction with a microphone should be minimised, for the good of all (why does he always seem to regard every post-match interview as a personal affront, and the questions he's asked as puerile - even the ones that aren't?) his players probably have enough about them to stay up.

Queens Park Rangers - Neil Warnock's touchline antics continue to provide bags of entertainment, for most of the family. A centre-back pairing of Hill and Hall is simply too problematic for commentators, so I'd expect Tony to get his cheque book out during the January sales...and maybe even write in it.

Sunderland - with the world's greatest player (Nicklas Bendtner...just ask him) on their books, and an inspirational man at the helm (loving the sweatshirts Martin), Sunderland will push on in 2012. They won't win the league though.

Swansea City - won't win the league either, but deserve to consolidate a mid-table position because they try to play attractive football. But then, so did Blackpool last season, and look what happened to them.

Fulham - always enigmatic; you don't know whether they're going to win 6-0, or lose 5-0. The club has some very tasty young players coming through though the ranks, while no one would want to meet the central defensive duo of Brede Hangeland and Philippe Senderos in a dark alley - or Martin Jol for that matter. Not relevant, I know, but it's a good image.

Aston Villa - why Alex McLeish didn't hire a PR consultant or a physician of spin when taking the Villa job is anyone's guess, but the fans still haven't warmed to him and his deference displayed in matches against the 'big' teams would give Uriah Heep something to live up to. No, not the band!

Norwich City - as the saying goes, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" - although why anyone would want to even try is beyond me. Norwich aren't trying to do that, which is refreshing, and they're fun to watch. Any club that has Delia Smith and Stephen Fry on its Board of Directors, gets my vote for not taking themselves too seriously.

Everton - while I feel for David Moyes and the parlous financial position of the football club, I still don't understand his apparent allergy to strikers. Oh, and Tim Cahill hasn't scored a goal for the club in 2011. How did that happen?

West Bromwich Albion - a much better fit for Roy Hodgson (whose double chin, by the way, now has its own agent) than Liverpool, WBA have almost been entertaining, at times, this season. I still think 'Odemwingie' is a fine name.

Stoke City - an evil part of me wanted Barcelona to drop out of the Champions League and meet Stoke in the knockout rounds of the Europa League. I wanted to be at the Nou Camp to witness the reaction of the Barca faithful to the way Stoke play their football. The club should pay the fans to attend games, not the other way round. It doesn't seem fair.

Newcastle United - I fear for them once the Africa Cup of Nations starts, as they'll lose their two best players (Ba and Humbug...sorry, Tiote), but then any manager who gives regular starts to Hatem Ben Arfa can't be all bad. Alan, are you with me on this?

Liverpool - has the impenetrable gloss that covers Kenny Dalglish begun to lose just a little bit of its lustre? Probably not. While King Kenny continues to be deified on Merseyside (that even rhymes, like a Beatles song), it's comfortable enough to blame the players for not doing as they're told and getting the job done.

Arsenal - the team and the way it plays continues, in my opinion, to be like a Joan Miro painting. Complex; sometimes gorgeous to behold, and then you ask yourself what it all means. There's no denying that they play some of the best football in the BPL, but sometimes, we want 'fish and chips', not 'hand-reared, spoon-fed Pacific king salmon on a bed of La Bonnotte potatoes, drizzled with a Chateau d'Yquem reduction'.

Chelsea - "I didn't sign up for this!" Those would be the words I would place in the speech bubble over a still of Andre Villas-Boas squatting on the touchline (as is his wont) at Stamford Bridge. Enough said.

Tottenham Hotspur - are the eternally pessimistic Spurs fans beginning to believe that this could be the year? Probably not, it wouldn't be in their nature, but in the best (and not always assiduously observed) traditions of the club, Tottenham have been very entertaining. Harry also appears to have had the squad on a regimen of sit-ups. The soft under belly has gone.

Manchester United - if anything, and quite remarkably, Sir Alex Ferguson's appetite for the challenge seems to have become keener. How does he do it? Some would say that being dumped out of the Champions League has been a blessing in disguise, at least as far as United's domestic aspirations are concerned. A 20th title for the devilish Reds? Why on earth not.

Manchester City - in David Silva, they have had the player of the season to date, and there's certainly no lack of belief at the club that they can go the whole way. The air of utter invincibility however, has flowed under the Stamford Bridge, and that should give encouragement to the hoi polloi. Money can't buy happiness, although I'm sure most of us would prefer to be rich and miserable rather than poor and miserable, but Manchester City may yet prove that it can buy success in the BPL.

There you have it. I've been criticised for not taking a stance in previous columns, preferring to sit on the fence like an overbearing owl with a hidden agenda, so I thought I may as well be opinionated to end the year. Feel free to contact my lawyers 'Sue, Grabbit and Runn' should you have any problems.

I would like to wish a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to all. Yes, I did put 'healthy' first for a reason. I think it should be. But, it's only my opinion.

Turkey is traditionally served at Christmas in certain parts of the world - don't ask me why. It has something to do, apparently, with geese becoming too expensive, chicken being a delicacy in yesteryear, and some bright spark coming up with the realisation that the wattled critters could be farmed successfully.

In any event, it is eaten across the UK on Christmas Day, and everyone seems to enjoy it. Then people ask themselves why they don't eat it throughout the year, and the annual conversation drags on until someone falls asleep or someone else's grandparent breaks wind in front of the faux fire.

I'm digressing already, and haven't even started yet.

Although turkey is the bird of choice during the festive period, it appears as though the Football Association in England has decided to serve up 'goat' instead.

Scape goat.

English football's governing body has gift wrapped, and presented an eight-match ban to Liverpool's Luis Suarez, for racially abusing Patrice Evra, and while the club has two weeks to appeal, it's clear that the 'guilty' verdict represents something of a landmark.

In handing down the punishment, the FA is obviously trying to set an example, and manifest its "zero tolerance" approach to racism in football. I do wonder though, the extent to which Suarez' past, and his reputation, were taken into consideration when passing sentence, whether consciously or otherwise.

As any salt-of-the-earth, honest-to-goodness British policeman might say, Suarez has "previous". That is to say that his career disciplinary record is less than exemplary, and there may not be many people (other than Liverpool fans) who will cancel Christmas or shed a tear over his punishment or the extent of it.

Detractors will point to the incident in November 2010, when Suarez was playing for Ajax, and bit opponent Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a game.

Others will point to Suarez's propensity to go down under a challenge, claiming that he tries to win free-kicks and penalties unfairly, and has a tendency to try to get his opponents into trouble.

There is no doubt that he is a supremely gifted footballer, and Liverpool's hopes of competing for a place in the top four this season, or even (unlikely as it appears at this juncture) the title, rest on his slight but talented shoulders.

But, and herein lies the rub I feel, his orientation into English football has not been the best.

Suarez's defence has been that he didn't say anything to Patrice Evra that he hasn't heard countless times on a football field in Uruguay.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and suggest that all the fuss has been about use of the word "negrito". It's a diminutive of the word "negro" in Spanish (please read it in a Spanish accent - it sounds so much less offensive...), and means "little black man", and in Uruguay, at least, it has affectionate rather than vituperative connotations. Some linguists have suggested even, that it has nothing at all to do with skin colour, but is a colloquial term for "friend, pal, or mate".

"In Uruguay it is a nickname for someone whose skin is darker than the rest," said Gus Poyet, a fellow Uruguayan and currently the manager of Brighton and Hove Albion, offering his interpretation. "It is not offensive. Such people are part of our society. We will defend them, go to war with them, share everything with them, and at the same time use that word."

Unfortunately, Patrice Evra and England's football authorities don't see it (or hear it) that way, and Suarez is paying the price.

Liverpool Football Club will also pay the price, if indeed they are deprived of a key player's services for what amounts to more than a fifth of a league season.

And, in preparation of being pilloried by Liverpool fans everywhere, I would suggest that the club only has itself to blame.

Even before his first game for Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League, Suarez should have been briefed on the acceptable code of conduct in English football, focusing on the possible cultural differences that the player, at 24 years of age, may not have been aware of.

If company employees go to work in a different country, you can bet your bottom Human-Resources-allocated dollar, that they will go through some sort of orientation programme, to ensure that they have an understanding of the local culture and don't make an enormous social gaffe on their first visit to the water cooler.

Why should it be any different in the world of football - a rough and tumble sport that involves human interaction at an almost primal level of physical competition?

Is Suarez a racist? There is no evidence to suggest that he is, and the fact that he has a black grandfather and is therefore something of an ethnic mélange himself would suggest against it.

Did Suarez make racist remarks? Possibly, although it's more likely that certain words, and one word in particular, got lost in translation.

Does racism exist in football? Of course it does, as it does in almost every walk of life, whether we choose to accept the fact or not.

The English FA may well feel, righteously even, that they are doing the right thing by setting an example, and therefore establishing a relevant deterrent, but one can't help feeling that they may have fastened on to this issue with rather greater gusto than is entirely appropriate.

Luis Suarez should have known better, and if he didn't, then someone should have been around to instruct him and help him out.

"I don't think Luis Suarez is a racist."

These are not my words, but those of Patrice Evra in his written statement to the FA.

Herman Ouseley, Chairman of the anti-racism group "Kick It Out" put the affair nicely into context when he said; "This charge is not saying Luis Suarez is a racist. It's saying, on this occasion, he used racist language. It doesn't make him a bad guy - he needs to learn what is acceptable."

Nothing more needs to be said, I feel, although it will be interesting to hear what John Terry has to say in the coming weeks.

It's official; Manchester City are beatable in the Barclays Premier League.

If I sound quietly pleased with the statement, I make no apologies. With all due respect to Manchester City fans around the world, who may have been hoping that Mancini's men could emulate Arsenal in the 2003/04 season and go through the entire campaign unbeaten, neutrals everywhere, and Manchester United supporters in particular, are gratified that the title race won't be won at a canter by the richest club in football.

Admittedly, Chelsea needed a helping hand on Monday night when they beat City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City started the game in imperious style, took the lead, wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to double their advantage, and were then denied a penalty when David Silva went over in the box under a Jose Bosingwa challenge.

Eight times out of ten, a penalty would have been awarded, but referee Mark Clattenburg declined the appeal, choosing, in the process, not to book Silva for what must have been a dive if there was no infringement.

Arguably, it was the turning point of the game. It would have been difficult to see Chelsea come back from two goals down.

As it was, Chelsea went on to bag the points and close the gap on the league leaders to only seven points with 23 games of the season remaining. Had City won, Chelsea would have found themselves thirteen points adrift, and by Andre Villas-Boas' own admission, that would have created a fissure too big to bridge.

Chelsea's win has given new life to the Barclays Premier League, and renewed hope to a chasing pack that includes Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and even Liverpool, who finally ended their run of home league draws at the weekend with the win over QPR.

While they say that no titles are won at Christmas, the next few weeks could well provide a bit of a shake-up at the top of the table, with more contenders than ever not only for top spot, but also for those coveted UEFA Champions League places.

Every BPL team will play four more league games before 2011 draws to a close, which means that there are plenty of points to be won and lost. Clashes between top clubs will also provide encouragement for rivals, since points are bound to be dropped, and this scenario will unfold on Sunday as Manchester City entertain Arsenal.

If Manchester United pick up all three points earlier in the day at Loftus Road, as most people will expect them to, the Red Devils will return to the top of the table, and City, for the first time in a long while, will be playing catch-up.

After a disappointing few days that have seen City eliminated from the Champions League and lose their first Premier League game of the season, Sunday's match will provide a worthy test of Manchester City's credentials as well as a measure of the improvements Arsenal have made recently.

After a disastrous start to the season that culminated in the 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford, Arsene Wenger has somehow managed to get his team back on track and right in the mix. That he has done this with so many injury problems, and from a position where confidence must have been at an all-time low, is testament to his managerial acumen.

Pundits continue to refer to Arsenal as a one man team (that man being Robin Van Persie, who needs only three more goals to equal Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year) but they are a great deal more than that.

The Gunners may be reliant on Van Persie's goalscoring instincts, but he still needs his team-mates to create the opportunities for him, and that appears to be happening with increasing regularity.

While Arsenal's frailties continue to be at the back, where Wenger does not have a single recognised full-back to call on, we may see an adventurous Arsenal side on Sunday, realising that up against the seemingly limitless attacking options possessed by Manchester City, they'll need to match up in that respect.

Clearly the title will not be won by the time the curtain comes down on 2011, but the psychological advantage of going in to the New Year as top dog mustn't be underestimated.

It looked for all the world that it would be Manchester City, but with fixtures coming thick and fast, and the harshness of an English winter setting in, who knows what might transpire?

Tottenham Hotspur fans are getting excited.

This is not unusual.

Spurs fans are often excited, more frequently excitable, and, much like their beloved club, prone to the vicissitudes of football and life.

Spurs fans are also notoriously negative, pessimistic, and wont to display airs of resignation that would make Eeyore look like an eternal optimist, and yet there's a feeling around White Hart Lane right now that suggests that this could be about to change.

Here are the facts. Tottenham Hotspurs are the 'form team' in the Barclays Premier League at this moment in time, having won nine out of their last ten league games, and taken 28 points out of a possible 30.

They are third in the table; two points off Manchester United, with a game in hand, and are winning games (particularly away from home) without playing at their best.

This is uncharacteristic of a club that last won the English league title in 1961, and has flattered to deceive on so many subsequent occasions that devotees can comfortably be forgiven for their cynicism and sense of impending disappointment.

Tottenham have always tried to stick to an ethos of playing attractive, attacking football, where a more pragmatic approach, at times, may have been more appropriate, and while it may have won them admirers down the years, it hasn't won them much of anything else.

What Spurs fans now are just beginning to ask themselves is: could this season be different? Does the club, at last, have a squad to rival any in the BPL, and, much more importantly, does the current crop of players have the necessary mentality to get the job done?

A couple of seasons ago, Spurs broke into the top 4 in the BPL.

In the circumstances, it was a major achievement, and the subsequent run in the UEFA Champions League presented many latter-day Tottenham Hotspur fans with some abiding memories.

Tottenham reached the quarter-final stage of the competition before being dismantled by Real Madrid, as their European campaign ended in glorious failure.

This should come as no surprise to many, as Tottenham Hotspur FC has long been associated with glory, dating back to Bill Nicholson's double winning side of 1961. It has also been associated with failure...seemingly ever since.

One of my favourite football quotes of all time comes from Nicholson, who said: "It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high; so high, in fact, that even failure will have in it an echo of glory."

It's stirring stuff; a battle cry if ever there was one, even if it is redolent of a bygone age and probably the stuff of nonsense to your average modern-day footballer.

But it's an ethos that has, more or less, plagued every Tottenham team that followed Nicholson's successful time at the club. Each successive generation has wanted to win things, but as every Spurs fan will tell you, it has to be done with panache and style. Otherwise, it almost doesn't count.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, success and style don't necessarily go hand in hand. Manchester United's title-winning season of 2010-11 was characterised more by gritty, hard-fought victories, than by playing teams off the park, and even Chelsea (who won back-to-back titles) under Jose Mourinho, were hardly a joy to watch week in and week out.

Those teams though had a mental strength and a winning mentality that is hard to forge and even harder to maintain, but in believing (and expecting) that they were going to win every time they took to the pitch, the mind-set they brought in to every game represented a significant psychological advantage.

That belief is clearly beginning to develop at Tottenham, whose recent away wins at Blackburn, West Brom, and particularly Fulham, were based on hard work, determination and a resilience we haven't seen in a Spurs side for many years.

While most Tottenham Hotspur fans will dismiss outright any talk of being genuine title contenders this season, and will maintain that the squad remains a work in progress, who knows what might happen if results continue to go their way, and the belief becomes real.

The problems for Spurs, assuming they are still in contention, may come at the business end of the season. It will be unfamiliar territory for players and management alike, and while Manchester United, for example, have had plenty of practice, and boast a wealth of experience in getting the job done by any variety of means, it will all be new for the North London club.

In the meantime though, Tottenham Hotspur fans will have to allow themselves to be caught up in the excitement, while keeping their feet planted firmly a couple of inches below the ground. They'll be hoping for the best, no doubt, but probably fearing the worst.

Manchester City's defeat at the hands of Napoli has shocked the Barclays Premier League.

Not because the top team in England, and already many pundits' ‘Champions elect', were beaten by an Italian team sitting 7th in their domestic league, but because if Manchester City do get eliminated from Europe's top club competition, their determination to win the BPL will be that much greater.

Title contenders such as Manchester United, Chelsea, maybe even Arsenal, were banking on City's continued involvement in serious European competition - with only a mild disrespect shown towards the Europa League.

A decent run in Europe could have stretched City's resources, to the extent that league results may have suffered a decline. With qualification for the knockout stages of the UCL now out of City's hands, and looking distinctly unlikely, concentration, and absolute focus will soon be brought to bear on the Premier League, and there's no doubt that City have the wherewithal to win it.

They have been nigh on irresistible in league action so far this season, but in the game against Napoli, there were one or two signs that there may be chinks in their apparently flawless armour.

On Sunday they face a severe test of their credentials, both physical and mental, when they travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side on the verge of being very good indeed, if they could only produce a higher level of consistency.

Kenny Dalglish must be tearing his hair out right now, as he inspects Liverpool's recent run of results.

They have won their last 3 away league matches at Everton, West Brom and Chelsea, and drawn their last 3 at home. The 1-1 against Manchester United would have been seen as a decent result, while draws against newly-promoted Norwich and Swansea could only have been regarded as immensely disappointing.

It's surprising then that 4 of Liverpool's 6 wins this season have come on the road, and only 2 at Anfield, a stadium that used to be synonymous with the word "fortress".

The big question then has to be, why can't Liverpool despatch teams at home like they used to in their heyday?

A lot has to do with an influx of new players at the club through the course of 2011, and the time they take to gel into a coherent unit.

Another factor may have something to do with the team's ability to get themselves motivated for games against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, and perhaps not apply the same levels of intensity for the Norwiches and Swanseas of this world.

It will both perturb and frustrate Dalglish, as he strives to return Liverpool to the pedestal they more or less owned when he was a player, although I don't think he'll have too much trouble getting his troops ready for battle when Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday.

It will be a major test for both clubs, and the importance for Manchester City will have increased after their European fate was taken out of their control on Tuesday night.

Roberto Mancini will know that there is little or no time to lick wounds and carry out the necessary post mortem from the Napoli game, before embarking on a league fixture that used to be the most daunting in English domestic football.

We'll know a lot more about the temperaments and abilities of both sides come Sunday's final whistle, and it would be a brave man who predicts a result.

With 11 wins and a draw so far this season, Manchester City have carried all before them, and would probably take a point if it was offered to them right now - they don't have to win every game.

Bearing in mind City's strength right now, and their devastating wins at Manchester United and Tottenham already this season (the clubs currently in 2nd and 3rd) Liverpool would probably settle for a draw as well.

It's clear though that home draws will not be enough for Liverpool this season, if they are to push on and secure their place back at Europe's top table for the next campaign.

Every few months a presenter and a producer from ESPN STAR Sports go ‘on site' to the UK. Our mission, and we have little choice other than to accept it, is to boldly go where no other sports reporters go; to seek out life and signs of civilisation among the good and the great that were, and are, part of the Barclays Premier League.

It all sounds very glamorous - rubbing shoulders with football stars and club managers - but the reality is far removed from the perception. Around all the bits that viewers see on television, there is endless waiting about, trying to persuade people to talk to you, making sure that you're always ready and able when they are, eating on the hoof, sleeping when you can and struggling with technology.

Thursday 13 October

After a 13 hour flight from Singapore, the first email my producer (He Who Must be Obeyed; ‘HWMBO' hereinafter) received was confirmation of our accreditation at the Liverpool press conference, and the information that the only day we could shoot at Anfield was...today.

Attending a Kenny Dalglish press conference on no sleep is ill advised. Mr Dalglish can be difficult, and is famed for his one word answers, and the fact that he always manages to make you sound like an idiot, no matter how germane the question you're asking might be.

Fortunately KD (or should that be KK?) was good enough to stop for a quick chat afterwards, and reintroduce me to his vice-like handshake grip.

Off to Anfield, and some pieces to camera (PTCs) in front of the famous sign; in the dugout; on the steps of the tunnel that's so narrow players have to descend in single file. Then the dressing groom, with all the players' shirts on hooks, speculating on whether Steven Gerrard would start on Saturday.

39 hours with no sleep, HWMBO was good enough to construct my sentences for me and tell me where to stand.

Back to the hotel to upload, digitise, fragmentise, email...I really don't know, the footage back to Asia.

Saturday 15 October

Liverpool versus Manchester United. The biggest game in English football. Roy Evans was our guest, and what a delight he was. Warm, friendly, approachable, articulate, short enough to make me look tall. The only difficulty was accompanying him, and trying to move around at Anfield. Everyone wanted to say hello, have him sign something, or ask his opinion on something else.

PTCs before the game went well, and I'm praying that no one is able to see the inherent stress in these exercises. You get a very small (short) window of opportunity when the cameras are on you, and you cannot afford to slip up.

Interviewed Mike Phelan, Phil Jones and Darren Fletcher after the match - all good.

Train to London.

Sunday 16 October

Arsenal versus Sunderland. Met our guest, Nigel Winterburn outside the Emirates before entering the labyrinth that is the stadium.

Post-match interviews with Steve Bruce (greetings extended from Paul Parker - always a good ice breaker) - gutted but philosophical, "the story of our season so far..." - Seb Larsson; quite loquacious seeing as English isn't his first language; and Mike Arteta - happy, settling in, fed up of being compared to Cesc Fabregas. And who wouldn't be?

Monday 17 October

The Monday Night Verdict from our London studio. No sleep, still ill, tipped out of bed at 6 am.

Replete with every UK daily newspaper, it was over to Sky Sports, where we have a facility, and was the disembodied head on The Verdict. Andy Penders did a great job anchoring the show, while I tried to do as good a job as Gerry Armstrong always does when he's our London guest.

Tuesday 18 October

Off to QPR's training ground on a bitterly cold day. Very warm welcome from the press officer, and then two wonderful interviews. The first was with Neil Warnock who started off as not a happy man - the morning's training had resulted in yet another injury ahead of the Chelsea game, and he was bemoaning his luck.

And yet, 30 seconds into the interview - conducted in the open air (HWMBO - "the light's better"), on a balcony, in a biting wind, not allowed to wear a coat (HWMBO - "it'll look good." - sadist) - he was talkative, friendly, forthcoming...perfect.

Joey Barton followed - straight off the training ground, was equally good. I had decided to take quite a bold approach to the interview, reminding him of his chequered past etc., and he didn't seem to take umbrage. He's much nicer (off the field) than I think most people would like to believe.

High-tailed it through London's legendary traffic to White Hart Lane for a 15 minute sit down with Jermain Defoe - especially organised by one of ESPN STAR Sports' favourite pundits Russ Wiseman.

Told Jermain to close his eyes and describe what it was like scoring a goal, and the interview went from there. The guy speaks quickly, but the content was excellent. I saw a boy really, who just wants to play football...as often as possible, for as long as possible.

Our reception at Tottenham Hotspur was remarkably friendly and accommodating. Asked if we wanted to do a PTC, we were offered the Director's Box. Asked if the lighting was alright - it wasn't - they turned on the floodlights for us. Marvelous.

Thursday 20 October

Back in Liverpool. Another Thursday and another press conference at Liverpool's training ground, Melwood. Kenny not in a particularly good mood and wouldn't countenance anyone (ie. me) suggesting that his approach to football didn't encompass anything other than ‘taking it one game at a time.' Ouch.

Vox Pops outside Old Trafford. Made us realise the global appeal of Manchester United FC. Interviewees from Norway, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, India, etc. Found one Englishman. He supported Liverpool.

More sitting around in a bar...digitising. Apparently.

Friday 21 October

Put together a piece on the ongoing developments at Manchester City FC. Big money; big plans.

We shot a 3 minute piece that included interviews pitch-side with Bernard Halford (Man City's Life President) and Paul Lake (Hall of Famer), looking at the club's plans and ambitions.

Vox Pops outside the Man City store at the Etihad Stadium were considerably less problematic than at Old Trafford...for some reason.

Saturday 22 October

Back to Anfield to get reacquainted with Roy Evans. Great post-match interviews with Paul Lambert (happy, Scottish), Grant Holt (we talked about Singapore and where he used to stay when playing for Sengkang Marine) and John Ruddy (I had to stand on a box, gracelessly procured by HWMBO). And Kenny Dalglish. He wasn't happy with the 1-1 score line, but he still gave us his time. Trooper.

Sunday 23 October

The big one, Manchester United versus Manchester City, at Old Trafford. Our guest, Denis Irwin - "I do think there will be goals in this one." You were right Denis.

A lovely man; a genuine Man Utd legend; and everyone wanted a piece of him too. We were about to do a piece with him pitch-side, when he was grabbed by an official and paraded on the field with Gary Pallister and Bryan Robson.

Not surprisingly, Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't really in the mood to talk after the game, but Roberto Mancini was. One would have expected him to have been euphoric, buzzing, but his mood was philosophical, modulated, displaying extraordinary grace in victory.

Mike Phelan was equally philosophical, and James Milner, who had a stunning game, looked satisfied, and not a little tired. Good interview.

A couple of seasons ago I had spoken to Vincent Kompany after a Man City game, and was impressed by his erudition and command of English. In the tunnel at Old Trafford I saw, and heard, him conduct fluent interviews in English, French, and Dutch. He was probably on the verge of doing one in Arabic, but I had a train to catch. Who says all footballers are stupid?

Kompany said, "if you can't enjoy a day like today, then when can you enjoy it?" - a sentiment echoed by me and HWMBO after an exhausting but very satisfying few days' work.

The Manchester Ship Canal was completed in 1894.

This may seem like a strange way to start an article about an upcoming football match, but the historical fact goes a long way towards understanding what has become one of the most compelling, enduring and bitter rivalries in English football.

Throughout the 19th Century, Manchester had become renowned for its manufacturing prowess, while Liverpool was a major port, with an estimated 40% of the world's trade passing through it.

After the completion of the Manchester Ship Canal however, ships could bypass Liverpool and go directly into Manchester, resulting in reduced revenues for Liverpool merchants, the loss of jobs at the port, and a great deal of resentment.

The city rivalry has continued to this day, and is rarely more manifest than in clashes between the two football teams, who just happen to be the most successful in English football history.

Saturday sees the renewal of hostilities between Liverpool and Manchester United, and the backdrop could hardly be more compelling.

Manchester United's Barclays Premier League title last season, took their overall total to 19, one more than Liverpool, with Sir Alex Ferguson finally knocking the Anfield side off the "perch" he so colourfully referred to back in 2002.

Before Sir Alex won his first league title with Manchester United in 1993, Liverpool had completed the last of their 18 (in 1990). It's not surprising then that Ferguson described overhauling Liverpool's total as the "greatest challenge" in his managerial career. When Sir Alex took the reins at United, they had won only 7 titles.

While the 1980s belonged to Liverpool, the 90s and 2000s very much belonged to United, as they picked up the 12 Premier League titles required to supersede Liverpool's achievements. The perch now belongs to Manchester United, and Sir Alex Ferguson is enjoying every minute of it.

To give you an idea of the intensity between the rivals, Steven Gerrard, apparently, despite keeping innumerable swapped shirts in his memorabilia cabinet, refuses to have a Manchester United jersey in his home.

Gary Neville described scoring the winning goal at Anfield and celebrating under the Kop as a "lifelong dream", after John O'Shea had done just that in 2007, and it's interesting to note that while a handful of players have represented both clubs, no one player has been transferred directly between the two since 1964.

What will also be fascinating about Saturday's clash is the renewal of managerial rivalries, as Sir Alex and Kenny Dalglish prepare to lock horns once again.

Theirs is, according to Ian Herbert writing in The Independent, "a rivalry of respect, fury and friendship", and despite its intermittent nature, remains one of the most abiding in English football - ironic perhaps, seeing as both men hail from Glasgow.

It dates back to 1969, and an Old Firm (Celtic versus Rangers) reserve match.

An 18 year old Dalglish, at the start of his career, was deployed at centre-back to mark a 28 year old Alex Ferguson, then at the twilight of his.

Dalglish claims that he had the striker ‘in his pocket' for the entire game, helping his side to a 2-0 win, while Ferguson claims that he remembers scoring in the match. Ferguson's verdict on Dalglish after the match; "That wee fat boy won't make a player." If Sir Alex has been right about most of the assessments he has made in his managerial career, I think we can all safely say that he got that one wrong.

While the relationship between the two has often resembled a feud, there is no questioning the respect they hold for each other, and the delight they both take when pitting wits.

Sir Alex Ferguson is resident on the perch at this moment in time, a fact that will certainly not be lost on Kenny Dalglish. The Liverpool faithful will need no reminding of the fact that their last league title was claimed back in 1990, and Saturday's game could well be an opportunity to lay down a marker in the latest instalment of the great North-West rivalry.

There were plenty of candidates for the ‘Game of the Season' in the 2010-11 edition of the Barclays Premier League.

It's interesting to note that two of the nominees came from the same fixture.

In November 2010, Tottenham went to the Emirates Stadium and came away with all 3 points on Arsenal soil for the first time in 17 years.

In April, the two sides met at White Hart Lane, and served up a frenzied feast of frantic feisty football, the game ending in a 3-3 draw.

They were two remarkable matches, made all the more extraordinary by the fact that Arsenal were 2 goals to the good in both of them, and were ultimately pegged back.

Statistically, you could say that Arsene Wenger's side squandered 5 points over the two encounters from eminently winnable positions, and while defeat at The Emirates must have been galling for the Gunners (especially bearing in mind the fact that they were comfortably in front at the break and cruising) the 2 points dropped at The Lane proved to be even more significant. They effectively put paid to any hopes Arsenal had of challenging for the title.

More often than not in the Premier League era, Tottenham have resembled lambs to the slaughter in meetings with their North London neighbours. Last season appeared to witness a change in the tectonic foundations of one of the bitterest and most long standing rivalries in English football.

It all started in 1913, and got particularly fractious in 1919, when Tottenham were convinced that Arsenal had taken their place in the old First Division by nefarious means - it's a long story.

The fact that Arsenal started life as a football club in South London and then moved to become Tottenham's closest neighbours exacerbated the situation (too close for comfort, clearly).

In the early days, such was the extent of the acrimony, that matches often descended into the kind of near-violence that would have produced a rash of red cards today.

In the Premier League era though, it's fair to say that Arsenal have had Spurs' number - even introducing a ‘St Totteringham's Day' - the point in the season at which Tottenham, mathematically, couldn't possibly finish above Arsenal in the league. This was indicative of the confidence level in the Arsenal camp, that they would better, and continue to exceed, their rivals' achievements.

As I mentioned earlier though, the situation has changed of late, and perhaps for the first time in many a season, Tottenham will go into Sunday's North London derby as marginal favourites.

Arsenal's problematic start to this campaign has been well documented, as they continue to come to terms with the departure of their two best players Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. It reflects the fact that Arsenal have become what is termed a ‘selling club', with top players electing to pursue honours elsewhere - presumably on the basis that they don't expect The Emirates' trophy cabinet to be replenished any time soon.

There is no doubt that Arsenal, as a team, has been a joy to watch, and plays the kind of football that delights purists, even throughout the course of the last 6 unsuccessful (in terms of picking up silverware) seasons.

With new players beginning to bed in though, there are encouraging signs for the Gunners, especially after last weekend's comfortable win against Bolton. Tottenham for their part, endured a difficult start to the season, suffering heavy defeats against the two Manchester clubs, while the Luka Modric saga took twists, turns and its toll on the club.

Significantly though, after personnel issues were sorted out, Spurs have kicked on well, and can cite two decent away maximums in a recent 3-game winning streak that also includes a 4-0 thumping of Liverpool.

The context for this Sunday's North London derby could hardly be more fascinating, despite the fact that we're not even 1/6 of the way into the season.

It's a fixture that always captures the imagination, and invariably provides plenty of goals and excitement. Passions will be at fever pitch (allusion intended) for the partisans this weekend, while the neutrals will be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the most compelling fixtures the Barclays Premier League has to offer.

By Andrew Leci

On Sunday at Old Trafford, the world saw what Fernando Torres was capable of, and let's be honest, many of us needed reminding.

We also saw one of the misses of this or any other season, and if that doesn't give us an insight into the vagaries of life as a professional sportsman, then nothing will.

The 27-year-old Spaniard went from hero to villain in the time it takes a football to travel eight yards. Up to the point at which Torres blazed wide when it looked easier to score, he had had an excellent game - utilising the pace, power, movement and eye for goal that Chelsea had been happy to shell out £50 million for.

Then, at an absolutely critical stage of the game, he fluffed his lines in quite spectacular fashion, and is now the butt of more internet jokes than Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Such is the nature of the game, and particularly the media's attitude towards it, that the glaring miss filled many more column inches than Torres' overall performance, which was redolent of his youthfully exuberant days at Atletico Madrid, and the beginning of his career at Liverpool.

I think it's fair to say that there are a fair few people out there who are quite enjoying the turmoil Torres is currently enduring. He is one of the tallest of tall poppies in the football world, and it appears to be in our nature to derive pleasure from the pruning process.

Torres, for his part, didn't do himself any favours recently, by allegedly criticising his older team-mates for being too slow...presumably to supply him with the kind of ammunition he needs to score goals and achieve his full potential.

I use the word ‘allegedly' since Torres insists that his comments to the official La Liga website, were lost in translation, but that didn't stop the press getting stuck in, suggesting that the player was trying to distract attention from his own failings by blaming others - as a chef might do regarding the quality of the ingredients he has been given to make a dish.

It went far enough for manager Andre Villas-Boas to make a full investigation, and whatever was said, it's unlikely to have endeared Torres to his playing pals. All seemed to have been forgiven and forgotten, however, as Chelsea did indeed up the pace of delivery against Manchester United, and gave Fernando more of what he needs to function properly.

He scored a fine goal; one that bore the hallmarks of a confident Fernando Torres in his prime, and the way he scythed through the United defence to set up his open goal, demonstrated what we all know he is capable of.

So, why hasn't he been doing it more regularly, and where does he go from here, with the taunts of Manchester United fans still, I would imagine, ringing in his ears?

It's difficult to have sympathy for a man who earns more in a week for playing a game than an average nurse earns in 12 years for doing something considerably more rigorous.

It's not difficult, however, to empathise with someone who knows what he can do (because he's already done it) and then, suddenly almost, and for no explicable reason, finds himself incapable.

Whatever we do in our daily working lives, we all have our good days - when everything goes well and we think we're hot stuff.

Then we have our bad days, when we think we're doing exactly what we were doing on the good days, but nothing seems to come off, and everything goes wrong.

Fernando Torres knows that feeling all too well - he's had plenty of bad days recently (two goals in 24 appearances for Chelsea so far, tells us all we need to know, and I'm not going to mitigate that statistic by talking about the number of goals he has set up - that's not in the first paragraph of his job scope).

Sunday, however, was a good day for the man who's been capped 87 times for Spain, and has European Championship and World Cup winners' medals on his shelf.

At least it was in the main.

Unfortunately, the 3-1 defeat for Chelsea will always be remembered as the match in which Fernando Torres missed the open goal that could have changed the entire complexion of the game. It's how Torres responds from this point on that will determine his season, and maybe even his entire career.

By Andrew Leci

Cast your minds back, if you will, to the 8th of May this year.

Manchester United hosted Chelsea at Old Trafford, a week after the Red Devils had been beaten, somewhat surprisingly, by Arsenal, and 8 days after Chelsea had squeaked past Tottenham with two highly controversial goals at Stamford Bridge.

Last season's title race was thrown wide open, with Chelsea 3 points behind Manchester United, and 3 games remaining. Both sides, miraculously, were locked together on the same goal difference.

The match at the Theatre of Dreams on the 8th of May was billed as the ‘title decider' - Chelsea would have gone top had they won the game - and so it proved. The 2-1 win for United took them 6 points clear of Chelsea, and delivered the decisive blow to the Blues' title hopes.

The result, more or less, cost Carlo Ancelotti his job, with Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich demonstrating once again that he has neither the time nor the patience to indulge managers who emerge from a season empty handed. And after FC Porto lifted the Europa League trophy, no one in the football world was convinced that it would be anyone other than Andre Villas-Boas who would be offered one of the hottest seats in the game.

His appointment creates a quite fascinating backdrop to this weekend's Barclays Premier League clash between Manchester United and Chelsea. It's a managerial encounter that screams out ‘Master versus Apprentice' - the contrast between Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson and Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas could hardly be more defined.

Ferguson is the most successful manager in the history of club football. There is nothing he hasn't achieved, and even at the age of 69, his thirst for the game and his hunger for more silverware show few signs of abating.

Villa-Boas' CV reads: 9 months at Académica de Coimbra and a year at FC Porto, although he did have a short stint as coach of the British Virgin Islands team when he was 21 years old. His precocity, it appears, knew no bounds even then.

AVB, as he's come to be known - especially by those too embarrassed to try to pronounce his name correctly - has had top schooling.

At 16 years of age, he found himself living in the same apartment block as Bobby Robson, who was then the manager of FC Porto. Robson was so impressed with the young AVB, that he gave him a position at the club, in an ‘observational' capacity, and guided him through his UEFA C coaching license, which he achieved a year later.

While at Porto, Robson had the services of a certain Jose Mourinho as an interpreter, and it's not difficult to imagine a young AVB standing close, but to one side, ears cocked, taking in everything he could from two substantial footballing minds.

AVB was then assistant coach to Mourinho at Chelsea and Inter Milan before deciding to forge his own career in management. In the nature versus nurture debate, it is very clear to see that the 33 year old has had the very best of both worlds as he prepares to pit his individual wits against Sir Alex Ferguson for the very first time.

Good looking and articulate, AVB has already proven that he does ‘humility' well, and appears to have learnt as many ‘don'ts' as ‘do's' from Mourinho. He's already the media's dream boy, and his touchline antics (he's a pretty good mime artist) have already endeared him to the Chelsea faithful and the cameramen whose job it is to track the managers' every move.

Sunday's clash sees the first installment of the ‘Master versus Apprentice' - 2011 version, and with Chelsea's owner assuring the new incumbent that he will not be sacked after a year, even if the club fails to achieve the requisite measure of success, there should be plenty more to come.

Sir Alex Ferguson's relationship with Jose Mourinho always had something of the Rhett Butler/Scarlett O'Hara feel to it - a grudging respect predicated on fierce competitiveness.

I'm wondering if, to delve once again into the world of film, that between Sir Alex and Andre Villas-Boas won't be "the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

Frankly, I doubt it. It simply doesn't suit Sir Alex. While the Manchester United boss is happy to ‘play nice' with the managers of teams who ride into the valley like the Light Brigade and are almost primed to curl up and die (I won't mention any names - they know who they are) his relationships with genuine competitors has never been anything other than frosty - Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Kenny Dalglish - spot the common denominator.

Whichever way you look at it, Sir Alex will certainly not want to be upstaged by an ‘upstart' less than half his age.

Cheque books have been put away; 25-man squads have been submitted; we're ready to get back down to business in the Barclays Premier League.

The final days of this recent transfer window have been extremely entertaining, with hundreds of millions of dollars changing hands, and oodles of players preparing to change the colour of the shirts they'll be wearing to work.

It presents a good opportunity to assess who did what and why.

For the sake of brevity, and some healthy subjectivity, I'm going to limit myself to one key signing per club.

ARSENAL
Per Mertesacker. The giant German could be just the plug the Gunners need for their leaky defence - would Arsenal have conceded 8 at Old Trafford had Per been there?

It's moot, and arguably Arsene Wenger has more significant problems in replacing, or compensating for the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. However, if Arsenal's new look defence can provide a reasonably solid platform, at least there is something to build on in what already looks like being a difficult campaign.

ASTON VILLA

Shay Given. At £3.5 million, the Republic of Ireland international has to be the bargain of the window, and how he will relish getting back into first team action, having sat on the bench for most of last season at Manchester City.

Having said that, even his heroics are unlikely to soften the blow of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing's departures to ‘bigger clubs'.

BLACKBURN ROVERS

Scott Dann. With Rovers linked with every slightly-past-their-sell-by-date superstar, the more pragmatic decision to bolster the back line could prove to be season-saving. One still wonders where the goals are going to come from though.

CHELSEA

Juan Mata. The final piece in the Chelsea jigsaw? I doubt it. While prodigiously talented, Andre Villas-Boas may struggle to find a way of deploying Mata to optimum effect in a system that may not suit him. I think everyone wants Chelsea to be more fun to watch as this season evolves.

FULHAM

Bryan Ruiz. With Martin Jol already under pressure, all eyes will be on the Costa Rican striker to provide a bit of poke up front. While he has a proven track record in the Dutch Eredivisie, the BPL is likely to test his mettle to the full.

LIVERPOOL

Craig Bellamy. Not the biggest signing Liverpool made in the summer, but certainly the most interesting. No one saw it coming, but not only is it clear that Bellamy feels that he still has a point to prove, it seems that Kenny Dalglish believes he's capable of doing it. Even at 32 years of age, Bellamy is still a potential game changer, although one can't help thinking that his tracksuit top may suffer more wear and tear this season than his number 39 shirt.

MANCHESTER CITY

Samir Nasri. I know everyone will be expecting me to say Sergio Aguero, but Manchester City aren't going to have any problems scoring goals this season - at least not with Nasri to help create the opportunities. Nasri is a good enough footballer to step into any team and adapt to almost any pattern of play. Manchester City's newly discovered fluidity suits him perfectly.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Phil Jones. While Ashley Young and David De Gea may have been the bigger name glamour summer signings. Phil Jones slipped relatively quietly into Old Trafford and has already proved himself to be worth the transfer fee. Young, dynamic and eminently versatile, Jones is set to become a prized asset.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Demba Ba. The man who became West Ham United's top scorer last season despite playing less than a third of their games, deserves another shot in the BPL. Whether or not the supply line can function adequately could determine the Toon's level of success this campaign, after a very bright start.

NORWICH

Steve Morison. Not even a regular starter yet, Morison is unproven at the top level, but has what it takes to succeed. His stuttering rise from non-league football only 5 years ago is a good story, and Norwich will certainly hope that he is able to take some of the goalscoring responsibilities off the shoulders of Grant Holt.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Joey Barton. Love him, hate him, he's impossible to ignore and whether we like it or not, he's still around. QPR are pinning their hopes on his ability to marshal a midfield that has already found it tough going in the BPL.

STOKE CITY

Peter Crouch. Quite apart from the fact that Stoke's striped shirts will make him even taller (a fashion tip for you), it's been a fit that has almost begged to be put together. Long throws from Rory Delap/Ryan Shotton; Crouch's 6'7" frame rising majestically on the 6 yard line to glance in the header...Who wouldn't pay good money to see that?

SUNDERLAND

Ji Dong-Won. Sunderland have struggled to replace Darren Bent, and Steve Bruce will earnestly be hoping that the South Korean international is the man for the job. If his goalscoring record with Sunderland is as good as his current rate with his national team, he could be on to something. Bruce will certainly he hoping so, having spent plenty of the Board's money, with little effect to date.

SWANSEA CITY

Michael Vorm. At £1.5 million Vorm has already proved to be excellent value for money, and should he find himself on a productivity deal this season, may be able to retire come May 2012. If Swansea continue to insist on playing open and attractive football, the 26 year-old Dutchman is going to be busier than a chameleon on a tartan rug.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Emmanuel Adebayor. Spurs' strikers failed to strike last season, and it cost the club dearly. Adebayor, so often the scourge of Tottenham in the past (particularly during his time with Arsenal) has more than a public relations challenge on his plate. 20 goals or more will be required of him this campaign, if Tottenham are to be even in contention for a top 4 finish.

I must lose my discipline at this juncture to include a significant piece of transfer news that turned out to be not a transfer at all, and that's Luka Modric staying at Tottenham. This story was about strength of will versus ‘filthy lucre' (no pun intended...perhaps). Tottenham's Chairman Daniel Levy took a stance, and against seemingly overwhelming odds and offers, stuck to it. If it turns out to be anything other than a pyric victory, I for one will be surprised.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Shane Long. He is just the kind of player WBA needs to hold the ball up, and distract the attention of opposing defences. Once again, the supply line will be key, but Roy Hodgson has secured the services of one of the league's hardest working players, who is desperate to prove his worth. This is not a bad combination.

WIGAN ATHLETIC

Shaun Maloney. After an inconsistent and largely indifferent spell with Aston Villa, the Scotland international has another (and probably last) chance to prove himself in the BPL. Superb, at best; anonymous, at worst, Maloney could be key to Wigan's aspirations, which will probably amount to not having to go into the last game of the season staring down the barrel of relegation. Roberto Martinez may beg to differ.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Roger Johnson. Wolves have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, but even the arch realist who goes by the name of Mick McCarthy will accept that a mid-table position come May is the sum of their expectations. Johnson will add a much needed solidity and discipline to a defensive line last season that conceded more than its fair share of comedy goals.

There you have it; hardly comprehensive and somewhat personal, but hopefully stimulating and debate-inviting.

It's always fun to see players in different coloured shirts, looking not quite right and a little confused, initially, when exhorting their team-mates.

The summer sales are over, as is the international break, and it's back to the weekly grind in the world's best football league.

Too much rain; too few restaurants; exhausting training regimens; just some of the reasons why Carlos Tevez is, apparently, unhappy at Manchester City.

Lacking the imagination to find ways of spending his £200,000 per week (plus) salary could be another cause for his discontent.

People who 'work' for a living are having difficulty rustling up sympathy for his plight.

The question is though; is Carlos Tevez simply a perennially unhappy, pouting, brooding individual, or is he merely a prisoner - nothing more than a pawn in a multi-million dollar game of finance, the machinations of which have reached staggering proportions, involving exiled Russian oligarchs (one of whom is now deceased) and of the ilk that would make John Le Carre salivate.

The answer is probably, a bit of both.As a footballer, Carlos Tevez is 'owned'.

That is to say that his 'economic rights' belong to a company, and the paper trail reveals that through the years, ownership has changed hands on several occasions. The only constant has been that the various companies have been registered in tax havens and finance centres boasting privacy - a euphemism, if ever there was one, for secrecy.

Individuals have made millions from the transfer dealings involving Tevez, treating him as a tradable commodity and, I suspect, with an attendant indifference to him as a human being.

With the possible exception of Manchester United (whose colours Tevez used to wear, ironically enough) the 27 year-old Argentinean would walk into any starting 11 of any team in the country.

He is a human dynamo of a player, displaying boundless energy on the field, and a seemingly limitless passion for the game. Opposing defenders and goalkeepers in particular hate him, not only for the fact that he's likely to notch up a goal against them, but also because he'll never let them have a moment's peace in 90 minutes.

Tevez chases down everything, defending from the front, as ever striker should, and is generally regarded as a pain in the backside for opponents - and that says nothing of his creative potential and his eye for goal.

The problem is, he always looks miserable, and from reports about his tawdry life in Manchester, it seems that he probably is.

After leading Manchester City to an FA Cup triumph in May this year, Tevez declared his intention to remain at Eastlands - despite rumours linking him with a move to Italy.

Less than a month later, on a chat show in Argentina, he declared that he "would not even return there on vacation."

He doesn't seem to like Manchester very much, and he should know how he feels - he's been there for more than 4 years already.

He also doesn't do himself any favours when it comes to forging good relations with the media.

One of the main reasons for his permanent unhappiness seems to be that he gets to see little of his two daughters, who live in Argentina with their mother.

We can all sympathise with this, but it begs the question of why, when given a few days off in the middle of last season to go and visit his family, he opted for a holiday in the Canary Islands instead.

Eyebrows were also raised when he stated his intention to go and play in either Spain or Italy (better weather, better food, presumably) when neither of those countries are any closer to Argentina than Manchester.

For now, Tevez appears to be back in the Manchester City fold, and was used as a substitute in the win against Bolton last weekend.

Roberto Mancini's men sit proudly atop the current Barclays Premier League table, with 2 wins from 2 games - both results achieved without a significant input from the grumpy Argentinean - he's seen 22 minutes of game time so far this season.

Mancini has been keen to point out that he does have a future at the club, despite the wealth of resources currently at the disposal of the manager, who will continue to play what some have referred to as 'fantasy football'.

The recent signing of Samir Nasri from Arsenal will add extra pressure on Tevez for a place in the starting line-up, and one doesn't imagine for a moment that Tevez will be content to be sit on the bench and reduce his involvement to a series of cameo performances.

Certainly not, especially if he can't find more than a couple of Manchester's 300 or so restaurants that are worth eating at.

It's great to see that Arsene Wenger is continuing to build for the future.

The question is; will Wenger have a future at the club to build for?

After a sixth season without honours - almost unthinkable for a club of Arsenal's prestige and quality - the pressure on the shoulders of the 61 year-old Frenchman is ever-increasing.

To the apparent annoyance though of many Arsenal fans, the longest serving (and most decorated) manager in the club's history, refuses to get his cheque book out and make necessary signings.

Some have suggested that it's almost as though the money's coming out of his own pocket, while many others are getting frustrated at Wenger's apparent inability to look at the imperatives that so many other less qualified people seem to accept.

To wit; Arsenal need experienced players in key positions.

In Wenger's defence, world class strikers and centre backs don't exactly grow on trees, and one almost admires his refusal to buy for the sake of buying. Having said that, he has to concede that his current squad has weaknesses, and should the issues not be addressed, the Gunners are likely to come up short again this season.

It's also worth bearing in mind that Arsenal have lost their captain Cesc Fabregas - the heartbeat of the team for many a season now, and arguably Arsenal's best player.

It's also looking likely that Sami Nasri will be heading north-west to join Manchester City, and he was definitely the team's standout performer in the last campaign.

Shorn of two massively influential players, the responsibility for ruling the midfield roost will fall to Jack Wilshere (19), Aaron Ramsey (20), and Alexandre Song, a comparative veteran at the age of 23.

No one would dispute the talent and ability of the trio, but it may be too much to expect them take control of a team's engine room at such tender ages.

"Rubbish", declare Wenger's apparently shrinking legion of adherents, "Fabregas was given that role at the age of 17, and he did alright!"

While this is true, it's important to note that his team-mates at that time (seven years ago now) were the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires - all experienced players who could nurture the young Cesc and relieve some of the pressure from his then young (and fairly scrawny) shoulders.

Who do Wilshere and Ramsey have for such support? Perhaps only each other.

Wenger has spent money in the summer, bringing in Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The latter, who celebrated his 18th birthday last Monday, has enormous potential, and will certainly be one to watch...in the future.

Having only played a handful of games in English football's third tier, Oxlade-Chamberlain is not ready for the hustle and bustle of the Barclays Premier League, while Gervinho amply demonstrated against Newcastle last weekend that, mentally, he may not be either.

He was provoked at St James' Park, and he retaliated - doing something that all of us would probably like to do; slap Joey Barton - and he, in turn, has been slapped with a 3 match ban for violent conduct.

He needs to learn quickly, and will miss this weekend's clash with Liverpool, as will Alexander Song (also suspended), and Jack Wilshere who's injured.

Arsenal's problems are already mounting, and their squad strength is likely to be called into question much earlier than anyone at the club would have liked.

If Arsenal's next assignment is not hard enough, they also have to negotiate the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off against Udinese.

Let's be honest, the Gunners were fortunate to come away from the Emirates on Tuesday night with even a 1-0 win, and I simply cannot remember the last time I saw a Wenger side cough up possession of the football on so many occasions.

Arsenal's game is predicated on their ability to keep the ball - it's difficult, nay impossible, to create goalscoring opportunities if you don't. Take that out of the equation, and there are going to be serious problems.

Don't get me wrong, this is not an exercise in Wenger bashing - I have nothing but admiration for the man (despite his selective myopia) and I want Arsenal to do well.

I'll go further. The Barclays Premier League, if not the entire football world, needs a successful Arsenal, if for no other reason than to prove that the 'beautiful game' can indeed be beautiful. I rejoice when I discover that I am covering an Arsenal match. They play football as it is meant to be played, and I believe that we are all purists at heart.

So, come on Arsene, dust those cobwebs off the cheque book and make that marquee signing. Your future may depend on it.

If Sunday's Community Shield is anything to go by, Manchester United have already established themselves as the team to beat this season.

As the curtain prepares to rise on the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League campaign, expectations in and around Old Trafford will be sky high, and United will be brimming with confidence, having ultimately silenced their ‘noisy neighbours' at Wembley.

Big spending Manchester City took a two goal lead into the break, somewhat undeservedly, most people would say, and yet were undone by a spectacular second half resurgence from Sir Alex Ferguson's men, with all the summer signings making a significant impact.

Ashley Young was industrious and effective, and displayed plenty of the versatility that has made his ‘best position' difficult to categorise, while Phil Jones looked very solid at the back, and keeper David de Gea, despite possibly being at fault for City's second goal, grew in assurance as the game progressed.

The revelation however, was Chris Smalling, who looked ‘to the manor born' at right back, and could well have solved one of Sir Alex's niggling problems in the space of 90 very accomplished minutes.

There should be honourable mentions as well for Tom Cleverley who showed just how useful a loan spell and regular first team football can be, by stamping his mark on the second half, and showing Michael Carrick a thing or two about central midfield dynamism, and Danny Welbeck, another loanee who appears to have learnt well under the tutelage of former Old Trafford stalwart Steve Bruce.

Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of Manchester United's overall performance is the fact that the average age of the 11 players who featured in the second half at Wembley, was 22.

Having achieved the highly unlikely last season - winning the title with not the strongest squad in the world, and after some seriously mediocre performances - United have already laid down a marker for this upcoming one. They are the defending champions, and they are the team to beat, a message that Roberto Mancini would have received loudly and clearly on Sunday.

Manchester City did what they had to do last season, in light of the enormous amounts of money the owners have put into the club. A top four finish was mandatory (most pundits suggest that Mancini's continued tenure was dependent on it) and the FA Cup was something of a bonus.

Clearly City are headed in the right direction, and they ought to be a force to be reckoned with this time round, simply in terms of their playing personnel.

In my opinion though, they still have a way to go before they can do what United did last season - play badly and win. More importantly perhaps, City are even further from displaying the indomitable spirit and self-belief that characterised United's performance on Sunday - essential ingredients when it comes to mounting a genuine and sustained title challenge.

While Chelsea went toe to toe with Manchester United for much of last season, they fell away when it mattered most - testimony to what most pundits suggested was a lack of squad strength in depth.

This summer, the club has spent little on new talent, and the lack of faith put in Chelsea's youngsters last season, means that the likes of Josh McEachran, Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt have had insufficient top level experience to hit the ground running in the forthcoming campaign.

In Andre Villas-Boas however, they have a dynamic young manager who, seemingly, has everything going for him. Having been mentored by the late Sir Bobby Robson, and Jose Mourinho, he simply oozes confidence and composure, while his fluent English and good looks will instantly endear him to the English media.

What may delight Chelsea fans even more is the fact that he has a reputation for demanding attractive football, while never losing sight of the ultimate prize and the ultimate objective - winning games. His, and Chelsea's progress this season, will be fascinating to behold.

And whither Arsenal?

With no silverware for six years, the pressure is certainly on Arsene Wenger, and with the apparently impending departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, the Gunners will be losing their two best players.

It's been a troubled time for the football club who may head into the new season with the prospect of having to build a team around the relatively inexperienced Jack Wilshere, and Wenger's future will be speculated upon from their very first kick of the ball. It would take a brave person to back Wenger to confound us all.

Last season's top four prepare to do battle once again, knowing full well that Liverpool and Tottenham have every right to include themselves in what must now be referred to as ‘The Big Six'.

Liverpool have been big summer spenders, and have a plethora of midfielders, although their back line remains somewhat suspect.

Tottenham seem to have been linked with almost everyone who's ever laced up a pair of football boots, and yet have still to make a significant purchase. It's easy to see them struggling to compete for honours if they don't ultimately find someone capable of hitting the back of the net on a regular basis. The Luka Modric situation remains ‘fluid', although I have a feeling he'll be persuaded to hang on for another season.

Savouring the anticipation of a new Barclays Premier League season is always one of the delights of summer. The BPL is the best league in the world, and I don't say that simply because I have the privilege of presenting it.

Stories are everywhere; drama abounds, and the wait is finally over. Like an avid reader picking up a book he has been dying to get his teeth into, it's time to turn to the page that reads ‘Chapter One'.

For weeks, we have been billing Manchester United's encounter with Arsenal at The Emirates this Sunday as a potential title decider.

It won't be.

Arsenal have fallen off the pace quite dramatically of late, while Manchester United have gone about their business with an efficiency and a ruthless determination that has characterised so many of Sir Alex Ferguson's teams in the past.

Nothing illustrates the contrast in fates of the two clubs better than last weekend's action, when United overcame a resolute Everton side at Old Trafford, and Arsenal lost against Bolton - yet another game in which they dominated possession and from which they came away empty handed.

There was an almost glorious inevitability to United's 1-0 win against Everton. They played some very good football, created an abundance of chances and, most importantly, even when approaching the final 10 minutes of the game with the deadlock unbroken, they did not panic.

There was a collective belief that it was only going to be a matter of time before they found that all important goal, and every single Red Devil stuck to his respective task and continued their execution of the game plan.

They resisted the temptation to lump it up the field and hope for the best - a standard tactic for many teams when time is running out and a goal is desperately needed - maintaining their composure and ultimately being rewarded for their patience.

A few hours later, Arsenal were also being patient - building up play in their own inimitable style, and waiting for the chinks in their opponent's defensive armour to appear.

Significantly, Robin van Persie's goal at the Reebok bore Arsenal's hallmark - excellent interplay and a crisp finish from inside the box. Unfortunately, it was the full extent of what they were able to produce on the day, while Bolton exploited the Gunners' lack of physical presence at the back, to score from two set pieces.

If Manchester United's win against Everton summed up what looks like being a very successful season for the club, then Arsenal's performance against Bolton said everything that needs to be said about another season without honours for the North London club.

Arsenal have played some outstanding football over the past 6 seasons, and won absolutely nothing.

So, while any clash between Arsenal and Manchester United is one to be savoured, it won't determine who'll be crowned as the Barclays Premier League Champions come May the 22nd (or even earlier, perhaps).

With momentum on their side, Chelsea have emerged as the team most likely to make a late challenge, although being 6 points adrift, with only 4 games remaining, it may be too much ground to make up.

Chelsea's mid-season ‘wobble', coinciding, some would say, with the surprise and rather sudden departure from the club of assistant coach Ray Wilkins, will almost certainly cost them the title, but they do appear to have caught a blustery second wind.

Chelsea host Tottenham on Saturday at Stamford Bridge in a match that a few weeks ago we were all talking about as a potential 4th place play-off - Spurs were upwardly mobile; Chelsea looking decidedly shaky and not even assured of a UEFA Champions League spot come the campaign's end.

How times have changed. Tottenham are looking jaded and somewhat short on ideas, and 4th spot is well out of their hands after Manchester City's win at Blackburn on Monday night, while Chelsea players appear to have rediscovered their joie de vivre and Fernando Torres has relocated the back of the net after a lengthy game of hide and seek.

Being mischievous, and wanting the drama of what has already been an extraordinary season to be extended for as long as possible, I can't help but speculate on what might happen should Chelsea beat Spurs at The Bridge (and that looks likely since Tottenham have failed to win a league game there in more than 21 years) and Arsenal (playing perhaps with a deal less pressure, seeing as their title hopes have been extinguished) manage to get the better of Manchester United.

All eyes surely would then be on Old Trafford on the 8th of May, when Chelsea pay a visit. The gap would then be 3 points, and a win for Chelsea would draw them level with Sir Alex Ferguson's men. Could the Premier League title be decided on goal difference?

It is, as I say, all speculation, and as Sir Alex himself has said, "The thing that puzzles me is they (the media) keep saying Arsenal and Chelsea have got to play us still, like we're going to lose them. Why shouldn't we win those games?"

No reason at all Sir Alex...no reason at all.

Believe it or not, there could be a scenario this season in the Barclays Premier League in which a team wants to lose a game. Let me explain.

Manchester City and Stoke City were due to meet for a league clash on the 14th of May. As luck would have it, that is now the date on which the two clubs will contest the FA Cup Final at Wembley - you can sympathise with the ‘fixtures secretary' for not legislating for that particular eventuality, even immediately prior to the recently concluded semi-finals weekend.

If Stoke City win the Cup, they will take their place in the Europa League - a first taste of European competition in the club's 148 year history.

If Stoke lose the Final against Manchester City, they will still qualify for Europe, if (and this is the nub) the Manchester club finishes in the top four and secures a place in the UEFA Champions League.

At this point in the season, Manchester City currently hold fourth spot, but they're under enormous pressure from Tottenham. Spurs are two points behind following their 3-3 draw against Arsenal on Wednesday night, and still have to travel to Eastlands before this season ends.

There are echoes already of the last campaign, when Tottenham went to Manchester and beat the City side by a goal to nil in the penultimate game of the season, securing 4th, and taking their place in a lucrative competition that they have happily embraced and, many would say, refreshed at their first attempt.

For Tottenham then, a repeat performance and continuous involvement in Europe's elite competition has become something of a mantra - the fans want and expect it, the club needs it - not only financially, but also in terms of attracting high calibre players to the club and thereby moving it forward.

For Manchester City, as has been written in this column on previous occasions, fourth place is an absolute minimum requirement from a season in which plenty more money has been spent by the owners, putting together a squad capable (in their opinions) of competing with the best, domestically, as well as in Europe.

Right now, City are holding on to fourth with a grim determination, and it looks very much as though it's going down to the wire again in terms of whether they or Tottenham will be able to grace Europe's biggest stage next season.

Due to the FA Cup Final falling on the date previously scheduled for the league clash between Manchester City and Stoke, that league game has had to be postponed, and it's now been slated for the 17th of May, and will be the penultimate game of the season for both clubs.

Should Stoke City finish as Cup runners-up, they will be given a place in the Europa League only if Manchester City finish in the top four and gain involvement in the Champions League.

Now we begin to see the potential problem, and the cause of Tottenham's anger and disappointment. Simply put, it could benefit Stoke City greatly to lose that game at Eastlands, helping Manchester City to a Champions League place, while helping themselves to a money-spinning wander around the Europa League in the 2011-12 season.

While there has been no suggestion from any party that Stoke would deliberately try to lose the game, there are certain issues here that are making one or two people, particularly Tottenham's manager Harry Redknapp, distinctly uncomfortable.

"It is a bad time to play the game," he said, before continuing, "No one would say that Stoke would go there and not try to win, but I just think the whole thing would be surrounded by people looking at it and thinking what went on if they do get beat."

Let's imagine that come the 17th of May Manchester City need a win to secure fourth spot, and Stoke put in a characterless, lifeless, meaningless performance on the night. Wouldn't eyebrows be raised? Wouldn't questions be asked? Wouldn't the game be tainted in some way?

Equally, how motivated would the Stoke City players be, knowing that putting in a good performance and maybe even beating Manchester City could deprive themselves of a place in European competition? Wouldn't this be the ultimate case of shooting themselves in the feet?

There are a series of questions that the Premier League has to deal with, and it's almost a lose-lose situation for them. Neither Manchester City nor Stoke would want the league encounter to take place immediately before the FA Cup Final - the biggest day in Stoke's history to date, and Manchester City's opportunity to lift the famous old cup again for the first time since 1969.

And quite apart from anything else, as luck, again, would have it, Manchester City already have a league game in the week preceding the FA Cup Final, and guess who that's against?

You got it; Tottenham Hotspur.

"The art of management is building a team with balance, with certain characteristics that blend with each other - that's the most important thing."

These were the words of Sir Alex Ferguson, shortly after Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan bought Manchester City in 2008.

Few would disagree, and if the words of the most successful manager in British football history can't be taken as read, then whose can?

Sir Alex went on at the time, "You can buy 11 individuals - you can buy 11 Robinhos, but it wouldn't be a team would it?" This came after Manchester City had snaffled the Brazilian striker from under Chelsea's noses, with the promise, no doubt, of superior wages and anything else his then 23 year old little heart desired.

Interestingly, the deal to bring Robinho to Eastlands was completed on the very day the club was purchased - a statement of intent from the new owners, and a sign, surely, of things to come.

Unfortunately for the second Manchester club - I'm not being denigrating here, just comparing historical achievements - it was a sign, and while Robinho showed glimpses of true and rare talent, it's fair to say that things didn't really work out, for either party.

The same could be said of a number of players currently wearing the light blue shirts of City, and a season that began with such high hopes and expectations, is in danger of petering out with nary a whimper.

Defeat at Liverpool on Monday night seemed to symbolise everything that's wrong with the club at this moment in time.

The team appeared to lack heart, direction and the ability to fight for their cause, and more often than not the players seemed to behave as strangers to one another. Some looked rusty and out of sorts; others looked jaded and flat; it must have been an unappetising spectacle for the people who have thrown vast amounts of money at the club in full expectation of a decent return.

Right now, Manchester City are in a fierce battle for a UEFA Champions League spot (a minimum requirement at the start of the season) and could see their FA Cup aspirations extinguished on Saturday when they face Manchester United in the semi-final.

Simply put, this is not the bang for their buck the owners were expecting, but it lends so much truth to Sir Alex's comments mentioned above. While Roberto Mancini has, to a certain extent, been able to play a non-virtual game of fantasy football, it's clear that he hasn't yet got it right, and there is considerable speculation as to whether he will be given another opportunity next season.

"I made a mistake in the last two days, I know why. It is important I understand this for the next game. It was my mistake because we did not prepare very well."

Those were the words of Mancini after the Liverpool game, and while it is refreshing for a manager to hold up his hands and take it on the chin, I can't help feeling that eyebrows would have been raised in the owners' enclosure. Admitting to fallibility is one thing, but that's not the job that Mancini is being paid to do, especially with the resources at his disposal.

Unfortunately, again, resources are the main problem. Mancini has a wealth of them, and detractors are suggesting that he neither knows how best to deploy them, nor how to get the best out of them.

He has the added difficulty of keeping every one of a bunch of superstars happy, while dealing with players, and I won't mention any names, who've moved to Eastlands for purely financial reasons, and are relatively content to play bit-part roles in the unfolding drama. Motivation has been a key issue at Manchester City this season, and obviously it's an issue that Mancini has so far failed to resolve.

This weekend, Manchester City will have to face their arch rivals Manchester United at Wembley without the services of Carlos Tevez - one player at the club whose commitment has never been called into question.

While putting some silverware into the trophy cabinet at Eastlands would be nice, it is very much secondary to finishing in the top four and participating in next season's Champions League - as I mentioned earlier, a minimum requirement from the campaign.

A win over Manchester United on Saturday will go a long way towards endearing Roberto Mancini to City fans, but only a top four position at the end of the league programme will, in my opinion, give him the chance to get his 'blend' right next time around.

If I were a boxer, and someone had slated me to get into the ring with an opponent 50 pounds heavier than me, 6 inches taller, and with a far greater reach, I think I would have every right in feeling a little trepidatious.

I would be very unlikely to win the bout. I wouldn't be at all happy with the match-up. I could get hurt.

And yet, when the draw was made for the 5th round of this season's FA Cup, management, players and supporters of Crawley Town Football Club, celebrated as though they had just won the lottery when they came out of the hat immediately after Manchester United.

Financially, perhaps they have.

Separated by 93 places in the standings, Crawley are a non-league side, who ply their trade in the Football Conference, and they have no right to expect anything other than a sever drubbing at the hands of Manchester United - 18 times English league champions, and well set to make it 19.

So why were they so happy to be playing in a game that no one gives them a chance of winning?

It's all to do with the magic of the FA Cup, that great football leveller that gives the minnows an opportunity (albeit briefly, more often than not) a chance to swim in the sea alongside the sharks - or in the case of Manchester United, ‘killer whales' might be more apposite.

Crawley will take their squad of players, assembled at a cost that would be a fraction of what United paid for say, Dimitar Berbatov, to the Theatre of Dreams, and hope (against hope) that they can pull off one of the greatest giant-killing acts in the history of the oldest domestic cup competition on earth.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we love to the FA Cup and everything it stands for.

For a day, Crawley Town players will get a taste of the high life - walking through the hallowed corridors at Old Trafford, and getting their kit on in the dressing room that has accommodated a plethora of superstars past and present.

They will walk out to a crowd of 75,000, and, whatever happens, it will be the greatest day in the football careers. While most pundits will suggest that they are on a hiding to nothing, they equally have nothing to lose. It is the ultimate David versus Goliath battle, to use another hoary old FA Cup cliché, and Goliath is playing at home.

Having said all this, Crawley will be no pushovers. It is a club with very big ambitions, and considerable financial clout behind it.

Sitting second in the Conference (the 5th tier of English football), they have every chance of making it into the football league when this season draws to an end. Although they're second, they're only 3 points behind current pace-setters AFC Wimbledon, and they have 4 games in hand - thanks in no small part to their continued involvement in the FA Cup.

And Crawley are no strangers to punching above their weight, having already beaten Swindon (3rd tier), Derby County (2nd tier) and Torquay United (4th tier) en-route to a first FA Cup 5th round tie in the history of the club.

Apart from this series of wins, Crawley can look back at the 3rd round tie between Stevenage and Newcastle for inspiration - the home side, in the 4th division of English football, beating their counterparts from the Barclays Premier League by 3 goals to 1 - a result that was as surprising as it was richly deserved.

So, it can happen, and it does happen, and I would imagine that every football fan across the globe that doesn't support Manchester United will be hoping that it happens again.

No one gave David a chance in his battle with Goliath, but he proved what could be achieved when you get your shots on target. Crawley Town will be hoping to do the same on Saturday at the Theatre of Dreams in an FA Cup tie that captures the imagination like no other.

To end as I began; it appears to be a mismatch, and Crawley will know full well that when they step into the ring against Manchester United at the weekend, they could be in or a beating.

But then...what's the phrase; "the bigger they come, the harder they fall"? It will be fascinating to see who ends up on the ropes in this encounter, and who stands tall at the final whistle, possibly bloodied, but unbowed.

There must have been something in the air around the Barclays Premier League last Saturday.

41 goals were scored in 8 matches, with score-lines redolent of a bygone age, and the kind of swashbuckling, cavalier football that delights fans and causes managers to reach for their angina pills.

8 goals were scored at Goodison Park, as Everton beat Blackpool.

8 more went in at St James' Park as Newcastle produced the greatest comeback in Premier League history to earn a point against Arsenal; and the DW Stadium witnessed a magnificent 7, as Wigan hit 4 at home, having produced a measly 12 in their previous 13 games.

While statistics are all very interesting, they do little to reflect the spirit of the day and the compelling nature of the games in a league that has had its fair share of negative publicity in the past.

The Barclays Premier League has been accused of being elitist (so sue it...) and guided in its actions and directives purely by money, but there was something about the ‘hammer and tongs' nature of the way teams went at one another last Saturday that reminded us all of what joy football can bring when it sticks to its core values of providing excitement and entertainment to spectators.

Presenting the live football for ESPN on Saturday night, I was very nearly left speechless as Cheik Tiote scored Newcastle's 4th goal to grab the unlikeliest of draws against Arsenal, who were 4-0 up at half-time.

While that was happening, Everton were scoring 3 goals in the space of 14 minutes at Goodison Park, to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 win.

You simply couldn't take your eyes off anything, as goals were applied to the Premier League scoreboard with the apparent abandonment of Jackson Pollock's paint on a splatter work. Not only could you not take your eyes off anything, but you also didn't know which way too look - all deliciously problematic.

Although it was the highest scoring Saturday in Premier League history, it pales into insignificance when compared to Boxing Day in the top flight of English football back in 1963.

In those days, professionalism was not exactly at its peak, and players were not the finely toned athletes that we see today. It's fair to assume that any number of individuals had hit the Christmas turkey and brandy pudding with gusto the previous day, and may even have been hung-over come kick-off time.

Players of the era will refute such suggestions, and point to the more attack-minded tactics of yesteryear, when defending was incidental, goalkeepers were not expected to do much, and teams often started with 5 up front.

Perhaps that would explain Fulham's 10-1 win at home against Ipswich Town, Liverpool's 6-1 win against Stoke, a 4-4 draw at West Brom, and 3-3 draws at Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves.

66 goals were scored in the 10 games that day, a record that one suspects will be very difficult to beat, especially in this day and age. While we'd love to see it happen again (and again) we have to accept that it was an anomaly, and things will get back to normal this coming weekend, especially looking at the key fixture that sees Manchester United hosting Manchester City.

If their previous encounter this season is anything to go by - a turgid 0-0 draw at Eastlands in November - we'll be lucky to get a single goal, never mind the 8 conjured up at Goodison and St James'.

If anything though, Saturday's early kick-off between the two Manchester rivals will be even more intense this time round, bearing in mind it is a game that neither side can afford to lose if they want to keep their title aspirations on track.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini may well settle for a bore draw again at the weekend, but who else would not want to see a score-line that reads Manchester United 5 Manchester City 5?

Earlier this season I was privileged to be given a personal tour around Old Trafford.

My ESPN crew and I were shooting a piece for our pre-match show ahead of live coverage of the Manchester United versus Liverpool clash, and we thought it would be good to give viewers an insight on how the players spend their time immediately before a big match.

With our very own tour guide ushering us through some of the most famous corridors in the world of football, we found ourselves in the players' dressing room and staring at the white board, upon which, allegedly, Sir Alex Ferguson pens his tactics.

With a well practiced banter delivered in a semi-thick Mancunian drawl, he then pointed to a small cupboard below the board and deadpanned, "and this is where Sir Alex keeps the hairdryer."

Overcoming the temptation to ask, "really...can we see it; is it locked?" the incident nevertheless gave me an impression of the legendary status of the man who has been at the managerial helm of the club for more than 24 years, and for whom former players and the media have already created a mythology.

Obviously the hairdryer doesn't exist, and indeed Ferguson's infamous bursts of anger have nothing to do with an electrical appliance, but you can easily forgive the less urbane Old Trafford tourists from imagining that Sir Alex may have resorted to the use of props when delivering a tirade.

The fact is that the phrase the "hairdryer treatment" is derived from revelations made by former Red Devil Mark Hughes, who described a confrontation in the dressing room with Fergie. "He would stand nose-to-nose with you and just shout and bawl; and you would end up with your hair behind your head."

It's a wonderful image, even if slightly colourful and even possibly apocryphal, but it's the stuff of legend and it inspires both fear and respect.

If Ferguson, as he claims, has mellowed over the years, it's clear that he still retains the ability to get the best out of his players, as was witnessed on Tuesday night at Bloomfield Road.

Manchester United were 2-0 down at the break against Blackpool, having been played off the park in the first half. Their unbeaten run in the league (United became only the 7th team in top flight history to go through 21 games of the season without suffering a defeat) was under serious threat, with Ian Holloway's Tangerines asking all the questions in the first 45 minutes, and the Manchester United thoroughbreds getting all the answers wrong.

Whatever was said in the dressing room at half-time, and whatever implements Sir Alex Ferguson may have used, it worked. United were a different side in the second half, and received their just desserts.

The introduction of Ryan Giggs at half-time was key, as were the resources that Manchester United were able to call on as the match progressed. Javier Hernandez came on and caused the Blackpool back line no end of problems with his expertly timed runs and youthful exuberance, and when you have the league's leading goalscorer in your ranks, you're always in with a chance.

What was possibly the most worrying aspect of Manchester United's performance over the 90 minutes - ‘worrying' for every other tea in the Barclays Premier League - is the fact that there was an inevitability to their win.

Not one United player ever looked as though he didn't believe that not only were they not going to lose the game, but that they were going to emerge with all 3 points.

This is the belief that Sir Alex Ferguson engenders, and whether he achieves it by lambasting individuals for a poor display, or putting his arm around them and telling them that he knows they can do better, Sir Alex knows the way.

Even with 18 minutes remaining in the game against Blackpool, and Manchester United still 2 goals down, onlookers knew that it was only a matter of time before the visitors got back into the game.

Having dodged the Blackpool bullet, and having already achieved several results this season already that were better than the performances may have merited, the question on everyone's lips is ‘can Manchester United remain unbeaten in the league for the entire season?'

Sir Alex Ferguson continues to play down any expectations of emulating Arsenal in 2003-4, when ‘The Invincibles' won 26 games and drew 12 of their 38, but it must be in the back of his mind.

Manchester United, as we know from experience, get stronger as the season progresses, and at this juncture, they're already 5 points clear at the top.

With Dimitar Berbatov continuing his love affair with the back of the net, and United having rather more strength in depth than any of us considered back in August 2010, a blemishless campaign could well be on the cards, while the hairdryer is almost certain to remain under lock and key.

Why would David Beckham want to play for Tottenham Hotspur?

More significantly perhaps, why would Tottenham Hotspur want David Beckham to play for them?

The first question has more answers than the second, leading me to believe, and therefore suggest (somewhat controversially, I'm sure) that the only party to benefit from the proposed loan deal from the LA Galaxy would be David Beckham himself - and possibly one or two designer outlets in London when Mrs Beckham decides to exercise her credit cards.

David's such a nice lad, we're so often told. All he wants to do is play football, and with the Major League Soccer season not kicking off until March, he's pretty much left to kicking his heels around the house, while the only competitive football he sees is on a Play Station.

Sure, he'd love to come and play for Tottenham - a top 4 team in the Barclays Premier League, that has reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, and that has delighted so many neutrals this season (and last) with their swashbuckling brand of attacking football.

And the money men at Tottenham would probably love him to come - just think of the shirt sales; dayglow miniature Becks key chains; posters; David would look lovely in navy blue and white.

I can't help but wonder though, what the Tottenham players must be thinking of the whole affair.

Might they feel perhaps that their achievements to date have not met the club's requirements, and that those in power feel that the introduction of a 35 year old (who has, let's be honest, seen better days) is needed to bolster the squad?

What will Beckham actually provide on the field, other than plenty of experience (too much, in the eyes of his detractors) and his expert delivery from free-kicks?

Never exactly blessed with pace, Beckham has now lost the pace he never had, and could very well find the game passing him by were he to enter a Premier League arena for the first time since May 2003.

Despite what Harry Redknapp says about the quality of the player, many pundits are at a loss to understand how he would fit in to the current Tottenham set up, and more importantly, why anyone would want him to.

In Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, Spurs currently have plenty of options in dead ball situations, and for Beckham to get a start in a Tottenham shirt, it would almost certainly be at the expense of Aaron Lennon - a young man who offers blinding speed down the team's right flank and who is a constant handful for opposition defenders.

Harry will maintain that Beckham will provide an "option" - Harry likes his options. He also feels that Becks "would be great to have around. He'd be a great role model for young players."

Apart from Ledley King's occasional dishevelled appearances outside nightclubs (we're assured that he merely has a low alcohol tolerance), and the odd hastily arranged shindig in the Republic of Ireland, Tottenham players have been pretty well behaved of late (I'm leaving Peter Crouch out of the equation, for personal reasons).

Do they need a role model? What's wrong with the very capable leadership displayed by Michael Dawson this season (and William Gallas), and the seemingly unbridled enthusiasm and love of the game apparent in the forms of Luka Modric and Van der Vaart?

Having said all this, the loan deal is unlikely to happen. Even if the deal was struck while I'm writing this, Beckham would be available for a maximum of 14 games, and the LA Galaxy are dragging their heels like a tethered calf in a rodeo when it comes to making a decision as to whether or not to release him.

Tottenham have their public relations coup - Beckham said that he would never play for a club in the Premiership other than Manchester United, and yet he has considered Spurs - and let's just leave it at that, shall we.

Maybe not, seems to be the ‘word' on the street right now, with rumours flying around that LA Galaxy may just be prepared to part with their prized asset for a couple of months. If they make up their minds quickly enough, Becks may be eligible and available to face Manchester United on January the 16th.

Now that would be pure ‘theatre', in a football league that already provides more than its fair share of drama.

It's the end of the year, and time for another retrospective. Rather than limit myself though, to the confines of the Barclays Premier League, I've decided to take broader brush strokes in painting the year 2010 and some of the remarkable achievements therein.

Once again, the choices may be considered idiosyncratic, but they stand out in my mind, and that's what counts for the purposes of this piece.

Silver Jubilee

Love him or hate him, Sir Alex Ferguson is an extraordinary man and an even more extraordinary football manager.

This month he surpassed Sir Matt Busby's length of tenure at Manchester United and proved that while no one man is greater than the cub itself, Sir Alex is just about as close as you're ever going to get.

Now in his 25th year at the helm, Fergie has achieved everything in the game and at 68 years of age (he'll be 69 on Friday, by the way), shows few signs of slowing down.

It's remarkable to note that his job was on the line after he'd been at the club for only 3 years. A disappointing start to the 1989-90 season saw many United fans calling for his head.

In this day and age, he probably would have been entering the ranks of the unemployed, but the Manchester United Board stuck with their man, and what a prudent decision that turned out to be.

Viva Espana

For the first time in longer than I can remember, the best team won the World Cup.

This may sound a little controversial, but I genuinely believe that while Spain went to South Africa with every intention of winning, they did it with uncompromising style - a rarity for a knockout competition of such importance.

They played good football, stuck to their game plan, and had the talent to push it through. Interestingly, they became the first side to win the tournament after losing their opening game, so I guess you could say that they showed plenty of character to boot.

Not Inter Alia

If Spain was the national team of the year, the club award has to go to Internazionale Milano. They won everything.

Jose Mourinho, in only his second season at the club secured a domestic treble, and then went on to win the UEFA Champions League - a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that Inter were (are) not that good.

I know, this too may be a little controversial in light of the team's achievements, but performances subsequent to Jose's departure seem to back up the assertion, and have already cost Rafa Benitez his job. Talk about a hard act to follow; Rafa must have been nuts to have taken it on, although his bank manager would probably demur.

Inter's stunning run of success was not only due to a master tactician, but also a group of players that accepted and executed orders with military precision. Inter played to their strengths and preyed on the weaknesses of their opponents - a wonderful illustration of the whole being so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Special J

While we're on the subject, as the bell tolls for the New Year, Jose Mourinho will have gone seven years and 10 months since losing a home league game as a manager.

February 2002 was the last time that a Mourinho team lost a home league match, when FC Porto were beaten by Beira Mar. Stints at Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid have followed, with Jose endearing himself to the faithful as only he knows how.

Admittedly, the sides he has managed have been top draw, but the fact that Inter's 32 month unbeaten home league record came to an end in November, should tell us all something about the special ingredient that is Jose Mourinho.

Another Fine Messi

He's 23, he's the best player in the world; and he's getting better.

2010 has been a landmark year for the Argentina international and Barcelona player who goes by the name of Lionel Messi.

With 58 goals in 54 appearances for Barcelona in 2010, as well as more goals, assists and dribbles than anyone else in the Spanish La Liga, Messi slipped on the European Golden Shoe and sprinted his way to being the best footballer on earth at this moment in time.

A World Cup winners' medal would certainly have completed his year, but Argentina were so ill-equipped and ill-advised in South Africa that it was never even likely, proving what we already know; football is a team sport predicated on the unity and harmony of a group of players fulfilling their individual roles as cogs in certain parts of a machine.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2011 deliver your hearts' desires, and may your team bring beauty to the beautiful game. 

I know it's not the end of the year yet, and I know that the Barclays Premier League hasn't quite reached the half way mark, but in light of the recent weather in England (which caused 70% of the weekend's games to be postponed) and the consequent lack of activity, I thought I'd take the opportunity to look back and provide you all with my top 5 moments/issues/revelations/happenings of the season to date.

They are personal, and therefore somewhat arbitrary (maybe even idiosyncratic) and probably have varying degrees of significance as far as the remainder of the season is concerned, but they moved me in some way, and certainly elicited a plethora of responses from others.

We'll do this in reverse order, if for no other reason than that's the way they do it in beauty pageants, and while my little list contains moments that were sublime in their sporting brilliance, I always like to look at the obverse side of the coin as well. There has been plenty of ugliness too.

# 5: Nani's goal for Manchester United at Old Trafford vs Tottenham

Spurs' goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes had seen that a Manchester United player had handled the ball. He picked it up and prepared to take the free-kick that must have ensued.

Unfortunately it didn't, and Nani, ever the opportunist, pumped the ball in to an empty net. The goal was allowed to stand.

Mark Clattenburg was the official with the whistle on the day, and he maintains to this day that he followed the letter of the law. He hadn't blown for an infringement, and therefore play was allowed to continue.

Within stipulated laws of the game, he was absolutely correct, but showed an arrogance and a lack of sensitivity to the situation that says more about him than it does about the rules of football. It spoiled an otherwise entertaining match, and while it gave us all plenty to talk about afterwards, the subject matter was hardly ideal.

# 4: Alex's goal for Chelsea vs Arsenal in early October

The game was, arguably, in the balance after Arsenal created, and spurned, innumerable opportunities against Chelsea.

Up stepped Alex, 5 minutes from time, and drove in a free-kick from 25 yards that was, simply, pure perfection. The power, the trajectory, the swerve on the ball - it couldn't have been any better.

To beat a professional goalkeeper (ok, it was Lukasz Fabianski, but he can be decent on his day...not sure when the day was or will be, but that's another story) from that distance, with such clinical precision, was a sight to behold, and an abiding memory.

# 3: Gareth Bale vs Inter Milan

I know it has nothing to do with the Barclays Premier League, but Tottenham are in the Barclays Premier League, so you're just going to have to indulge me.

At the San Siro in the group stage of this season's UEFA Champions League, Bale almost single-handedly (should that be 'single-footedly'?) turned a 4-0 rout for Inter into a 4-3 defeat for Tottenham.

His second half hat-trick in Milan was already the stuff of legend - cementing his place as one of the world's top young talents - before the reverse fixture at White Hart Lane, during which the Welshman ripped the European Champions apart with surgical precision. How's that for a mixed metaphor?

He was irrepressible and unstoppable, making most of the Inter players look as though they had stepped onto a school playground and found themselves taking on a group of boys twice their age (while the reverse would have been more accurate).

If sportsmen are supposed to be great entertainers, then Gareth Bale has every right for his performances to be described as ‘virtuoso'. It was both beautiful and inspiring to watch - unless you were an Inter player or supporter.

# 2: The sackings of Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce

To me, these were two more examples of the increasing disconnect that appears to be developing between owners and their football clubs.

Anyone can own a club these days, as long as they have the financial wherewithal, and there is an increasingly vocal chorus that suggests this may not be such a good thing.

Hughton had admirably performed one of the hardest tasks in football management - lifting his side out of the Championship - and had taken Newcastle United into mid-table respectability in the Barclays Premier League. That the owner considered his profile insufficiently appetising, is as distasteful as Sam Allardyce being sacked at Blackburn because the owners didn't think he was capable of producing "interesting" enough football.

# 1: Craig Gordon vs Bolton last weekend

Apart from Gordon Banks' save from a Pele header in the World Cup Finals of 1970, I cannot remember seeing a better piece of goalkeeping. Isn't it divine that they share a name?

Last Saturday, Gordon (Craig) displayed an instinct and an athleticism to keep out a close range Zat Knight strike that any keeper would have been proud of, and yet few are likely to emulate.

If there's a better save made this season, I sincerely hope that I will not be presenting the game. I would, for the first time in my life, possibly, be rendered speechless.

It's a slightly strange bag, I know, but it comprises moments that have stuck in my mind as this half of the Barclays Premier League season draws to a close. The way things are shaping up though, come May, I'm going to be hard pressed to come up with a Top 10, such will be the choice.

Merry Christmas everyone; I'll wish you a Happy New Year next week.

Carlos Tevez wants to leave Manchester City.

He's said as much, and made it abundantly clear, and even handed in a transfer request. The City Board, not surprisingly, has rejected it.

Tevez cited a breakdown of relationships with "certain individuals that is beyond repair", as the main reason for him wanting to leave the club, but since then he has also mentioned family considerations.

At this moment in time, no one, with the possible exception of Tevez himself, knows exactly why this situation has come to pass.

It can't be about money, can it? Tevez is the highest paid footballer at the richest club in the world, and indeed there are few players on the planet who get paid more for plying their trade.

Tevez still has 3 and ½ years to run on his current contract, and while there have been reports that his representative has been lobbying to improve (and extend, believe it or not) the current one, it seems clear that the player himself has little interest in honouring it.

His wife and two daughters are back in Argentina, and despite being in England for a number of years now since moving from Corinthians to West Ham United, his grasp of English remains tenuous at best. He complained about living in Manchester (when playing at Manchester United) only to move to Manchester City in the summer of 2009 in one of the biggest deals in English football history. It can be difficult, sometimes, to take what he says entirely seriously.

Tevez has even threatened to retire from the game altogether (see what I mean...), and considering that he is still only 26 years old and arguably at the very pinnacle of his career, this would be verging on the tragic.

His value to Manchester City this season cannot be overestimated, and it's worth pointing out that the club sits 3rd in the table, and is a mere 2 points behind the league leaders heading into the weekend fixtures.

Tevez's goals this season have been vital for the club, as has his mere presence on the field. He is, quite simply, one of the most committed players you will ever see, and despite the communications difficulties, was appointed club captain by Roberto Mancini at the start of the season.

He leads by example, never stops running, never gives up and always seems to be City's most likely goalscorer. With winners against Chelsea and Bolton, and braces against Blackpool and Fulham, there are reasons to suggest that Tevez has almost singlehandedly accrued more than 10 points for his club already this campaign.

Manchester City are in pursuit of heir first league title since 1968, and with the amount of money spent at the club, it's obvious that the assault is a determined one. The timing of their talisman's expression of discontent, could hardly have been worse.

So, what's behind it all?

At the moment, all we can do is speculate, but it's clear that he isn't happy at the club and doesn't want to play. While the Board has turned down his transfer request, it has also suggested that it will sue for breach of contract should Tevez either refuse to play, or retire from the game.

Does Roberto Mancini continue to use a player who doesn't want to be around? And what kind of performances is he likely to give? Will he go back to play football in Argentina so that he can be closer to his family, or, as some have suggested, will he seek a transfer to a Spanish club, where he may get even more money and the language barrier will be lowered?

There are so many questions, and perhaps not so much time when it comes to resolving them, if Manchester City want to prove themselves as genuine title contenders this season.

Mancini may feel that he has enough in the tank without Tevez to mount a serious challenge, but will also be aware that the inclusion of the Argentinean international can provide an almost irresistible force on any given day. But then, how do you name a player in your starting line-up whose heart and mind is clearly elsewhere?

Tevez is back in training after a brief sojourn in Tenerife, and it only remains to be seen whether he features for City on Monday in their eminently winnable home game against Everton.

Perhaps by then we will know whether Tevez is prepared to play through the apparent emotional pain, or whether he has already worn a Manchester City shirt for the very last time. 

I'll hold my hands up and freely admit that I got it wrong.

A couple of weeks ago, when writing about the ‘sack race' in the Barclays Premier League, I more or less intimated (in the form of a downright suggestion) that I thought the next neck on the managerial chopping block would be either Avram Grant or Roberto Mancini.

As I said, I got it wrong, thanks in no small part to Newcastle United's decision to dispense with the services of Chris Hughton, the man who took over the club in difficult circumstances and guided it through the perils and pitfalls of English football's second tier, back into the promised land of the Premier League.

And he did it at the first time of asking, with little on the way of transfer funds to help him along. Honest hard work, integrity, and an impeccable football ethic were enough to inspire Newcastle United to achieve promotion in record time, going through the entire 2009-10 season unbeaten at home, and winning 30 of their 46 league games.

Ask a football manager, any football manager, what one of the toughest industry jobs would be, and they would probably state that it was doing what Hughton did in style in his first full season at the helm of the club.

His reward? The sack, after going on to guide Newcastle to a very respectable 11th place in the current Barclays Premier League standings, having helped to mastermind a famous away win at Arsenal, as well as memorable home wins against Aston Villa (6-0) and arch rivals Sunderland 5-1 - a feat that ensured him almost legendary status on Tyneside, as well as the respect and admiration of the fans.

It seems as though those sentiments were not shared by the club's owner and its Managing Director, who saw fit to make Hughton the first managerial casualty of this Premier League season.

Reports are emerging - speculation at the moment, rather than substantiated claims - that Hughton was working in difficult conditions at the club, and was forced to indulge the whims of owner Mike Ashley, and Managing Director Derek Llambias.

Apparently, those two individuals, while possessing none of the necessary credentials, considered themselves to be football experts, and demanded their input prior to matches.

As if that isn't bad enough, it appears that the reason for Hughton's ouster is the fact that Ashley and Llambias didn't consider the former Republic of Ireland international to be "showbusiness" enough for their club, although statements from the club have maintained that "an individual with more managerial experience (was) required to take the club forward."

Hughton's sacking has been met with a chorus of disapproval, from players, managers and football pundits alike. Admittedly, Mike Ashley isn't the most popular club owner in league football, but in summarily dismissing an individual who has given his heart and soul to the club, he may now be subject to further suggestions that his attachment to reality is growing ever more tenuous.

It's true that Newcastle United is a big club, with a proud tradition, and that it boasts some of the most passionate and single-minded supporters in the world. It's also true that the position as team manager is something of a poisoned chalice, as the likes of Kevin Keegan, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Sam Allardyce, and even Ossie Ardiles, have found out in the last 20 years.

But this latest news and its provenance falls very squarely at the door mat of Ashley - the man who bought the club (effectively) in the summer of 2007, and who has, seemingly, been keen to sell it ever since.

His latest decision has been met with outrage by the Geordie faithful, who saw in Chris Hughton a bright, young, ambitious manager who had put the club back on an even keel, and returned it to English football's top flight - where few will say it does not belong.

To quote Henry Winter, one of the doyens of English football writers; "English football has lot a principled man but kept a shameless chairman."

Speculation is, not surprisingly, at fever pitch in terms of who might take over, and a sacking at this stage of the season - with the frantic Christmas and New Year period beckoning - must suggest that Ashley and Llambias have someone in mind to take control very soon. Indeed, they have intimated that an appointment will be made this weekend.

I'd like to offer my suggestion as to who I think it might be, but after my lack of success in predicting the first managerial head to roll, I think I may just sign off.

Before doing so though, I must just mention that a ‘little bird told me' (not a magpie, but an otherwise reliable source) that the sale of the football club is imminent.

I can't help feeling that whoever accepts the poisoned chalice in due course, may find the contents a whole lot more palatable and less dangerous to his health if Mike Ashley is out of the picture and far, far away.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has publicly made the astonishing admission that he is not in control at the club.

"You have to compare me with (Sir Alex) Ferguson," he said, "it's a different position. It is different because Ferguson has total control of the team. I am just (providing) technical direction. Full stop. Okay."

The remarks follow the departure of assistant manager Ray Wilkins - so long Ancelotti's right hand man; a trusted lieutenant, a sometime interpreter, and friend. Ancelotti claims the decision was made over his head, and that he was not consulted.

Coinciding with Wilkins ouster, Chelsea have endured a sequence of poor results that has seen them lose 3 of their last 5 Barclays Premier League games, and take a mere 4 points out of a possible 15. They have given up their place at the top of the table to Manchester United, and are looking like a club on the verge of a full-blown crisis.

Admittedly, the bad results could be put down to the absences of key players.

John Terry, who has been the bedrock of their defence for many seasons has been laid low with injury, and it's been weeks since we've seen Frank Lampard in a Chelsea shirt. When you take influential midfielder Michael Essien out of the equation as well, you can see why Chelsea could be struggling, with the spine of their team out of action.

Having said that, the millions that owner Roman Abramovich ploughed into the club was intended to secure a playing staff from which there was top class cover in all positions, but clearly that hasn't proven to be the case. In recent matches, Chelsea have had to resort to a centre-back pairing of Branislav Ivanovic and Paulo Ferreira, and that is never going to give the team the solidity (let alone the leadership) that John Terry's mere presence provides.

So while Chelsea suffer through their problems on the field, the apparent fragility of the club's hierarchy provides an unsettling backdrop off it.

It's clear that the owner is intent on putting his foot down and calling certain shots, and unless the club is very careful, it could amount to making Ancelotti's position nigh on untenable.

Ray Wilkins was replaced by Michael Emenalo - a former Nigerian international footballer who has yet to gain his full coaching certification and who, apparently, takes no part in training.

Chelsea fans, accustomed to seeing Ancelotti and Wilkins cosying up to each other in the dug out, exchanging views, even the odd joke, are now being treated to a show of dysfunction - with Emenalo being deferential to the point of passivity, and everyone else looking as though they've recently detected an unpleasant odour emanating from the bench.

Ancelotti looks vaguely like a small child who's had his favourite teddy bear taken away from him and had it replaced with a chemistry set.

There have been rumours, even within the last few days, that the Italian had handed in his resignation and that it was rejected by the club. Whether this has any substance remains to be seen although the club, naturally, has dismissed the speculation as absolute nonsense.

Whichever way you look at it, all is not well in the blue part of West London.

Despite securing a league and cup double last season - his first at the club - there can be little doubt that Ancelotti's position and authority is being undermined, and while he would probably have had similar experiences under Silvio Berlusconi when he was in charge of AC Milan, I wouldn't imagine that this was what he thought he was buying into when he agreed to join Chelsea.

Chelsea need to get Terry, Lampard and Essien back on the field in good working order just as quickly as possible, but they also need to establish exactly who's in charge of what; why; when, and possibly for how long, as soon as they can.

If they don't, they could be looking at a significant downturn in a season that started so brightly for all concerned, and they might have to take out an advertisement in the classifieds for a new manager while they're doing it.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has publicly made the astonishing admission that he is not in control at the club.

"You have to compare me with (Sir Alex) Ferguson," he said, "it's a different position. It is different because Ferguson has total control of the team. I am just (providing) technical direction. Full stop. Okay."

The remarks follow the departure of assistant manager Ray Wilkins - so long Ancelotti's right hand man; a trusted lieutenant, a sometime interpreter, and friend. Ancelotti claims the decision was made over his head, and that he was not consulted.

Coinciding with Wilkins ouster, Chelsea have endured a sequence of poor results that has seen them lose 3 of their last 5 Barclays Premier League games, and take a mere 4 points out of a possible 15. They have given up their place at the top of the table to Manchester United, and are looking like a club on the verge of a full-blown crisis.

Admittedly, the bad results could be put down to the absences of key players.

John Terry, who has been the bedrock of their defence for many seasons has been laid low with injury, and it's been weeks since we've seen Frank Lampard in a Chelsea shirt. When you take influential midfielder Michael Essien out of the equation as well, you can see why Chelsea could be struggling, with the spine of their team out of action.

Having said that, the millions that owner Roman Abramovich ploughed into the club was intended to secure a playing staff from which there was top class cover in all positions, but clearly that hasn't proven to be the case. In recent matches, Chelsea have had to resort to a centre-back pairing of Branislav Ivanovic and Paulo Ferreira, and that is never going to give the team the solidity (let alone the leadership) that John Terry's mere presence provides.

So while Chelsea suffer through their problems on the field, the apparent fragility of the club's hierarchy provides an unsettling backdrop off it.

It's clear that the owner is intent on putting his foot down and calling certain shots, and unless the club is very careful, it could amount to making Ancelotti's position nigh on untenable.

Ray Wilkins was replaced by Michael Emenalo - a former Nigerian international footballer who has yet to gain his full coaching certification and who, apparently, takes no part in training.

Chelsea fans, accustomed to seeing Ancelotti and Wilkins cosying up to each other in the dug out, exchanging views, even the odd joke, are now being treated to a show of dysfunction - with Emenalo being deferential to the point of passivity, and everyone else looking as though they've recently detected an unpleasant odour emanating from the bench.

Ancelotti looks vaguely like a small child who's had his favourite teddy bear taken away from him and had it replaced with a chemistry set.

There have been rumours, even within the last few days, that the Italian had handed in his resignation and that it was rejected by the club. Whether this has any substance remains to be seen although the club, naturally, has dismissed the speculation as absolute nonsense.

Whichever way you look at it, all is not well in the blue part of West London.

Despite securing a league and cup double last season - his first at the club - there can be little doubt that Ancelotti's position and authority is being undermined, and while he would probably have had similar experiences under Silvio Berlusconi when he was in charge of AC Milan, I wouldn't imagine that this was what he thought he was buying into when he agreed to join Chelsea.

Chelsea need to get Terry, Lampard and Essien back on the field in good working order just as quickly as possible, but they also need to establish exactly who's in charge of what; why; when, and possibly for how long, as soon as they can.

If they don't, they could be looking at a significant downturn in a season that started so brightly for all concerned, and they might have to take out an advertisement in the classifieds for a new manager while they're doing it.

There has been much talk in English football in recent weeks about the expansion of The Big Four.

The elite group of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, which has dominated the Barclays Premier League in recent seasons, is under serious threat from unwanted newcomers - ‘unwanted', at least as far as those four great clubs are concerned.

Tottenham Hotspur broke into the top 4 last season, and claimed a place in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the competition's history, and this campaign has already seen some unusual suspects emerging to contest the top spots and threaten the quadropoly.

Spurs are again in the mix, and Manchester City, after some truly spectacular spending, are currently ensconced (and looking fairly comfortable) in 4th.

But what of Bolton Wanderers, one place and only 3 points behind the Citizens?

Following Bolton's 5-1 demolition of Newcastle at the weekend, they moved into the top 4 - albeit temporarily. Could there be a prospect of seeing Real Madrid at The Reebok Stadium next season?

If the first third of this Barclays Premier League season has taught us anything, it's that ‘anything' is possible, and any team is capable of beating any other on any given day - just ask Sunderland, who went to Stamford Bridge the previous weekend and beat champions Chelsea 3-0.

This campaign is proving to be one of the most open and fascinating in many years, and although Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal currently occupy the top 3 positions, there are several clubs hovering like expectant vultures in the hope of some high quality carrion.

While Bolton's manager Owen Coyle continues to dismiss his side's European aspirations as "fanciful", no club right now is relishing a match against the Trotters.

In previous seasons this would have been because a physical battle would almost invariably have ensued.

Bolton under Sam Allardyce were tough tackling, direct, and, let's be honest, rarely a joy to behold, and his successors Sammy Lee and Gary Megson seemed happy enough to continue the tradition. Bolton played to their strengths, and one of them was their strength. They were difficult to match up against, often got good results, but weren't receiving too many prizes for the quality of their football.

Owen Coyle, since taking over in January 2010, is slowly but surely creating a team in his own image, and he is a man who likes attractive football and doesn't see that this is necessarily antithetical to the principles of passion and aggression on the field.

It's a work in progress, as Coyle himself freely admits, and while he continues to play down the club's prospects of making it into European competition ("we're not at a level where we can click our fingers and think everything will fall into place", he said after the Newcastle match) there's little doubt that many Premiership teams are beginning to take Bolton Wanderers very seriously indeed.

What may count against them as the season progresses is a small squad with an attendant lack of strength in depth. While champions Chelsea boast international class cover in virtually every position, Coyle points to his squad of about 20 players, several of whom have yet to play for their national sides.

"We have to come to every game and be prepared to work our socks off," said Coyle, and it's clear that the Scotsman is drawing every ounce of commitment and enthusiasm from his players, not to mention getting their more creative juices flowing when circumstances allow.

With a relatively low outlay on new players in recent seasons - compared to some of the wealthier clubs - the neutrals are loving the fact that Bolton are competing with the big boys, and even threatening to spoil the party for the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham.

How far can they go? Only time will tell, but it's clear that Bolton have been a breath of fresh air in a season that has already witnessed its fair share of healthy gusts.

With a third of the Barclays Premier League season already gone, it's time for the speculation alert level to be raised to ‘feverish', in terms of who will be the first managerial casualty of the season.

There are probably three prime candidates, but from media reports and crowd reaction, Manchester City's Roberto Mancini may have taken an unwanted pole position.

Following two successive 0-0 home draws, the Manchester City faithful seem to have lost a deal of respect for Mancini. The game against Manchester United at a packed and initially raucous Eastlands, was there to be won, and yet the Italian saw fit to hold on to what he had, consolidate, and make sure that his side didn't lose the game.

The football over 90 minutes was duller than ditchwater and with a similar consistency - both sets of players seemed to have forgotten about the intensity of a Manchester derby (the most eagerly anticipated in years).

If that display was poor, what followed at the weekend against Birmingham City was even more impoverished, with Mancini's men once again unable to score against a Birmingham defence that has resembled porous limestone in recent weeks.

As if drawing blanks in two straight home games was not bad enough, Mancini opted to withdraw Carlos Tevez with 7 minutes remaining, and replace him with Gareth Barry.

That Manchester City are blessed with the ability to swap a man of Tevez's ability with a seasoned (some would say ‘too seasoned') England international, is one thing. That the manager decided to replace the team's talisman and only obvious match-winner with a defensive midfielder, is quite another.

Manchester City's assistant coach David Platt insisted that the substitution was a precautionary measure and pointed out that Tevez has been carrying a thigh injury for a while, but the player himself (as well as the vast majority of the crowd at Eastlands) was left shaking his head at the decision.

If Mancini is under pressure, then so too are Roy Hodgson at Liverpool and Avram Grant at West Ham United.

Many people have suggested that Roy Hodgson never was, and never will be, a good fit for Liverpool.

There is no disputing that Roy is a nice man, a good manager and an intelligent individual, but while his CV is testament to the way in which he can get the most from players and raise expectations at smaller clubs, it's not a glowing endorsement of his ability to restore greatness to a great club.

Despite a morale-boosting and thoroughly merited home win against Chelsea, pundits suggested that the acid test would come in the subsequent two games, with trips to Wigan and Stoke.

Liverpool were fortunate to pick up a point against Wigan, and were then played off the park at Stoke. As far as the acid test went; Roy and his Reds would just about have mustered an ‘F+'.

Hodgson will point to, and has reminded everyone of the fact that he inherited much of the current Liverpool squad from his predecessor. He'll state that he's doing the best that he can in the circumstances and with the resources at his disposal, but his recent claims that the situation is out of his hands, does not bode well.

It has been well documented that Kenny Dalglish is waiting in the wings, and sees Liverpool as unfinished business as far as his managerial career is concerned. His appointment is likely to be met with as much enthusiasm as Hodgson's was met with indifference. I don't think anyone would be in the slightest bit surprised if Saturday's match against West Ham is Hodgson's last, particularly if Liverpool don't get a positive result following a stylish performance.

Meanwhile, a possible Hodgson reprieve could signal the end of Avram Grant's tenure at beleaguered West Ham United.

The Hammers are bottom of the pile, 5 points from safety, and showing few if any signs of recovery, and in Avram Grant they have a manager who appears to be the very antithesis of a media darling in this often superficial age. His hangdog expression and rather halting command of English have endeared him to few, and appear to be matching the progress and development of his team.

As if all this wasn't bad enough, Grant has just received the backing of the West Ham Board, and as any pundit worth his cynical salt will suggest, that's almost tantamount to the death sentence.

West Ham United's Vice-Chairman Karen Brady, when asked if Grant would be the manager at the end of the season said, "Almost definitely, yes."

I would have to echo her words if asked whether either Roberto Mancini, Roy Hodgson or Avram Grant will win the sack race in this Barclays Premier League season. Almost definitely, yes. 

At the start of the 2012-2013 season in football, if Michel Platini has his way, new financial regulations will be in place to control the spending of clubs.

The "financial fair play" rules (catchy) will be designed to ensure that clubs do not spend more than they earn, and the penalty for infringement will be ban from entering European club competition such as the UEFA Champions League.

For the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City (if and when they qualify) and even Real Madrid, this would be unthinkable.

Revenue streams for club are multifarious, but the most significant can be broken down to ticket sales, money from television rights, sponsorship and merchandising.

Outgoings will chiefly be made up of transfer fees and wage bills, and it's interesting to note that 57 clubs in the continent of Europe spent more on wages alone in 2009 than they earned in revenue.

Platini claims that the imperative to balance the books will produce a more level playing field, and will enable the smaller clubs to compete. The problem for the big clubs, and indeed the big leagues, is that not being able to offer huge wages will prove to be unattractive to the world's best players. This, it is claimed, will ultimately reduce the standard in these leagues, as well as the cachet of being involved in them.

The Barclays Premier League is the richest and, arguably, the most prestigious in the world, and yet there are several clubs that run at a perennial loss.

Clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City are bankrolled by billionaires who, some say, have every right to spend their money however they so choose.

The president of UEFA wants to put a stop to that, which could mean that even if Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City buys the world's best 20 players, and pays them according to the current market rate (‘outrageous' - according to some; ‘simply following supply and demand economics' - to others) they wouldn't be allowed to play in the Champions League, or even the Europa League.

It's controversial for sure, and the restrictions will be phased in over a number of years to soften the potential blow, but it's almost certain to change the landscape of football in Europe for many years to come.

Last year, according to UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, 50% of clubs in Europe operated at a loss, while 20% experienced serious deficits.

Clearly this is not sustainable, and proponents of the "financial fair play" scheme insist that it is necessary for the future of the game. It's worth pointing out that the measures cannot be enforced on the leagues themselves - the only threat of punishment comes when it involves entering European club competition.

What could it all mean? Lower wages for players for a start, and presumably decreased transfer fees, and notwithstanding the players themselves (and their agents, no doubt) not many people will suggest that this is not a good thing.

I'm sure there will be enhanced roles for club accountants as well, as they scratch their hands to come up with creative ways of balancing the books to meet the new guidelines.

Surely there can be nothing wrong with football club run as proper businesses that have to ensure that they are efficiently run, and financially sound. Football is big business, generating massive amounts of money and employing thousands of people, and the last thing anyone wants to see is a club placed into administration because it can't pay its bills or service its debts.

Having said that, if individuals such as Sheikh Mansour and Roman Abramovich opt to spend their millions on a football club and expect little in return other than glory on the field, should any governing body be allowed to stop them?

Platini has stated his case, and nailed his flag to the mast with conviction. Only time will reveal quite how troubled the waters are that lie ahead.

What makes someone want to be a referee?

Is it the love of the game? Is it an excellent way of keeping fit? Is it the uniform? Does it have something to do with power?

Possibly all of the above, but I would suggest that the last consideration weighs heavier than most. Referees in the Barclays Premier League get to blow the whistle at, discipline, and punish individuals who are supremely talented and who, in some cases, earn twice as much in a week as a referee does in an entire year.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," wrote Lord Acton in the 19th Century, and while there has never been any suggestion of dishonesty among referees (at least in the English game) there can be little doubt that authority, when left unchecked, often produces a heady, and almost certainly unhealthy, concoction.

Football pundits frequently state that a good referee is an anonymous one. Fans pay to watch football, not an intrusive performance from the man in the middle who seems slightly too keen to exert his authority and demonstrate who's in charge of proceedings. Referees these days seem to be taking centre stage more and more often, and none more so than Mark Clattenburg at Old Trafford last weekend.

In farcical scenes towards the end of the match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Barclays Premier League, Clattenburg allowed a controversial goal to stand.

Nani had gone down in the box claiming a penalty, and when it wasn't given, the Portuguese winger grabbed the ball. It was blatant handball, but Clattenburg decided not to penalise him. He may not have seen the incident - unlikely; he may have seen it and called ‘play on' - also unlikely, and almost certainly inaudible above the Old Trafford noise. In either case (and it had to be one or the other) the message was not understood by Tottenham's goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who rolled the ball out to take a free-kick.

The rest, as they say, is history, as Nani knocked the ball into the back of the net to give United a 2-0 lead. Angry scenes, not surprisingly, followed, as Spurs players remonstrated with referee and assistant alike - the ‘linesman' (I know they are officially called ‘referee's assistants' these days, but they're still linesmen in my book) had already raised his flag.

The long and the short of it is that Clattenburg hadn't given a free-kick for Nani's handball, but had given ‘advantage' to Tottenham. Gomes was unaware of this; Nani and one or two of his United colleagues, were not.

The letter of the law was observed - the referee hadn't blown for an infraction, and therefore open play continues. Gomes was at fault, Nani was opportunistic, and Clattenburg has to shoulder the blame for allowing the proceedings to take such a turn.

One wonders of the goal would have been allowed to stand had it been scored against the home side, but that's a subject for another day. The fact remains that Clattenburg displayed a level of intransigence and arrogance that cannot be good for the game. Nani didn't deserve the goal (admittedly not strictly relevant, but let's try to cram in a little moral perspective here) and Clattenburg had enough opportunities to ensure that justice was done - without losing face.

But he didn't, and somewhat dismissively upheld his decision, to the even greater annoyance of Spurs players and fans alike.

Don't get me wrong; he was right. Strictly speaking, he observed the letter of the law, while Gomes did not. In a court of law, the referee's defence would be watertight, but what has happened to the spirit of the game?

I'm being naïve here, I realise, and I appreciate how difficult a job it is for referees to get everything right. They are human, and they are fallible, but it worries me when some of them brandish cards and send players off with such obvious relish.

"This is what I can do," they seem to be saying to the errant superstars. "I have the power to remove you from this game, and I'm going to wield it."

Of course it is hard for an individual with so much influence on a game to accept the role as a mere facilitator, but that's the way it should be. Referees should be seen, and only occasionally heard, but when more and more of them seem only too prepared to grab the spotlight and remain in it for as long as possible, something has to be done. 

Oh to have been a fly on the wall when Wayne Rooney sat down with Sir Alex Ferguson last Friday.

Whatever was discussed, and whatever negotiations took place, Rooney committed a U-turn on his decision to leave Manchester United with the deftness and speed that has characterised his movement on the edge of opposition penalty areas, and has signed a new 5 year contract.

All this after asserting, a couple of days earlier, that he wanted to leave the club because, according to Rooney, it lacked ambition.

"I am delighted to sign another deal at United," said Rooney after the talks, before adding, "In the last couple of days, I have talked to the manager and the owners and they have convinced me this is where I belong."

I wonder what they said, and I wonder if Rooney's decision change had anything to do with either a new and improved wage packet, or the fear of turning his back on one of the greatest clubs in the history of football.

It could also have something to do with Sir Alex Ferguson's masterful tactics of playing the wounded party in the proceedings, and portraying Rooney as the ingrate and betrayer. In what has already become one of the most celebrated press conferences in the football world, Sir Alex expressed his disappointment, and at one point, was almost seen to be brushing away a tear or several.

Is Wayne Rooney capable of suffering from guilt?

Did Sir Alex successfully appeal to Rooney's sentimental nature?

If the player's dealings with his wife over allegations of his extra-marital activities are anything to go by, probably not. And yet somehow, Manchester United got (or perhaps ‘retained' would be more apposite in this context) their man, and everyone's happy.

Or are they?

Who are the real winners and losers in this unfolding scenario?

Sir Alex Ferguson has kept his best player at the club, but in so doing he has suffered the rare, arguably unjustified, accusation that he doesn't have what it takes any more to deliver glory to the club.

Rooney hasn't got the move he supposedly wanted, but he will be making more money (useful perhaps if contemplating the establishment of a nest egg for future alimony payments) and having put the owners to the test in terms of their dealings on the transfer market and the strengthening of the squad, may yet get his way.

Maybe it was just the kind of kick up the backside Manchester United's unpopular owners needed.

I'm sure Rooney won't dwell on the fact that his increased salary will take money away from possible transfer funds at the club - that would probably be one too many things to think about , and I don't imagine uncomfortable contradictions would sit too well with the 24 year old, even if he understood the concept.

The club has retained the services of their best player, so I guess that makes it the big winner in this whole slightly sorry affair, but as a traditionalist (sometimes) and as a bit of a softy (more often than not) I can't help feeling for the fans.

"Coleen forgave you," read an unfurled banner recently at Old Trafford, "We won't."

Some say that all will be forgiven as soon as Rooney rediscovers his form and bangs a couple of goals in for the team. I question whether Manchester United supporters are quite so fickle, have quite such short memories, and are quite so understanding of a young man with the world at his feet, earning almost obscene sums of money for playing a game, and who appeared to show such genuine disrespect for a great club.

And what of Rooney's teammates, the guys who have to pass to him on the field of play and share a dressing room with him before and after matches? "If he doesn't trust his teammates," said Patrice Evra (a teammate), "how can he play in the team?"

You can understand such comments from players who Rooney has more or less intimated are no longer worthy of his talents.

The bottom line, I'm afraid, is that everyone's a loser.

Wayne Rooney's reputation as a young scallywag only interested in playing football has been irreparably damaged, while Sir Alex Ferguson's authority has been severely undermined - irrespective of the end result (and we haven't seen the end of this particular soap opera even now, mark my words).

The club itself has been challenged - everyone always says that no player is greater than the club, but Rooney appears to have tested the limits of that assertion, while Rooney's agent has been depicted as a money-grabbing opportunist (so at least his reputation is still in tact).

The fans meanwhile, remain as the biggest losers of all. They idolised Rooney, invested their souls and their money in giving him all the support he should ever need. He was prepared to turn his back on them, and whether they will reciprocate, remains to be seen.

"The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived," said Rooney after signing his spanking new 5 year deal, before continuing, "and it's up to me through my performances to win them over again."

For the first time in weeks Mr Rooney seems to be making the right noises, but he'll also need to do his talking on the pitch. Only therein (or perhaps ‘thereon') lies his redemption, and the possibility of turning a series of defeats for all concerned into victories.

David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam, Paul Ince, Lee Sharpe; all Manchester United players who have crossed Sir Alex Ferguson and suffered as a consequence.

I wonder if Wayne Rooney's name will soon be added to the list.

Rooney wants out of Manchester United, this much appears to be clear.

He has informed the club that he won't sign any more contracts, and has intimated that he is keen to pursue a new challenge elsewhere.

It has, naturally enough, led to feverish speculation that the player and the manager have fallen out in some spectacular way, but Sir Alex insists that is not the case - at least as far as he is concerned.

This makes for a very different scenario from those involving the redoubtable individuals mentioned above, most of whom Ferguson had shipped out of the club for a variety of reasons ranging from behavioural infractions, perceived slights or the undermining of authority.

While David Beckham famously took a boot to the head in the dressing room, reportedly kicked by Ferguson in a fit of incandescent anger, the boot in Rooney's case, appears to be on the other foot. It's the player who wants to leave, and the manager who, most uncharacteristically, is trying to do everything he can to prevent him.

It could have something to do with Rooney being a peripheral figure for the team in recent weeks, with the club insisting that he had an ankle injury and was not fit to play.

Rooney has denied this, and between club games saw fit, and was deemed fit to don the England shirt for a European qualifier. It could be that Sir Alex has been trying to protect one of his most prized assets who has suffered a spectacular loss of form since lurid details of his private life were made public, but if this is the case, the plan seems to have backfired. Rooney has publicly contradicted his manager's assertion and, generally speaking, that's never a good idea with Sir Alex Ferguson.

This time though, things are genuinely different.

While many would have expected Sir Alex to come out all guns blazing and slam the player he bought from Everton as an 18 year old, his recent press conferences and comments to the media have been surprisingly conciliatory.

"It was terribly disappointing to get the news," said Ferguson after Rooney's agent dropped the bombshell that the player wanted to leave the club. "It's disappointing because we have done everything we possibly can to help Wayne Rooney ever since he came to the club."

He went on to say, "There's no offer on the table as they are not prepared to listen to an offer, but there's always an offer from Manchester United to negotiate with any player, and that's still there."

It's pretty clear what Sir Alex is trying to do here, and it's been latched on to by the world's press like slavering dogs over a particularly juicy bone. Ferguson has hinted at betrayal, and it's something that United fans will find excruciatingly hard to forgive.

Ferguson has successfully managed to portray Rooney as the villain of the piece, playing the role of the disappointed father to Rooney's favourite but profligate son, to almost mesmerising effect. His press conference on Tuesday was an extraordinary piece of theatre, whether it came from the heart to reveal a humble, slightly troubled soul, or whether, as some commentators have already suggested, it was a carefully constructed tactical ruse.

This unfolding saga could go one of several ways.

Rooney could apologise unreservedly and pledge his future to the club he professes to love with all his heart, accepting the subsequent treatment of an errant sheep who may have thought that a patch of grass was slightly greener on the other side of the track. Fergie would take him back - such is his value to the club, even when out of form.

Alternatively, Rooney and his agent could stick to their guns, in which case it would be difficult to see how the player could ever, in good conscience, wear Manchester United colours again.

Rumours have already started that a move to Manchester City could be on the cards, and the suggestion that that would not go down well with United supporters would rank as one of the understatements of the century so far.

To a certain extent, Rooney is now caught between a rock and a hard place, but unlike the scenarios involving Messrs Beckham, Keane, Van Nistelrooy et al., the ball is very much in his half of the pitch.

It occurred to me, while England were battling to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday night against plucky Montenegro, that many of the individuals in the home team's starting line-up had been tainted with one sort of scandal or another.

Several players, representing their nation, and therefore implicated as the cream of their generation, had been cited in the media for sexual indiscretions (of varying degrees of profundity) while others had missed drugs tests, and another had been caught carousing uncomfortably close to game time - according, again, to media reports. And I won't mention anything about punch-ups in late night bars.

You'll notice that I'm not mentioning any names here, but we all know who we're talking about. Perhaps it is worth mentioning though that the most recent three captains of England, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and John Terry, all have major blemishes on their records, from accusations of drugs test avoidance, drunken violence and serial womanising, respectively.

There, now I have mentioned names. So be it.

Let's bear in mind that the captain of a team is supposed to be a leader of men; a motivator; a shining example to all his colleagues, and yet somehow, English football seems incapable of finding an individual who is not, in some way, tainted with the brush of shameful experience. Well, it should be ‘shameful'; or am I being presumptuous?

The issue throws up a number of likely questions, of which ‘where have all the good men gone?' is probably the dullest and best consigned to 'Chick Lit'.

A much more interesting question would be 'what has moral propriety got to do with playing football?'

I probably wouldn't kick up too big a fuss if I discovered that my plumber had been disqualified for reckless driving, although I may query his ability to be punctual for appointments if he was making his way on public transport.

I also wouldn't stay away from a theatrical performance because one of the actors hadn't paid his rent on time, so why don't we just forget about footballers' private lives and sit back and enjoy them drawing blanks against a team from a country whose population is less than 700,000.

Yes, I am harping back to England's bore draw against Montenegro on Tuesday night.

The point is, and the question remains, should players' private lives be our concern, or should we just let them get on with their jobs?

Clearly, because of the intense media scrutiny under which modern day footballers now have to lead their lives, the question is moot.

The tabloid press has seen fit to fill its column inches with lurid details of extra-marital affairs, and it seems as though we are lapping it up, while the players themselves seem less than reluctant to provide the stories.

With stardom and fame comes a degree of public ownership, and while we want our heroes to be genuine heroes, we enjoy hearing about their falls from the grace we expect them to assume.

If there are double standards at work here, they are to be expected. We don't get paid £100,000 per week to play football, and we seem to expect those who do to set standards of behaviour for all to follow.

But it's simply not reasonable, is it? Footballers are human beings, and with every respect to some, often not particularly well educated ones. Surely what they decide to do in their private lives should be just that...private.

Unfortunately this ceases to be the case when problems in those private lives appear to be affecting on-field performances, as is demonstrably the case with Wayne Rooney.

Rooney is, undoubtedly, one of the best footballers in the world right now, although you'd be hard pressed to assert as much in light of very recent performances.

Admittedly, the standards we have set for him, and the standards he expects of himself are stratospherically high, but he has conspicuously failed to meet them since revelations of him consorting with women who get paid by the hour for sexual services were pounced on by the media and gobbled up in the subsequent feeding frenzy.

Football fans, and particularly those of Manchester United and England, have every right to be both disappointed and upset. Without them, Rooney, despite his obvious talents, would not be being paid the amount of money he is, and he would not be a global celebrity - a hero to many, a role model (at least in sporting terms) to many more.

It seems as though we are prepared to better accept the peccadilloes of those who continue to do their job well, than we are those who are clearly adversely affected when their names get dragged through the mud.

I wonder who now has the double standards to live up to.

Newcastle United's Jose Enrique has suggested that Nigel de Jong be banned from football for the length of time it takes Hatem Ben Arfa to recover from his broken leg.

It's never going to happen.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has dropped De Jong from the national squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers, citing the "wild and unnecessary offence" in the match between Manchester City and Newcastle United.

It's strange that van Marwijk didn't seem to be quite as critical of De Jong's kung-fu style kick on Xabi Alonso in the World Cup Final.

Opinion is, not surprisingly, divided on the issue, with several players, past and present, diving in to De Jong's defence, and others believing that the 25 year old defensive midfielder should be severely censured for his tackle on Ben Arfa.

Some have called van Marwijk's decision a smart and judicious move in an attempt to stamp out this kind of behaviour on the field, while others have suggested an element of hypocrisy after the tactics the Dutch team deployed in the World Cup Final, presumably at the behest of their coach.

Perhaps van Marwijk is trying to rebuild his reputation.

He could certainly do with a fillip, after July's showcase final against Spain that saw 9 yellow cards and one red being dished out to Netherlands players. One would hesitate to suggest that the Dutch players were doing anything other than simply following orders.

De Jong is an aggressive and combative player - that's his style; that's all he knows; and that's what he's paid for. He breaks up play (no pun intended) and stamps his authority (again, no pun intended) on a match, by covering plenty of ground and, let's not put too fine a point on it, preventing opponents from establishing a foothold in a match (ok, pun kind of intended).

His brief before a game will be, invariably, to ‘get stuck in'; win the ball; distribute sensibly; and let the ‘flair' players get on with it. De Jong does this very well, but after breaking Stuart Holden's leg in March 2010 (in a ‘friendly', no less) and his assault on Alonso in South Africa, this latest incident involving Hatem Ben Arfa could lead us to a better understanding of van Marwijk's decision to drop the player from the national squad. "I have a problem with the way Nigel needlessly looks to push the limit," said the Dutch coach.

While De Jong was labelled a "criminal" by Dutch pundit Hugo Borst in Studio Voetbal, many analysts have confirmed that they have seen worse tackles this season, and it's ironic that De Jong's ‘offence' should come on the same weekend that saw Wolves' Karl Henry given a straight red for a tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez.

De Jong's tackle on Ben Arfa wasn't even called as a foul - referee Martin Atkinson waving ‘play on' as Ben Arfa hit the deck and stayed there. Henry's ‘tackle', on the other hand (sic), was so late that he should have brought a note from his mother, and it was, in common football parlance, ‘a nailed on red.'

The issue, perhaps, is ‘intent'. De Jong initially won the ball - it was his trailing leg that did the damage, and whether the follow through was intentional, only the player himself will know - whereas Henry's challenge was just plain stupid - he got there as quickly as he could, but there could never have been any doubt in his mind as to what the outcome would be.

Was malice involved in either of the tackles? Who knows. But it is clear that both players have ‘previous', to borrow a term from legalese. The debate then runs to the level of protection that players get these days, and whether, as ESPN's Steve McMahon has often suggested, the art of tackling has been lost forever.

But that's for another day, as indeed is Nigel De Jong's next appearance for his national team, and Karl Henry's next outing in a Wolves shirt.

The former has been banished, the latter has been banned, while we are all left to speculate (and in some cases pontificate) on an issue that's pretty tough to tackle.

Does everyone remember the really bright kid at school?

The one who invariably thrust his arm heavenwards when any question was asked by the teacher, and who just as invariably provided the correct answer?

Much satisfaction was to be gained when he occasionally got a question wrong - it proved a certain fallibility; a humaneness that we could all take comfort from.

I must admit, albeit slightly guiltily, to feeling much the same when Manchester City beat Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League last Saturday.

After a perfect start to the season - 5 games, 5 wins, 21 goals scored and only one conceded - Chelsea were finally brought down to earth. Carlos Tevez scored the only goal of the game, asking the questions of a Chelsea defence, while Ashley Cole was backtracking too fast to be able to provide the answers.

It proved that Chelsea, as a group of players, are only human, and it's been a breath of fresh air for the league.

There were fears that Carlo Ancelotti's Blues were going to run away with the title, and while those fears haven't abated entirely, I think that many of us can sleep a little more easily.

Ancelotti realised, and wasn't coy about the fact, that the game at Eastlands would provide the first genuine test for his free-scoring side. With every respect to the 5 teams they had previously put to the sword, they had yet to face opponents who were likely to inflict too much damage.

The match was also a big test for Manchester City and Roberto Mancini, who has the weight of expectations on his shoulders and the sword of Damocles over his head - hefty burdens, even if abstract.

For the amount of money Manchester City's owners have splashed out on players in recent months, they have a right to demand a certain amount of bang for their buck, and having failed to secure a UEFA Champions League berth last season, it's clear that Mancini does not have limitless time on his hands to deliver...something...anything.

On Saturday, City displayed a passion and a commitment to the cause that we haven't seen for quite a while. They hunted in packs, closed down Chelsea players (particularly in midfield) and prevented the blue juggernaut from gaining any level of momentum.

While the football on show wasn't always redolent of style and panache, it was extremely effective - providing, perhaps, a blueprint for other teams to refer to and attempt to follow.

More than anything else though, it proved that Chelsea are beatable, and that will provide comfort and satisfaction to the other teams in the Barclays Premier League, as well as all the neutrals.

It's unfortunate then, that no team (with the exception of Manchester City) could make the most of the situation, and close the gap at the top.

Manchester United had to come from behind, twice, to grab a point at Bolton, while Arsenal suffered an uncharacteristic home defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion.

Tottenham, who must feel that they, along with Manchester City, have every right these days to be included in a newly coined ‘Super Six' - assuming that Liverpool deserve inclusion - lost at West Ham.

It was a hugely unpredictable weekend in the Barclays Premier League, and proved, once again, that any team is capable of beating any other on any given day.

No one wants to see Chelsea running away with the title (barring supporters of the club) and last Saturday's result at the City of Manchester Stadium, while not exactly blasting the race wide open, has certainly brought some of the unusual suspects into consideration.

Will Chelsea shuffle off the disappointment of their first league defeat and carry all before them as the season progresses?

Can Manchester City make a genuine and prolonged tilt at the title?

Will Manchester United be able to overcome their defensive frailties and take their total of English league championships beyond that of Liverpool?

So many questions, even at this early stage of the season, and I for one will not be the first to raise my hand in class to answer them.

The back pages of the newspapers in the UK last Monday should have been all about Dimitar Berbatov and his superb hat-trick for Manchester United against Liverpool.

Instead, they focused on Sir Alex Ferguson's post-match comments, in which he accused Fernando Torres of being a cheat - suggesting that he had taken a dive after a challenge with John O'Shea and tried to get his opponent sent off.

I don't want it to appear as though I'm continually having a go at managers these days, but, why Sir Alex, why?

I was at Old Trafford on Sunday, and while the match itself took a little while to get going, the second half was every bit as thrilling as the pre-game hype had led us to believe it should be.

Berbatov scored a stunning goal to put United 2 up, and then Liverpool fought back to 2-2, with Steven Gerrard demonstrating his prowess at set pieces. By the way, the decisions that led to the penalty and the subsequent free-kick, were spot on (excuse the pun).

All eyes were on Ferguson as he chewed away in the ‘dugout' and contemplated the fact that his side had, once again, thrown away a lead.

He must have been incandescent with rage after allowing late equalisers at Fulham and Everton in recent weeks to deprive him of 4 valuable points, but against Liverpool, the profligacy would be exponentially more galling.

Berbatov saved Manchester United's blushes though, completing his hat-trick, and instantly entering Red Devils' folklore. He became the first United player to score 3 in a match against Liverpool for 64 years, and while making history is always nice, securing the 3 points should have been the most satisfying aspect of his afternoon; and for Sir Alex Ferguson as well.

But it wasn't. For some reason, Sir Alex saw fit to mention to anyone who cared to listen - and there were quite a few in the tunnel at Old Trafford after a match, I can assure you - that he thought Torres was a cheat, presumably intimating that the free-kick for the second Liverpool goal shouldn't even have been given.

Sour grapes? Perhaps it would have been had Manchester United lost, or even drawn. But they didn't, and surely Sir Alex should have used the occasion to be gracious in victory - congratulating Roy Hodgson (his friend of 23 years) for making a game of it after Liverpool had looked dead and buried at 2-0 down.

He did make some comments about the performance of Dimitar Berbatov, who has always been ‘touched with genius', but has generally decided for himself when he feels like displaying it.

The Pope has been in the UK on a state visit, and whatever the religious beliefs of Manchester United supporters prior to the game, I feel sure that there would have been a clamour for the Bulgarian's beatification come tea time on Sunday.

Unfortunately though, the back pages of Britain's national press decided that the most successful manager in the history of British football branding one of the world's best strikers a cheat, was the most newsworthy gobbet of the day.

We can make disparaging comments about the tabloid press in the UK, but presumably they feed the public with what they feel the public wants to read - those who can read, and who don't head straight for the ‘games' section so that they can start colouring in the crossword.

Fergie's rant, which many people consider to have been inappropriate in the circumstances was in stark contrast to the post-match reaction of his counterpart Roy Hodgson, who was dignified and vaguely philosophical in defeat.

I asked him if, despite the loss, he could take some satisfaction in the fact that his team had played its part in a superb game of football that was a credit to the Barclays Premier League?

He sighed rather wearily before replying that he wished he could after so many years in management, but that the sense of disappointment was the one most keenly felt.

In any event, he was rather more gracious in defeat than Sir Alex was in victory.

Wayne Rooney should be banned from playing football for England.

I thought I'd start off with a smidgeon of controversy, just to get the ball rolling (so to speak) but these are not the words of a lone voice. People are calling for Rooney's ouster - following revelations that he was consorting with a prostitute while his wife was pregnant with their first child - and dissenting voices haven't been characterised by their clarity or distinctness of purpose.

Wayne has misbehaved. Again.

At the age of 18 - even then attached to his now wife Coleen - he liaised (I wonder how many more euphemisms for ‘shagging' I can come up with in the remainder of this piece) with a prostitute old enough to be his grandmother. She was 48 years old at the time, so it's a bit of a stretch, but that was never going to stop the tabloids getting in a good headline or two.

It was the "sort of mistake you make when you are young and stupid", said Rooney in mitigation, after discovery. He made no comment on the fact that she was wearing a rubber cat suit ‘in flagrante', and I only make mention of the fact since it is, let's be honest, of prurient interest to us all.

Rooney is now 6 years older, and seemingly none the wiser, and while it is not difficult to see that successful, well paid footballers these days must have any manner of temptations thrust in their faces on a daily basis, should we be thrusting our nominally accepted moral code down their throats, or should we just let them get on with doing what they do best?

Fabio Capello saw fit to strip John Terry of the England captaincy after it transpired that he had been getting jiggy (oh dear....apologies) with a team-mates' girlfriend - either before, during or after their relationship, depending on which particular gutter you chose to press.

Did Capello take a moral stance on the issue? Or did he merely do what he thought was best for team morale? Moral...morale? One letter makes such a difference. Don't you just love the English language?

Should Don Fabio make a similar example of Wayne Rooney, and drop him from the England squad?

Of course he shouldn't, and of course he won't. Rooney is far too important to the England set-up - vividly proven last weekend when he put in a ‘heartbeat-of-the-team' performance against Bulgaria.

He didn't score - it seems as though he has to pay to do that...I'm sorry, the subject matter is getting the better of me - but he put in a sterling performance and created as many chances as Jermain Defoe could gobble up on his way to a hat-trick.

Whatever was going through Wayne's mind on Friday night certainly didn't affect his performance, but can we say the same, unequivocally, about events in this summer's World Cup Finals?

The ‘tryst' (or series thereof) between Rooney and his current paid help (known unaffectionately, it seems, as ‘Premiership Jen' - can't imagine why) has been ongoing, and one wonders if there were things at the back of Wayne's mind that could have accounted for his strangely lacklustre displays in South Africa. He simply wasn't Wayne, was he?

Having said that, when an actor goes on stage, he shouldn't fail to deliver a killer line because he's just forgotten whether or not he turned off the oven before he left for ‘work', and you wouldn't expect a heart surgeon to take a time-out mid operation because his car alarm has sounded. Footballers are paid a considerable sum of money to play football - distractions shouldn't enter into the equation.

But they do. Because footballers, despite what some people believe, are human. And we are all human. We all make mistakes, and are all guilty of poor judgment, on occasions.

Rooney admits that he's been stupid before, and will no doubt fess up to the same again - although parading ‘Premiership Jen' in public around Manchester (either side of their multiple shags - there, I said it) isn't going to convince anyone of anything other than his tenuous grasp of a passing intellect.

But then, I don't ask the guy who trims my bonsai if he knows the capital of Uganda, and it's unlikely that anyone would denigrate Barack Obama if he didn't know how many goals Aston Villa conceded away from home last season. Footballers play football, right? And what they choose to do in their private lives is a matter only for them...right?

I certainly won't be waiting in line to cast the first, or any, stone. I'd be too fearful that it might come right back to me; rebounding off a 48 year-old prostitute's rubber cat suit.

The transfer window slams shut on Tuesday in the UK, and it's fair to say that with the exception of Manchester City, this ‘close' season has been a quiet one for the Barclays Premier League clubs in terms of wheeling and dealing.

For some strange reason, a spate of transfers are made at ‘the 11th hour' - frantic phone calls followed by pieces of paper flying around at the Football Association like confetti, as clubs try to get players registered in time.

It makes the whole process seem somewhat ad hoc - arbitrary, in a way that you wouldn't expect from some of the world's top (and best run) clubs. It means, however, that we may see certain players this weekend donning their current club's colours for the last time, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to discuss who may need what, why, and possibly for how long.

CHELSEA

Judging by their performances so far in the BPL, it wouldn't be difficult to suggest that The Blues are fine, thank you very much. 2 games played; 2 wins; 12 goals scored - not too shabby. Pundits maintained that the departure of Ricardo Carvalho would weaken Chelsea's defence, but there have been no signs to date.

Admittedly, Chelsea haven't faced the strongest opposition so far in West Bromwich Albion and Wigan, and sterner tests await, but Alex seems to have stepped up to the plate well enough, and in Branislav Ivanovic they have an able deputy at the centre of the back line should he be required. What seems to have escaped most people's attention is the fact that Jose Bosingwa will shortly return from injury, and he was one of the best right backs in the country last season until injury curtailed his exploits.

Scott Minto, a former Chelsea player, suggested to me that perhaps Carlo Ancelotti's men could do with a winger - to change the pattern of their game if need be. It would certainly be an option, but it's simply not the way Chelsea are setting themselves up at the moment, and with a dozen goals already registered in this league campaign, it seems churlish to propose tactical changes.

Chelsea will be confident of extending their perfect run this weekend, when they entertain Stoke City (2 games played, 2 narrow defeats so far) at Stamford Bridge.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Javier Hernandez showed glimpses of his potential against Fulham last weekend, but it's clear that he is going to take time to adapt to the pace and physicality of the BPL. While Sir Alex Ferguson has pronounced himself ‘happy' with his current squad and has said that there'll be no more acquisitions, he is assuming that his stock will include a fully fit and functioning Wayne Rooney.

Since March though, Rooney has looked a shadow of his former self, and while no one would be stupid enough to write off his career (no one I know, at any rate) many have suggested that he is tired and not a little jaded.

Having sat out the 2-2 draw at Fulham with a ‘stomach upset', it will be interesting to see how ‘up for it' Rooney will be on Saturday when the Red Devils face everyone's favourite opponents at the moment, West Ham.

ARSENAL

The Gunners need a goalkeeper. It's been said before, and I'll say it again, with every respect to Manuel Almunia. The Spaniard simply makes too many errors, and doesn't instil the necessary confidence in his back line. With Shay Given warming his heels for the foreseeable future on Manchester City's bench, and Mark Schwarzer apparently keen to make the move across London, it's difficult to imagine that Arsene Wenger will not have added to his squad come midnight on Tuesday.

LIVERPOOL

The best bits of business Liverpool did over the summer were to retain the services of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, and yet clearly there are still deficiencies in the squad. Javier Mascherano is almost certain to leave the club, and his absence will be palpable - as it was in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Monday. A strong defensive midfielder must be at the top of Roy Hodgson's shopping list.

MANCHESTER CITY

Having already spent in excess of £130 million this summer, there aren't enough pegs in the City dressing room to accommodate all the new shirts, and with a massive squad in place, it's difficult to imagine Roberto Mancini pursuing any more new recruits. Unless, of course, Lionel Messi decides that he prefers chips and curry sauce to tapas.

TOTTENHAM

Spurs have made it through to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club's history, and this means that Harry Redknapp will have money to spend, as well as a decent size carrot to dangle in front of prospective star players. Luis Fabiano is certainly on his radar, and despite Peter Crouch's triumphant hat-trick on Wednesday night, another proven striker would go down well in north London.

I'm scratching the surface here, naturally. Wigan, for example, could probably do with 11 new players after their near disastrous start to their league campaign, while West Ham need a power forward and a sense of belief.

Let's face it, almost every team would secure the services of a player who will get them more goals, but there aren't many of them on the market, and there will be no last minute bargains. The shops close on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen who'll be splashing the cash and having the goods delivered.

I intend to take inspiration from the Miss Universe pageant for this week's look ahead to the weekend in the Barclays Premier League, and announce the matches to watch in reverse order.

I may even liken some of the teams to beauty pageant contestants, in which case the football that Arsenal are capable of playing can certainly be described as beautiful, and stylish.

The big question will be posed on Saturday, relating to whether they can produce the goods against a Blackpool side that must be cock-a-hoop after arguably the most dramatic (and effective) Premier League debut on record.

Blackpool should have been playing at home in their opener against Wigan, but they're making renovations to one of their stands at Bloomfield Road to conform to Premier League stadium guidelines, and had to play away.

The rest, as they say, is a little piece of history, as Ian Holloway's men put 4 unanswered goals past a hapless Wigan side to bag their first points of the season.

Bookies were actually taking bets on Blackpool not winning a single game all season, such was the level of pessimism concerning their status as a Premier League outfit, but in a robust display of positive, attacking football last weekend, they put Wigan to the sword and proved that if nothing else, they're going to be fun to watch this campaign.

A trip to the Emirates however, to face an Arsenal side that never really got going at Anfield last Sunday, and therefore has much to prove, will present different problems.

Holloway must know that Arsenal are capable of picking off a side that tries to take the game to them, and will deploy his favoured 4-3-3 formation at his peril. On Saturday, Blackpool played with 3 out-and-out strikers - a rare vision in football these days, anywhere in the world.

While Blackpool as a club could well be in the running for a Miss Congeniality nomination, Arsenal will know how important a convincing win will be for them in North London after failing to impress against Liverpool.

Taking the runners-up spot will be the game at Craven Cottage on Sunday between Fulham and Manchester United.

Fulham were too good last season for the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Juventus in the Europa League, as they forged their way to the final of the competition, and indeed were way too strong for Manchester United when they beat them 3-0 in December 2009.

Mark Hughes has inherited a team put together by Roy Hodgson, and in many ways fashioned in his image, and if Hughes is intending to spend some money before the transfer window closes, and infuse his team with some new blood, he needs to get cracking.

Manchester United have made 3 significant signings this summer - the most expensive of which, ironically, was from Fulham - and will be looking to push on from their opening win against Newcastle on Monday night, when the Red Devils ‘machine' cranked itself up nicely and showed considerable potential menace.

Collecting the prize, trophy and bouquet though this weekend for top game to watch, is the match at Eastlands between big-spending Manchester City and a possibly rejuvenated Liverpool.

Roy Hodgson's men were slightly unlucky not to have taken all the points away from Anfield on Sunday - they put up an excellent fight against Arsenal despite playing half the game with only 10 men.

Pundits have remarked on a better apparent spirit at the club following Hodgson's introduction, and this was in evidence throughout the 1-1 draw.

On Monday night they face a Manchester City side that, quite simply, has more talent than they know what to do with.

James Milner and Mario Balotelli became their latest signings in midweek, and even my rudimentary maths can work out that the club has now spent well in excess of £100 million in the summer alone, and my calculator informs me that they have shelled out as much in this window as the other 19 clubs put together!

When you talk about demanding bang for buck, City's owners, while possessing seemingly inexhaustible supplies of cash, probably won't be able to stretch to similar levels of patience.

The club needs a glittering prize of some sort by the close of this season, and judging by their performance against Tottenham last weekend, they're a long way from coherence as a team, with new members joining all the time.

I don't envy Roberto Mancini - although he'd probably hold his own in a beauty pageant, and I certainly wouldn't. Not only does he have to start fashioning some results, but he's going to have to do it with a degree of style on the field of play.

Not only will his team have to be pleasing to the eye, just to thrash out the pageant analogy one last time, but they're going to have to display poise, initiative, and answer all the questions correctly.

The match at Eastlands on Monday night should provide some great photo opportunities, and an ideal way of putting a full stop at the end of what promises to be another fascinating weekend in the Barclays Premier League.

I intend to take inspiration from the Miss Universe pageant for this week's look ahead to the weekend in the Barclays Premier League, and announce the matches to watch in reverse order.

I may even liken some of the teams to beauty pageant contestants, in which case the football that Arsenal are capable of playing can certainly be described as beautiful, and stylish.

The big question will be posed on Saturday, relating to whether they can produce the goods against a Blackpool side that must be cock-a-hoop after arguably the most dramatic (and effective) Premier League debut on record.

Blackpool should have been playing at home in their opener against Wigan, but they're making renovations to one of their stands at Bloomfield Road to conform to Premier League stadium guidelines, and had to play away.

The rest, as they say, is a little piece of history, as Ian Holloway's men put 4 unanswered goals past a hapless Wigan side to bag their first points of the season.

Bookies were actually taking bets on Blackpool not winning a single game all season, such was the level of pessimism concerning their status as a Premier League outfit, but in a robust display of positive, attacking football last weekend, they put Wigan to the sword and proved that if nothing else, they're going to be fun to watch this campaign.

A trip to the Emirates however, to face an Arsenal side that never really got going at Anfield last Sunday, and therefore has much to prove, will present different problems.

Holloway must know that Arsenal are capable of picking off a side that tries to take the game to them, and will deploy his favoured 4-3-3 formation at his peril. On Saturday, Blackpool played with 3 out-and-out strikers - a rare vision in football these days, anywhere in the world.

While Blackpool as a club could well be in the running for a Miss Congeniality nomination, Arsenal will know how important a convincing win will be for them in North London after failing to impress against Liverpool.

Taking the runners-up spot will be the game at Craven Cottage on Sunday between Fulham and Manchester United.

Fulham were too good last season for the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Juventus in the Europa League, as they forged their way to the final of the competition, and indeed were way too strong for Manchester United when they beat them 3-0 in December 2009.

Mark Hughes has inherited a team put together by Roy Hodgson, and in many ways fashioned in his image, and if Hughes is intending to spend some money before the transfer window closes, and infuse his team with some new blood, he needs to get cracking.

Manchester United have made 3 significant signings this summer - the most expensive of which, ironically, was from Fulham - and will be looking to push on from their opening win against Newcastle on Monday night, when the Red Devils 'machine' cranked itself up nicely and showed considerable potential menace.

Collecting the prize, trophy and bouquet though this weekend for top game to watch, is the match at Eastlands between big-spending Manchester City and a possibly rejuvenated Liverpool.

Roy Hodgson's men were slightly unlucky not to have taken all the points away from Anfield on Sunday - they put up an excellent fight against Arsenal despite playing half the game with only 10 men.

Pundits have remarked on a better apparent spirit at the club following Hodgson's introduction, and this was in evidence throughout the 1-1 draw.

On Monday night they face a Manchester City side that, quite simply, has more talent than they know what to do with.

James Milner and Mario Balotelli became their latest signings in midweek, and even my rudimentary maths can work out that the club has now spent well in excess of £100 million in the summer alone, and my calculator informs me that they have shelled out as much in this window as the other 19 clubs put together!

When you talk about demanding bang for buck, City's owners, while possessing seemingly inexhaustible supplies of cash, probably won't be able to stretch to similar levels of patience.

The club needs a glittering prize of some sort by the close of this season, and judging by their performance against Tottenham last weekend, they're a long way from coherence as a team, with new members joining all the time.

I don't envy Roberto Mancini - although he'd probably hold his own in a beauty pageant, and I certainly wouldn't. Not only does he have to start fashioning some results, but he's going to have to do it with a degree of style on the field of play.

Not only will his team have to be pleasing to the eye, just to thrash out the pageant analogy one last time, but they're going to have to display poise, initiative, and answer all the questions correctly.

The match at Eastlands on Monday night should provide some great photo opportunities, and an ideal way of putting a full stop at the end of what promises to be another fascinating weekend in the Barclays Premier League.

If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked, in recent weeks, who I think will win the Barclays Premier League title this season, I might be able to start contemplating retirement.

Such is the level of interest and the amount of speculation ahead of what promises to be another enthralling and intriguing campaign in English football's top flight.

As luck would have it, the computer that ratchets itself up ahead of every new season to work out the fixtures, has thrown up some absolute belters on the opening weekend, as Tottenham entertain Manchester City, and Liverpool host Arsenal.

Few Tottenham supporters will forget the most recent clash between the two.

Having battled with each other for a large part of the season for that coveted fourth spot and a place in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, Spurs pulled off a 1-0 win at Eastlands to claim it.

As Tottenham entered the promised land that is Europe's top club competition for the first time in 48 years, City were left to ponder what might have been and find ways to justify why the considerable spending at the club hadn't produced almost immediate results.

Interestingly, City's spending has continued apace over the summer, bringing in another four big name signings, with a couple more possibly to come before the transfer window slams shut. But the big question remains: can so many superstars gel into a coherent team in a relatively short space of time, and is Roberto Mancini the man who can get the job done?

It's fitting then, and faintly ironic, that the season-opening match should feature City and the team that pipped them for fourth spot.

Spurs have hardly spent at all this summer, with Harry Redknapp insisting that he needs to sell players before he can buy.

It's strange then that so many individuals on Tottenham's roster who were rumoured to be moving away from the club (Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermaine Jenas, to name but three) are apparently back in the fold; starting pre-season friendlies, and in the case of Keane, scoring plenty of goals.

White Hart Lane will be the place to be on Saturday, while there can be little doubt that Anfield will be the venue of choice come Sunday.

Despite Liverpool finishing a lowly seventh last season, it may well be too early to talk about the end of the Big Four era. Liverpool fans have become disillusioned, but the appointment of Roy Hodgson following the departure of the increasingly frustrating Rafa Benitez, seems to have heralded a period of stability at the club.

Hodgson was not the big name, high profile manager that many had expected. But he's honest, hardworking and has integrity - something he will demand of his players in due course.

Arsenal haven't put any silverware in the trophy cabinet for five seasons, and while Arsene Wenger seems happy enough to commit himself to the club for the remainder of his managerial career, last season gave rise to one or two growls at the Emirates Stadium that could have been interpreted as signs of disaffection.

Wenger has, and will continue to do things his way, and having either sold, loaned out or released more than a dozen players, it will be fascinating to see if his current side can tick both boxes in the form versus substance debate and mount a serious challenge for the title.

The Barclays Premier League is back, with a vengeance and a brashness that suggests that it's fully aware of its exalted position in the world football scheme of things. I for one cannot wait for the games to begin.

Nobody is giving Portsmouth a snowball's chance in hell of getting past Chelsea in this season's FA Cup Final.

Pundits are touting this Saturday's showcase event at Wembley as potentially the most one-sided final since Manchester United swept Millwall aside in 1994 - the 3-0 score line more than flattering the lower league team from London.

The match pits the current champions of England, who ended the Barclays Premier League with almost terrifying emphasis in their 8-0 rout of Wigan, against the team that finished bottom of the league, and were officially relegated long before the campaign drew to a close.

The disparity between the two teams on Saturday could hardly be greater, and while Chelsea look to secure a league and cup double - the first in their history - Portsmouth will be hoping against hope that they can provide a pleasing punctuation mark to what has been a wretched season, both on and off the field.

Pundits have been fond of saying this season that Portsmouth have played some pretty decent football, and are a better team than their league position would suggest, but the fact remains that they weren't good enough to get the results when they were needed, and will have to get used to life in English football's second tier sooner rather than later.

Intriguingly, and not at all surprisingly, Portsmouth have played some of their best football in the FA Cup.

Their manager Avram Grant put it down to the fact that in cup competition, his players were freed from the imperative of trying to pick up league points, and could play their natural game with a degree of abandon.

This will certainly be the case on Saturday, with Portsmouth having nothing to lose (no one expects them to win) and everything to gain. It could make them very dangerous opponents, as Tottenham found out to their cost in the semi-final.

It's worth pointing out that Portsmouth's cup run has been far from plain sailing, and their route to Wembley has been littered with the corpses of 3 Barclays Premier League club - Sunderland and Birmingham also falling to the south coast club before Tottenham's dramatic demise.

Chelsea will be only too aware of the threat that Portsmouth can pose, especially bearing in mind the fact that many of the Pompey players will be hoping to attract a new club in the summer, and there's no better shop window than an FA Cup Final.

Chelsea should win the game - there's little doubting that.

The club has had an excellent season under Carlo Ancelotti, who has delivered the league title at the first time of asking, and if he manages the ‘double' will have achieved something that even The Special One (aka Jose Mourinho) failed to accomplish.

On their day, Chelsea can be utterly ruthless - just ask Wigan.

On another day, they can be slightly tentative and get a little worked up when things are not going entirely according to plan.

Portsmouth, no doubt, will try to get in the faces of the Chelsea players from the word ‘go', and hope to upset a momentum that, if allowed to generate, is probably too much for any team to handle.

Portsmouth will take some comfort from a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge in mid December when the home side stuttered to a win in a curiously low tempo affair, and whose blushes were spared by a late Frank Lampard penalty.

Avram Grant's men, however, will take no comfort whatsoever from the way in which they were dismantled in the league at the end of March, when Chelsea thumped them 5-0 at Fratton Park.

Both matches showed the good and bad sides of the newly crowned Barclays Premier League champions, and while Pompey players will be saying their prayers on Friday night, entreating the universal human consciousness (or whatever else they believe in) to produce a lack lustre Chelsea performance on Saturday, it's not difficult to see why Chelsea are overwhelming favourites to secure their 3rd FA Cup triumph in the space of 4 years.

Interestingly, and providing part of a series of delightful sub plots to Saturday's big game, Portsmouth won it in 2008.

It was the same year in which Avram Grant, the current Portsmouth manager, guided Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League Final.

Portsmouth's win in 2008 came under Harry Redknapp, the current manager of Tottenham, who Portsmouth beat in the semi-final.

If that isn't enough for you, how about the fact that Portsmouth are bidding to become the first club ever to be relegated and win the FA Cup in the same season, while Ashley Cole will receive his record-breaking 6th winners' medal if Chelsea succeed in defending their title?

It is, according to common English parlance, going to be ‘a grand day out' on Saturday, but it must be said that for Portsmouth and their long-suffering, conspicuously-dedicated supporters, that's about all it's expected to be.

The FA Cup though is renowned for its ‘David versus Goliath' battles, and we know what the result was on that occasion - 1-0 to David (apparently Goliath didn't see the shot coming).

Famous for its upsets, having delighted football fans since 1872, the 2010 Final is guaranteed to be a spectacle whatever your allegiances may be.

It's probably safe to say that every non-Chelsea fan will be hoping for a Portsmouth win at Wembley - it would be ‘romantic', and some consolation for the tribulations the club and its players have endured this season.

Chelsea players however, may just have to adopt the mantra this weekend that ‘romance is dead'.

We haven't seen anything like it for years and years.

The race for the Barclays Premier League title is going down to the last day of the season, and while Manchester United must be praying for the football equivalent of a miracle, the right to be named the best team in England is firmly in Chelsea's hands.

Chelsea host a Wigan Athletic side on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, a venue from which only one side has emerged with all the points this season, and where The Blues have amassed an impressive 60 goals.

Wigan secured their continued involvement in English football's top flight picking up 5 points in their last 6 games. Significantly perhaps, their one win in that run came against Arsenal, when they came from 2 goals down with less than 10 minutes remaining, to win 3-2.

Admittedly that was on home soil, and Wigan have not been good travellers this season - few players, if any, will ever live down the abject humiliation of their 9-1 defeat at White Hart Lane back in November.

Wigan then, have nothing to play for on Sunday, and therefore nothing to lose. They can play with a freedom, and maybe even a degree of derring-do, that certainly hasn't characterized the vast majority of their campaign, and that could make them dangerous opponents. And let's not forget that Wigan have already beaten Chelsea this season. In fact, they were the first team to get so much as a point against the team from west London, after Ancelotti's men had romped to 6 wins from their first 6 games of the season.

Chelsea on the other hand could be forgiven for being as nervous as kittens, and Carlo Ancelotti will need to get his charges mentally right for the game, a win from which will secure their first Premier League crown since 2006 when they swept to back-to-back titles under the guidance of ‘The Special One', who sometimes goes by the name of Jose Mourinho.

Manchester United have been the dominant force since Mourinho's departure from England's shores - there may be a connection; there may not be.

Sir Alex Ferguson has led his men to 3 successive titles, and for certain parts of this season, have looked odds-on to make it an unprecedented 4 in a row.

It would be unfair to say that the wheels came off the Manchester United bandwagon in April - defeat at Old Trafford against Chelsea was followed by a disappointing draw away at Blackburn (and those results sandwiched United's Champions League ouster) - but it would also be unfair, and certainly inaccurate, to say that the Red Devils have looked like an irresistible force this campaign.

They have eked out results; won games that perhaps they shouldn't have; and regularly picked up points, without always looking entirely convincing.

The bandwagon has been trundling along, at a significant pace, but unlike previous seasons, perhaps, the driver hasn't appeared to be completely in control. The defeat by Chelsea; the draw at Blackburn, and the reverse at Goodison Park in February, were potholes that were not successfully negotiated.

Manchester United need a huge favour from their Lancashire neighbours Wigan, and have to fulfil their part of the bargain by despatching Stoke City at Old Trafford on Sunday.

As with Chelsea's home game with Wigan, it doesn't appear to be too difficult a task.

Stoke City are lying in 10th after their midweek win at Fulham, and I have little doubt that had you offered Tony Pulis that position at the beginning of the season, he would have bitten the proverbial hand off.

Worryingly perhaps for Manchester United, Stoke are notoriously difficult to beat away from the Britannia Stadium - only Aston Villa, Manchester City, and the current top 2 in the table have lost fewer games away from home all season.

Stoke defend resolutely, and are always well organised, and despite the fact that it may be one way traffic for long periods at Old Trafford on Sunday, a home win is not a foregone conclusion.

We're down to the wire in the most exciting Barclays Premier League season in many a year. Chelsea are the clear favourites to take the title, but if this campaign has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.

As my Producer on Football Forecast was keen to point out to me, there are only 4 fixtures this weekend in the Barclays Premier League that have any real significance.

Having said that, the actual significance of those fixtures simply cannot be overestimated, since they could determine the destiny of this season's title, as well as which club will be able to secure the final UEFA Champions League spot, with all the attendant prestige and, let's not beat around the bush, cash!

Liverpool host table-toppers Chelsea on Sunday, 2 and ½ hours before Manchester United kick off against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Such is the antipathy that exists between the two clubs, that there are rumours on Merseyside that it's a game that Liverpool would be happy to lose, in that it would almost certainly prevent Manchester United from securing their 4th successive league title.

It's a strange stance to take, bearing in mind the fact that Liverpool still retain an outside chance of finishing 4th - they are, after all, only 2 points behind incumbents Tottenham.

Liverpool will realise that both Spurs and Manchester City have a game in hand on them, and may well have already written off a position verbally guaranteed to them by Rafa Benitez back in December.

Chelsea are completely in control of their destiny. If they win their 2 remaining games, they will be champions for the first time since 2006.

Everyone involved with Manchester United Football Club will become fervent Liverpool fans for 90 minutes on Sunday, hoping against hope that the Reds can get something against a Chelsea side that can be rampant when it's in the mood, but vulnerable and out of sorts on other occasions.

Carlo Ancelotti will certainly need no extra motivation for the game at Anfield, but Liverpool will be hell bent on reasserting their credentials as a member of The Big Four, in name at least.

Manchester United will go up to the north west of England later in the day knowing that whatever the result at Liverpool, nothing less than a win will do, and they'll be well aware that only 2 sides have emerged from the Stadium of Light this season with all the points.

A defeat for Chelsea, and a win for United, and the title is back in the hands of Sir Alex Ferguson and his men. The final round of fixtures sees Manchester United at home to Stoke, and Chelsea hosting Wigan, and it's difficult to see either game going any other way than a home win.

It's probably fair to say then, that the title will be decided on Sunday.

The race for 4th though looks set to go right down to the wire, and the permutations, while limited, are fascinating.

Tottenham are in control of 4th spot, and must be confident of bagging the points against Bolton on Saturday at White Hart Lane.

Having said that, Harry Redknapp and his boys would have been supremely confident of securing home wins over Wolves, Stoke and Hull earlier in the season, and the fact that they managed to amass a single point from those encounters must be a cause for concern.

Having beaten Arsenal and Chelsea in the space of 4 days, Tottenham capitulated against Manchester United last weekend, conceding 2 needless penalties and failing to show the fire in their bellies that was so manifest in both the previous London derbies.

Spurs need a win on Saturday, and a big win would be preferable in order to improve their goal difference - a factor that, come the end of the season, could prove decisive.

Ironically, and maybe even ‘conveniently' for Spurs, while they entertain Bolton, their closest rivals for 4th spot go head to head at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Aston Villa are 5th, on 64 points (the same as Tottenham) while Manchester City are a place and a point behind them.

It's a must win scenario for Villa, whose hopes for a Champions League spot were hanging by less than a thread only a couple of weeks ago, but have won 3 straight games to bring them right back into contention.

The concern for Villa is that both Tottenham and Manchester City have played a game less. The comforting fact will be that the game in question will take place next Wednesday, as Manchester City host Tottenham at Eastlands.

As football pundits are fond of saying: "you couldn't write this stuff."

With Villa at home to Blackburn, Manchester City away at West Ham, and Tottenham away at Burnley on the final day of the season - all eminently winnable for the contenders - results on Saturday should at least point us in the direction in determining who will secure that hugely lucrative Champions League place (and break the long held quadropoly of The Big Four) and who will be left to rue a series of missed opportunities.

Looking at the fixture list and the state of the Barclays Premier League table on the 14th of April, it was clear that Tottenham Hotspur would have a significant part to play in the destiny of this season's title.

In the space of 10 days, Harry Redknapp's men would have to face the top 3 teams in the league, and heading in to the 14th of April clash with Arsenal at White Hart Lane, Spurs were 4 points shy of Manchester City in the race for 4th spot.

The game that night was the stuff of North London legend, as Tottenham beat their fierce and closest geographical rivals 2-1 in a pulsating match that saw debutant Danny Rose open the scoring with the goal of his life - even if he plays for another 20 years.

The result dealt a devastating blow to Arsenal's title hopes, and was a positive bonus to Tottenham who must have looked at their 3 game run and wondered where they would have been able to pick up any points at all.

Three days later, Tottenham helped in throwing the title race wide open once again, beating league leaders Chelsea at The Lane, and giving Manchester United the opportunity to close the gap at the top to a mere point after Paul Scholes' late late winner against Manchester City.

Spurs had picked up 6 points out of a possible 6 against teams that they hardly ever beat, and head into Saturday's clash against Manchester United - unquestionably the pick of this weekend's ties in the Barclays Premier League - with confidence flowing throw their veins and the genuine belief that on any given day they can beat any given team.

More importantly perhaps, Redknapp's men have taken control of their own destiny as far as securing that crucial final UEFA Champions League place is concerned.

Old Trafford though for the early kick-off this Saturday will provide the acid test. The statistics alone give some idea of the mammoth task facing Spurs, who have not won at the Theatre of Dreams in the history of the Premier League.

Of the 17 matches played there, Manchester United have won 14 and there have been a paltry 3 draws. Points wise, that translates to Tottenham (under a colourful variety of different managers) having picked up 3 out of a possible 51, having amassed a rather sad total of 7 goals over a run of games that equates to almost half a season.

On paper, once again, the result on Saturday looks to be a foregone conclusion, but as performances against Arsenal and Chelsea have proven, this Tottenham side has more about it this season than for a very long while.

While Gareth Bale will hope to continue weaving his magic down the left flank - perhaps causing Gary Neville the odd sleepless night in recent days - Manchester United will be only too aware of the fact that without a fully fit Wayne Rooney up front, they do lack a certain punch.

Dimitar Berbatov will be keen to put one over his former club (whose Christmas card list he is most certainly not on) but hasn't shown himself to be the ideal target man in recent weeks, while much has been said and written of late about United's aging midfielders.

Having said that, the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are the men for the big occasions - as Scholes' goal last weekend proved. Giggs is still capable of grabbing a game by the scruff of its neck, and will need little motivation ahead of Saturday's game as he approaches the twilight of his spectacular career.

A lot could depend on the defences, and Rio Ferdinand is a doubt for this one with a groin problem. Tottenham will be hoping that he doesn't make it, enabling the ilk of Jermain Defoe and probably Roman Pavlyuchenko to attack the heart of a United back line that could include Jonny Evans.

Ledley King could return for Spurs after his superb performance against Arsenal and then sitting it out for the Chelsea game, while Spurs will have Wilson Palacios back in the fold after his suspension.

Harry has to decide though whether to change a winning side and include the combative midfielder, or to stick with Tom Huddlestone and Luka Modric in that central area - the two having achieved great things while outnumbered in both London derbies.

There are fascinating encounters everywhere on the pitch, but as many have said in the past, football is played as much with the head as with the feet, and Tottenham's mental readiness for the clash could prove to be a deciding factor.

With Chelsea playing Stoke City at home on Sunday, and confident of picking up the points at Stamford Bridge, Manchester United will know that they cannot afford to slip up against Spurs.

So while Tottenham will be daring to dream, Manchester United are all set to ensure that the nightmares continue.

The race for the Barclays Premier League title once again takes centre stage this weekend, and by the close of play on Saturday, we could know who's going to win it.

I use the word ‘could' with unashamed prevarication, but when this season has already thrown up so many surprises and seemingly anomalous results, it's difficult to be definitive about anything, even at this late stage.

However, I think it's fair to say that should Manchester United fail to bag all the points against their fierce city rivals in the early kick-off, and Chelsea emerge from White Hart Lane with all the spoils in the late one, the title will be going to West London.

Let's look at the possible scenarios.

Defeat for Manchester United at Eastlands - eminently possible considering Manchester City's excellent form of late (11 goals in their last two league games, from a side that appears to have hit its stride at just the right time) and a win for Chelsea at Tottenham, and the Blues will be 7 points clear of their closest rivals with 3 games of the season remaining.

That, ladies and gentlemen, would pretty much be that! With home games against Stoke and Wigan to come, it is inconceivable that Chelsea would drop enough points to as much as let the Red Devils within even a sniff of getting back on terms.

Even if Manchester United manage a point against the Citizens, and Chelsea win, the 6 point margin would be way too much for United to make up, and so the simple fact remains that whatever transpires at White Hart Lane, Sir Alex Ferguson somehow has to fashion a win at the City of Manchester Stadium.

It won't be easy.

Roberto Mancini's men are rampant at the moment, having won their last 3 games and taken possession of 4th place - in pole position for the final UEFA Champions League spot.

While many will suggest that a top 4 finish is a minimum requirement considering the amount of money that's been spent on the club, the fact remains that Man City have proven that they are a pretty decent outfit, and Mancini seems to have settled on personnel and a line-up that works.

Apart from the bitter local rivalry, Manchester City will need little motivation for this encounter after the reverse fixture in which they came from behind 3 times, only to be denied a point by Michael Owen's late, late, hugely controversial winner.

Somehow, the England striker managed to find the back of the net after 6 minutes of stoppage time, when the official on the sidelines had stipulated only 4, and the arguments have raged ever since. It's not simply a question of revenge for Manchester City - they have an agenda of their own - and a win on Saturday will keep them ensconced in the driving seat for Champions League qualification.

If Mancini's men do manage to secure 4th, they'll do so at the expense of Tottenham who have had, and may still have, a considerable impact on the title race.

Having beaten Arsenal on Wednesday night and more or less dispatched the Gunners' hopes of winning the league, Harry Redknapp's team could do Manchester United a huge favour by beating Chelsea on Saturday. If that occurs, and United get all the points against City, the gap at the top will be a mere point, and the race will be open once more.

Chelsea beat Spurs 3-0 in the reverse fixture to extend a remarkable hoodoo over their London rivals, having not been beaten by them at Stamford Bridge since 1990.

Spurs though will point to the fact that they have won 2 and drawn 1 of the last 3 league fixtures against Chelsea at White Hart Lane, and will be full of self belief after the 3-pointer against Arsenal.

Anything can happen on Saturday in two crucial encounters in the Barclays Premier League. There's no doubt that neutrals will be hoping for the results that will maintain intense interest until the very last game of the season.

Chelsea and Manchester City however, may well have other ideas.

Portsmouth are going to Wembley.

In any normal season, this would be something to celebrate for the south coast club, and indeed, everyone associated with the team will have fond memories of their last trip to England's national football stadium (and I'm not including he Community Shield, for obvious reasons), when they lifted the famous FA Cup in 2008 for only the second time in their history.

But this has not been a ‘normal' season for the club that has gone into administration and currently lies bottom of the Barclays Premier League table - a massive 14 points from safety, with 5 games of their season remaining.

Should West Ham United win against Sunderland on Saturday, Portsmouth will be relegated, and will go into Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham knowing that they can look forward (sic) to second tier football next season.

The ramifications, both financially, and in terms of their ability to hold on to quality players in the hope of bouncing straight back to the top flight, are significant, and far reaching.

Despite the unpleasant backdrop, Portsmouth and their supporters will try to enjoy their day out in London and will have high expectations of keeping their cup dreams alive.

They are 90 minutes away from a showcase final, but they have to get past Tottenham Hotspur first - the 3rd most successful club in the history of the oldest domestic cup competition on the planet.

Interestingly, Spurs are now managed by Harry Redknapp, and he's the man who guided Portsmouth to their FA Cup success in 2008.

Controversially, many Portsmouth supporters point to Redknapp with an accusing finger, holding him at least partly responsible for the club's financial meltdown.

While Harry is on his way to becoming a legend in north London (his status will be assured if he guides his current side to a Champions League berth and secures them a first FA Cup triumph since 1991) but he's certainly not the most popular individual as far as Portsmouth and their supporters are concerned, despite what he managed to achieve in his two spells there.

Tottenham and Portsmouth go toe to toe on Wembley's hallowed turf on Sunday, by which time they will know the opposition that awaits in May's Final.

The other semi-final pits Chelsea against Aston Villa, and Martin O'Neill's men will need no reminding of what transpired between the two clubs when they last met.

Chelsea unceremoniously thumped Villa at Stamford Bridge only a couple of weeks ago, putting 5 second half goals past what had, up until then, been the league's best defence. The final score of 7-1 slightly flattered Carlo Ancelotti's men, but only slightly, and Villa seem to be suffering from their perennial problem of fading in the latter half of seasons.

A drop in form has seen the Villans go from genuine top 4 contenders to a team with an outside chance of securing that final UEFA Champions League spot, and it remains to be seen whether O'Neill (himself the subject of much speculation relating to his future at the club) can gird loins and rejuvenate what appears to be a physically exhausted and mentally jaded squad.

Chelsea are 5 times winners and the defending champions, having won the Cup twice in the last 3 years. Three wins in four seasons would be pretty impressive, and while Ancelotti will certainly have targeted the Barclays Premier League title as his main priority this campaign - particularly after their Champions League elimination - a piece of silverware to add to the trophy cabinet at Stamford Bridge will certainly not go amiss.

Aston Villa for their part, last tasted Cup success in 1957, and a second trip to Wembley this season and lifting the trophy in May, could perhaps provide some consolation for what's threatening to turn into another season that's tailed off badly after the turn of the year.

There are two great games ahead in this season's FA Cup competition that has provided more than its fair share of thrills and spills. But who will be ‘up for the Cup' this weekend, and who will be facing the massive disappointment of a semi-final exit?

With every respect to the teams struggling against relegation this season, as well as the 4 clubs who are going at it, hammer and tongs, for the fourth and final UEFA Champions League spot, there really is only one game this weekend that needs to be talked about.

On Saturday, Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford - The Theatre of Dreams that has more often than not been a place of nightmares for visiting teams.

It's 1st against 2nd in the table, the two teams separated by a single point with 6 games of the season remaining.

The result of the match will not ultimately determine the destiny of this season's Barclays Premier League title, but it may well provide a defining moment. The extraordinary aspect of this game is that for both Manchester United and Chelsea, the title is in their hands - they are masters of their own destiny. At the final whistle on Saturday, whatever the result, this will no longer be the case.

To wrest control from Manchester United, Chelsea simply have to win, and with a week to prepare for the match, it's safe to assume that Carlo Ancelotti will have his players fired up and ready for the challenge.

Manchester United's preparations however will have been considerably less smooth.

While the 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg is not a disaster in terms of the result, the collateral damage has been significant.

Wayne Rooney is certain to be absent at Old Trafford after sustaining an ankle injury, and the questions surrounding the subject of his replacement do not invoke the word ‘who?' as much as ‘how?'

Rooney has banged in 26 league goals this season, exceeding his own previous best tally by 10 already, with half a dozen matches left - although how many of those fixtures Rooney will be able to feature in is a matter for feverish speculation.

Dimitar Berbatov is likely to start up front, unless Sir Alex Ferguson has one of his famous surprises up his sleeve (Federico Macheda to start? - Fergie's more than capable of launching that one), and his playing style can change the nature of Manchester United's approach to this game.

While Rooney is invariably all-action, passionate and totally committed in every challenge, Berbatov likes to slow things down, get his foot on the ball, and bring others into play.

Rooney's vision, when it comes to going for goal is ‘tunnel'; Berbatov, one suspects, would rather contemplate a panoramic vista and take in an art gallery before turning his attention to finding the back of the net. It's a florid analogy, I admit, but may not (like most of Wayne Rooney's shots on goal) be too wide of the mark.

Having said all this, and just to be slightly controversial, in my opinion, the game will be won and lost at the back, and this is where Manchester United may have the edge.

Looking back to the reverse fixture in early November 2009, Chelsea squeaked past United at Stamford Bridge - John Terry with the only goal of the game 14 minutes from time.

It was as close as the score line suggests, and Sir Alex's men were bitterly disappointed not to have got something from a game in which they were probably the better side.

United were considerably under strength for the match that saw Wes Brown partnering Jonny Evans in the centre of defence, with John O'Shea at full back.

Chelsea on the other hand had close to their first choice back 4 of Branislav Ivanovic (Jose Bosingwa would have played but for injury), Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry and Ashley Cole.

Of those 4, only John Terry is likely to start on Saturday, and this time round, it's United who will be able to field their ideal back line of Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra.

Pundits always talk about strikers being all important and midfield battles being the key to games, and that may turn out to be the case. But for every attack there is a defence, and for every action there has to be an equal and opposite reaction, at least up until the point when a goal is scored, and despite the presence of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, Manchester United may be better equipped to deal with what will be thrown at them.

While Manchester United will need to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after an exhausting and bruising trip to Munich, Chelsea will have had plenty of time to focus on this match, and take the opportunity to bask in the glory of their 7-1 win against Aston Villa last weekend; a result, by the way, achieved without the presence of Didier Drogba.

The edges are fine, but the lines of combat have been well drawn. One club will take a massive step towards securing the title on Saturday, and the other will be playing ‘catch-up' with 5 games of the campaign remaining.

The champions will not be crowned at Old Trafford this weekend, but we could see a defining moment in what is turning out to be one of the most thrilling Barclays Premier League seasons in many years.

The gloves are off.

The battle for this season's Barclays Premier League title has just been ratcheted up a notch or two in terms of intensity, and with 7 games of the campaign remaining, it's still anyone's guess as to who will claim the most glittering prize in English football.

Less than a couple of months ago Arsenal looked as though they were out of the running, losing in consecutive games to Manchester United and Chelsea and finding themselves 9 points behind the leaders.

No one seemed too surprised. Looking at the Arsenal squad at the beginning of the season, and its average age, most pundits suggested that they would struggle to compete in the rarefied atmosphere of the table top at the top table.

Arsene Wenger and his young Gunners have proven almost everybody wrong.

Since that defeat against Chelsea on February 7th, Arsenal have won 6 straight in the league, and secured their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, having dismantled FC Porto at The Emirates.

Arsenal have proved, especially against the likes of Hull and Stoke in recent weeks, that they are capable of ‘winning ugly', and their haul of 18 points out of a possible 18 has brought them right back into contention.

Their assignment this weekend is to achieve what only Aston Villa and Bolton have managed this season, and that's pick up 3 points at St Andrew's.

Not since the 26th of September 2009 have Birmingham been beaten at home in the league, and Arsenal will have to succeed where Manchester United and Chelsea failed - both sides emerging with only a point to show from feisty encounters.

While Arsenal seek their 9th away win of the season, Chelsea will be looking for their 14th at home, as Aston Villa visit Stamford Bridge.

Boos have been ringing out at Villa Park in recent weeks, as the Villans have failed to get the right results against teams they were expected to beat. The natives have been restless in the Midlands, having witnessed a series of performances that have put a serious dent in Villa's top 4 credentials and aspirations.

Despite being the only side to remain unbeaten in Premier League action in 2010, Aston Villa have won only 3 of their last 10, and drawn 7. Home draws since the beginning of the year against West Ham, and most recently Wolves and Sunderland have to be viewed as 6 points dropped, and those points would have put them comfortably in pole position for a Champions League spot come the end of the season.

Freed from the heightened expectations of playing at Villa Park, Martin O'Neill's men could give Chelsea a run for their money at The Bridge on Saturday, and Manchester United will certainly be hoping that they can do some damage.

By the time United kick off at The Reebok, Sir Alex Ferguson's men could be 3rd in the table, and they face a Bolton side in the late game that has won 3 out of the last 5 and more or less secured its Premiership status for another season.

The Trotters appeared to be relegation fodder when Owen Coyle took over the reins in January, but he has worked steadily to right the ship, achieve results and attempt to get an ‘unfashionable' team playing decent football.

With 8 points now separating Bolton from the drop zone, and 10 miles separating the two Greater Manchester rivals, this is a derby that the home side would dearly love to win, and while Sir Alex Ferguson's men may not be expecting the traditional ‘lump it up and hope for the best' Bolton approach of recent years, they will be aware that the side has lost little of its determination and physicality.

If this season in the Barclays Premier League can be likened to a good novel, and I think it can, the race for the title looks set to go down to the last word, of the last sentence in the last chapter of what may be regarded in years to come as an absolute classic.

Cast your minds back to the 25th of October 2009.

Liverpool were suffering from their worst series of result since 1987, having lost 4 games on the bounce in all competitions.

A full house packed Anfield for the visit of Manchester United, and Rafa Benitez's side appeared to put all their troubles behind them, securing a 2-0 win with a rare display of passion, commitment and honest-to-goodness hard work.

Liverpool asked all the questions on a day when Rafa's job seemed to be on the line (not for the first time) and Manchester United didn't have any of the answers.

It was supposed to have been a pivotal point in Liverpool's season - the result taking them to within 4 points of Manchester United in the league standings, and a mere 6 points off the top of the table.

The energy and boundless enthusiasm for the cause that every single Liverpool player showed on the day was heralded as the catalyst that would spark a renaissance in their season, and no one will forget the scenes of Pepe Reina racing the entire length of the field to congratulate David Ngog on his 90th minute goal that effectively put the tie to bed.

Perhaps we should mention that Ngog had been on the field less than 10 minutes, having been used as a substitute for Liverpool's other goalscorer Fernando Torres. Ngog's late goal sealed the win for Liverpool, and his introduction could have been seen as a tactical masterstroke.

It may be fair to say that Liverpool supporters could be forgiven for suggesting that there have not been many since.

Fast forward to this coming weekend, and Liverpool are 15 points off the league leaders with 8 games of their season remaining, and expectations have been reduced to a decent run in European football's second tier competition, and securing 4th place in the Barclays Premier League - a far cry from being genuine title contenders in the last campaign, as well as UEFA Champions League hopefuls.

All and sundry are suggesting that Rafa Benitez and Liverpool will be parting ways in the summer, and that, should the club fail to secure the necessary big name signings and quality players in the next transfer window, Fernando Torres will also be moving on.

Rafa promised the fans 4th spot (as a minimum) this season, and they're certainly in contention, but the manner and style of their performance on Sunday against Manchester United in the reverse fixture, may well give us an indication as to how far the Reds have come this season in their response to the bitter disappointment of general failure.

Manchester United for their part, while casting a self-satisfied glance across to their struggling counterparts on Merseyside, know that the Barclays Premier League title is in their hands.

While they remain 2 points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table, they also know that Carlo Ancelotti's men have played one game less. A date in the calendar will be marked down in the itineraries of both clubs, and that date is the 3rd of April.

Manchester United will host Chelsea at Old Trafford in a match that is already being billed as the title decider, but Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be well aware that there is much work to be done before that encounter.

The beginning of the end of the season starts for the Red Devils this Sunday with the visit of Liverpool, the pick of the ties this weekend in the Barclays Premier League.

With Arsenal waiting in the wings and confident, no doubt, of picking up all the points against a misfiring West Ham United side, while Chelsea travel to Blackburn who are safely ensconced in mid-table and have little to play for, Manchester United simply cannot afford anything but a win.

Liverpool will be fervently hoping that lightning can strike twice in the course of the season, while Manchester United will be entreating the gods for clement weather, 3 points, and the impetus to go on and claim their 19th English league title, taking their total past....yes, you guessed it....Liverpool.

Hull City face an uphill struggle to survive relegation in the Barclays Premier League this season. Their form is poor to say the least, and the way they capitulated against Everton at Goodison Park last weekend suggests a lack of self-belief and almost an air of resignation to this season's fate.

In the last campaign, they survived by the skin of their collective teeth, despite a final day home defeat against Manchester United. Other results went their way in the last round of fixtures, and they just about preserved their Premiership status.

In the summer, Phil Brown promised changes to personnel, and a more determined and concerted effort this time round, but they've now lost the last 3, scored only a single goal in the process, and are without an away win all season.

Brown will no doubt point to the prolonged absence of their talisman Jimmy Bullard for much of the previous campaign, and for a large tranche of this one, but he is now back in the fold, looks as though he's a nearing full fitness, and it's vital that Hull at least try to push on from this point, with a mere 10 games of the season remaining.

Their assignment this weekend couldn't be more problematic, as high-flying, title-chasing, UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists Arsenal travel to the KC Stadium.

The contrast between the two teams could hardly be greater, with Hull struggling for creativity in midfield and the chances that creates, and Arsenal packed to the rafters with talented individuals, some of whom bring an almost artistic flair to the game of football. 

Being brutal, with the possible exception of Jimmy Bullard, there isn't a Hull City player who would get in to an Arsenal match day squad on the strength of their abilities, although goalkeeper Boaz Myhill might be in with a shout.

With Burnley earning themselves a point in midweek against Stoke, Hull are now one place off Portsmouth at the bottom of the table - the side, incidentally, that they play next weekend. While goals have always been hard to come by at this level, Hull have never lacked fight, except in the second half against Everton in which they simply did not show up.

"Everton were good," bemoaned Phil Brown at the end of the game, "but we made them look good, because we didn't get in the face of the opposition." It's a telling comment from a man who never lacked commitment during his playing days, and expects his charges to follow suit. Hull were lambs to the slaughter in the second period at Goodison, an unhappy analogy for a team nicknamed 'The Tigers'.

Another relegation scrap takes place at Turf Moor with Burnley hosting Wolves. It's 18^th versus 17^th, with the two sides locked together on 24 points, and both in deep trouble.

Burnley's away record is the stuff of nightmares - they've picked up only 1 point out of a possible 45 on the road all season - an unwanted Premier League record - but their home form, particularly in the early part of the campaign, has kept them afloat...just. That flow of points however, has now dried up, and while the draw on Wednesday night ended a run of 4 successive defeats, they need more, and they need it soon.

Wolves are not exactly the best travelers this season either, with only 2 wins away from Molineux, and they are themselves in a wretched slide, having lost the last 3 games, and failed to score in all of them.

This is the archetypal relegation 6 pointer, and with Wigan, Bolton and Sunderland picking up wins recently, there is a gap developing at the bottom of the table. Hull, Burnley and Wolves could soon find themselves detached with too few games of the season remaining in which to save their Barclays Premier League lives.

With home wins expected for the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool this weekend, and Arsenal probably having enough to get past Hull, the focus may well be on the bottom of the table and the fight to avoid the dreaded drop. It may not be pretty, but it will certainly be intense, with Hull in particular, hoping to bring a little passion into the proceedings, before it's too late.

A busy and exciting weekend in English football lies ahead.

Not only do we have a bunch of Barclays Premier League fixtures that will affect the top and bottom of the table, but we also have 4 FA Cup matches in which 8 teams will attempt to take their next steps towards a dream Wembley Final.

Manchester United travel to Wolverhampton for the late kick-off on Saturday in the BPL, knowing that a point will be enough to see them reclaim top spot from Chelsea.

Only Wigan and Portsmouth have managed fewer wins at home this season than Wolves, and Mick McCarthy will be only too aware that 5 points taken out of a last possible 27 is the kind of stuff of which relegation is made.

Wolves are out of the drop zone solely on goal difference, and must be prepared for a buoyant Manchester United side that secured their first piece of silverware last weekend, and will hope to take maximum advantage of Chelsea's FA Cup distraction. It's hoped that Sir Alex and the boys will have recovered from the hangover that will no doubt have ensued from their Carling Cup success celebrations.

Should United slip up at the weekend, Arsenal are waiting in the wings, and will be more than confident of securing the points at the Emirates on Saturday against a Burnley side that has the worst away record of any team in the entire football league!

Brian Laws' men have picked up a solitary point in their 14 games on the road so far, a record for which the word ‘execrable' simply doesn't do justice. Add to that the fact that they have conceded a massive 43 goals, and you can see why Arsene Wenger would have every right to expect all the spoils on Saturday.

A big win for Arsenal (by 5 goals or more - certainly not unthinkable) and Arsenal would go above Chelsea in the standings, providing us all with an ever more intriguing run-in to the end of the season.

Saturday also sees the battle of two sides who've been struggling for most of the season, but who seem to have developed a little momentum of late, as West Ham United entertain Bolton.

The two sides are 3 points and 2 points off the relegation zone respectively, but West Ham have won 2 out of their last 3 league games, and Bolton squeaked past Wolves last time out to ease their fears.

Bolton are clearly a team in transition as new manager Owen Coyle tries to impose his style of football on a side that has been more renowned for its physicality and ‘direct approach' (a happy little euphemism), but at this stage of the season form and substance have to go hand in hand, in every sense.

Hull City travel to Goodison Park for the Sunday game, with the Tigers' away form almost as bad as that of Burnley.

Phil Brown's boys haven't managed a single win on the road this season, while Everton have beaten Manchester United and Chelsea in their previous 2 home games and are making a surge up the table that could yet see them in contention for a place in Europe come the end of the campaign. Only a brave man would predict anything other than a super Sunday for the Toffees.

While clubs in the BPL are jockeying for position, 8 sides battle it out for a place in the semi-finals of this season's FA Cup.

Dissenters pointed to the early elimination of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal as a reason to somehow devalue this year's competition, but the fact remains that we have already seen some classic matches and thrilling encounters this time round, and it looks as though there may be more to come.

Portsmouth host Birmingham City at Fratton Park on Saturday, with the oldest domestic cup competition in world football providing a pleasant distraction for the beleaguered south coast club.

In administration, and waiting for the mandatory deduction of league points, Portsmouth are rock bottom of the BPL table and ‘starting to dig'. They are almost certain to be relegated, and while even an excellent cup run will do little to help their financial position, it's a good opportunity for Avram Grant's men to show that they're better than their current status would suggest.

Reading enter the quarter-finals as the only non-BPL side remaining in the competition, and as such, the lowest ranked team among the final 8.

The Berkshire side has been hovering around the drop zone in the Championship for much of the season, but a run of 5 wins in 6 games (including the 5-0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday in midweek) has propelled them away from danger.

Let's not forget that last time out, Reading were involved in one of the games of the season so far, coming away from the Hawthorns with a 3-2 win (having twice been behind, and with the winner coming in extra time) against a West Brom side pushing for promotion back to the BPL. It was one of those great cup nights, and Reading will go into their clash with Aston Villa on Sunday with immense self belief and daring to dream the dream.

Chelsea host Stoke on Saturday and will know exactly what they are up against, while the tie of the round, arguably, will take place at Craven Cottage, as Fulham entertain Tottenham.

Fulham have never won the Cup, coming closest in 1975 when they lost in the final, while Tottenham have claimed 8 trophies, making them the 3rd most successful club in the history of the competition.

"Roy Hodgson is doing a magnificent job," seems to have become a mantra in pundits' circles, and indeed, on limited resources, Fulham have certainly been punching above their weight this season.

Whether they can deal a knockout blow to Spurs' FA Cup aspirations this season is one of the more intriguing questions ahead in a fascinating weekend of football, ‘in all competitions'.

The ‘honeymoon period' at Manchester City is well and truly over.

On Wednesday night Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled team of footballing superstars was dumped out of the FA Cup by Stoke City, realistically ending the Manchester club's hopes for any silverware this season.

Having arrived in a blaze of reflected glory, and having got off to the best possible start in his career at the club, Mancini is now under immense pressure to deliver a top 4 finish come the end of the season. Speculation is now rife that should he fail, there could be unpleasant consequences...in the area of employment.

After 4 straight wins in all competitions to begin his tenure - all eminently winnable games, coinciding nicely with the timing of his appointment - Man City's first real test was an away game in the Barclays Premier League against Everton.

Mancini's men were quite simply outplayed over the 90 minutes, and it turned out to be the beginning of the end for Robinho, who came on as an early substitute and was then substituted himself after a performance of outstanding mediocrity and lack of passion.

Manchester City have gone on to lose a further 3 games under Mancini - being eliminated from both domestic cup competitions in the process - the low point coming on Wednesday night against a Stoke team often referred to as ‘workmanlike' and not boasting, arguably, a single player that would get into the Man City starting line-up.

It won't get any easier for the Citizens either, with their next assignment following hard upon and consisting of a trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend.

It's the standout tie in this round of fixtures, and presents Chelsea with the opportunity to reopen their 4 point lead over Manchester United at the top of the table, with the Red Devils otherwise occupied in the Carling Cup Final at Wembley.

Chelsea may be a little fatigued after their hard-fought defeat at the hands of Inter in the UEFA Champions League, but their record on home soil this campaign has been nigh on impeccable, with 12 wins and a draw from their 13 league games played. Only Everton have come away from the blue side of West London with anything other than a beating.

Manchester City's 4 league defeats this season have all come away from the City of Manchester Stadium, and few people will be expecting Mancini's boys to bag the spoils at a ground where Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have already perished this campaign, without managing a single goal between them.

The result may not be the all-important aspect of the game on Saturday, but the manner of the performance and the attitude of the players will be. To add to Mancini's problems, Emmanuel Adebayor is almost certain to miss out following his red card against Stoke, while there have been rumours of training ground bust-ups and players unhappy about methods.

Mancini's task was never going to be an easy one - simply accommodating so many talented, highly-paid players was expected to be hard enough. But he has to start getting it right on the field of play, and provide the brand of football that the City fans expect to see and, more importantly, the City owners want to be associated with.

Having spent big, the owners will not be too patient when it comes to demanding bang for their buck, while Mancini will know, unfortunately, exactly where the buck will stop.

The race for the final UEFA Champions league spot continues apace, and we may get a clearer idea as to the genuine contenders and flattering-to-deceive pretenders this weekend.

Manchester City host Liverpool at Eastlands in the pick of Sunday's ties, with Roberto Mancini's men struggling to assert their credentials as Big 4 party poopers.

The Citizens currently occupy 4th spot, having squeaked into it in midweek following their 1-1 draw at Stoke City - a match in which they were so far from ‘convincing' that they needed to set up a separate postcode.

In fact, I will go further; Manchester City were incredibly fortunate to emerge from the Britannia Stadium with even the point that took them above Liverpool in the standings.

It's not as though they hadn't been warned. In an FA Cup clash a few days previously, Stoke stuck to the game plan they have been adopting for most of the season - wait for the set pieces; get the big men in the box; hassle and harry at every opportunity, and basically knock opponents out of their stride and prevent them from getting into a stride or gaining momentum.

It worked perfectly against a Man City side naïve enough to give Stoke one set piece after another, and then fail to defend with sufficient commitment or technique.

Stoke had a player sent off, and Manchester City had numerical superiority for the best part of 40 minutes, and yet still failed to play with any degree of coherence or, let's be honest, the flair that is to be expected from such an expensively assembled group of players.

The fact that Stoke had a perfectly good goal chalked off for no reason that was apparent to anyone other than referee Alan Wiley, adds to the chorus of opinion that suggests Manchester City were lucky to get a draw.

That the game saw Patrick Vieira subsequently charged with violent conduct - an incident spotted by the referee, who decided, inexplicably, to take no action over - and Roberto Mancini losing his almost perfectly coiffured cool, suggests that the men in light blue are having one or two problems at this moment in time.

This is not something that will be lost on a Liverpool side that had picked up 10 points out of a possible 12 prior to their defeat against Arsenal last week.

Rafa Benitez ‘promised' the Anfield faithful 4th place even before Christmas, and 3 points at Eastlands on Sunday will move them back into that position.

There was little to choose between the two teams when they met at Anfield earlier in the season - both sets of players contributing to a first half that one unhappy hack described as a "monument to mediocrity".

The game did come to life with 4 second half goals, but as Manchester City equalled their club record 6 top flight draws on the bounce, Liverpool (then still in with a shout of progressing from the group stage of the UEFA Champions League) amply demonstrated why this season has failed to meet expectations.

Both sides will, we hope, go into this game with all guns blazing, desperate for the 3 points, although Liverpool will once again be without their biggest piece of ammunition in the form of Fernando Torres.

While they're slugging it out, Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping fervently for a draw at the City of Manchester Stadium. If Spurs can go to Wigan on Sunday in the late kick-off, come away with all the spoils, while Manchester City and Liverpool share theirs, it will be Harry Redknapp's men who will end the weekend in 4th.

While the English football world continues to debate the possibility of introducing play-offs for the 4th Champions League spot, it's certainly not going to be happening this year, and Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and indeed Aston Villa know exactly what they have to do to secure one of the brightest and shiniest glittering prizes.

When I was a boy, I dreamt (mostly when awake) of scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup Final.

To me, at that time, it was the ultimate achievement in a footballer's career - better than winning a league title (that took far too long and lacked the element of instant gratification) and more glamorous than success in Europe (there were bound to be foreigners in the crowd and they may not have known how to pronounce my name correctly during the chants of adulation).

It never happened, of course. The perceived abundance of talent I had as a young player was only perceived by me, and despite the fact that I was convinced that recreational parks in North London were constantly populated by scouts from the world's biggest clubs scrutinising my every move as I played 'keepy-up' with any accommodating squirrel, my professional career remained as undeveloped as John Terry's sense of moral propriety.

Still, one could always dream, and my day of glory at Wembley was always well mapped out and meticulously planned to the finest detail. I forget who my heroes were at the time, but they were always involved in the build up to the goal.

Paul Gascoigne would probably get the ball rolling - perhaps I would exchange passes with him in the centre circle before pirouetting away from my marker and making a beeline for the penalty box.

The ball would be pushed out wide, possibly to John Barnes, or maybe Chris Waddle (I'd have had a chat with them before the match, and given strict instructions as to the perfect delivery, particularly when our side was drawing 1-1 and there were 30 seconds of the match remaining in an FA Cup Final that no one expected us to win - the opposition would have been either Liverpool or Manchester United - big, bullying teams that really didn't need any more silverware and were just being greedy) and they would take it down the wing.

The rest is, or at least would be, history, and generally acknowledged as one of the greatest goals ever in the FA Cup. What am I talking about....? The Greatest. Why understate when it's your dream?

The ball would be swung across from the by-line at which point the world would go into slow motion, as I peeled (slowly but elegantly) off my marker, only to realise that the ball's trajectory was taking it behind me.

Not a problem. Adjusting my body position, after a quick glance at the positioning of the keeper (probably Peter Schmeichel - he was always hard to score goals against) I would rise like a salmon (fresh, ladder-climbing, not farm raised) and make the perfect connection in a scissor kick practised relentlessly on the training ground (those sweaty, endless afternoons on my grandparents' bed - when they were out of the house - finally bearing fruit). That may sound rude. It isn't. I simply needed a soft landing as I pursued perfection in my overhead strikes at goal.

The ball would soar into the back of the net, past a flailing Danish giant, and there would be a nanosecond of complete, pure, quiet as the massive crowd (always 100,000) took a moment to adjust to their sense of disbelief.

And then the roar, as the realisation struck. The FA Cup had been won, by a wonder goal, scored by me.

In a normal dream, I would probably wake up at this point, but this was never a normal dream, but rather a perfectly crafted day version. The walk up the famous stairs at Wembley (39 steps, just like the John Buchan novel that has absolutely no connection to football) would follow, and the lifting and parading of the oldest and most prestigious silver pot in the history of football.

What a day it would be - for football.

16 teams will know that this weekend they could take a step closer to tasting FA Cup glory, as the 5^th round of this season's competition takes centre stage. One more win, and the teams will be through to the quarter-finals - two matches away from a possible date at Wembley.

The 'glamour tie' has to be that a Craven Cottage as Barclays Premier League outfit Fulham host League 2 (fourth tier) side Notts County. There's a chance for a 'Cupset' here, and the Nottingham side have already claimed a Premiership scalp after dumping Wigan out in a fourth round replay - at Wigan!

Cardiff City will enjoy the experience of playing at Stamford Bridge - at least until kick-off - while Derby may well fancy their chances of unseating midlands rivals Birmingham City at Pride Park, especially after Birmingham's league defeat against West Ham in midweek.

There are two all-Premiership clashes as Manchester City host Stoke, and Tottenham travel to Bolton - Harry Redknapp's side hoping to recover from a performance against Wolves on Wednesday for which 'appalling' simply doesn't begin to describe it. Woeful; execrable; gutless, are also words that spring to mind.

The tie of the round though is probably that which takes place at the St Mary's Stadium, as Southampton and Portsmouth lock horns for the first time in a while.

The rivalry that exists between these two South Coast clubs is difficult to overestimate, but it's intense, bitter, and should provide for an excellent spectacle on Saturday.

I'm 'up for the cup' this weekend, that's for sure, even if I won't be scoring the winning goal in the Final this time round.

There seems to be some confusion about the term ‘six pointer'.

Everyone knows that in the Barclays Premier League, three points are given for a win, one for a draw and a pat on the back for a defeat, so where exactly do the ‘six' points come from?

I'd like to explain it in economic terms, but I'd only confuse myself, so I'll try to illustrate using the match between Chelsea and Arsenal on Sunday - the pick of the pick of the fixtures this weekend.

Arsenal are currently 6 points behind Chelsea, but a win at Stamford Bridge and they move 3 points behind.

Should Chelsea win, however, the Blues will be 9 points clear of the Gunners, and with 13 games of this intriguing season remaining, will fancy themselves to top their London rivals come season's end.

The difference between 9 points and 3 points (according to my calculator) is 6 points, hence the phrase and the enormous importance of Sunday's clash.

While Chelsea were squeaking past Burnley at Turf Moor last weekend, and amassing a solitary point in midweek against relegation-threatened Hull City, Arsenal will have had plenty of time to reflect on their mauling at The Emirates last Sunday at the hands of Manchester United.

The 3-1 score line didn't accurately reflect United's superiority in the match, such was the effectiveness of their sweeping counter attacks and their extraordinary appetite for the game.

The encounter was billed as a fascinating head-to-head between two massively influential players, without whom, it has been said, their teams don't function nearly as well.

I'm referring to Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas, and while the diminutive Spaniard probed and teased and showed plenty of the silky skills for which he has become renowned, Rooney simply drove into the guts of the Arsenal defence, leaving it, ultimately, as sick as the proverbial parrot.

While it was a wake up call for those who'd written off Manchester United's title ambitions earlier in the season, the game perfectly illustrated the reasons why Arsenal may well end up without any silverware for a fifth successive campaign.

Arsene Wenger and his young Gunners must answer their critics this weekend, and there's no more difficult place to get a result than Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have won 11 and drawn 1 of their 12 home league games this season, banging in 37 goals in the process.

Carlo Ancelotti will be fully aware that Manchester United will be expected to grab all the spoils at Old Trafford against cellar-dwellers Portsmouth on Saturday, and return to the top of the table ahead of Sunday's match.

He will also have taken considerable inspiration from the way in which Arsenal were beaten by United. The question will be whether Chelsea can replicate that degree of intensity, or whether Arsenal can fashion ways of being able to play their own game and mount a serious challenge.

No one would ever write off Arsenal, but Sunday's clash at The Bridge could be the defining moment in their season. A win and they're back in the mix; defeat and a 9 point gap to the league leaders could prove to be a mountain that is just too difficult to climb.

If there's a ‘six pointer' in the race for the title, there's also one in the battle for 4th spot, as Tottenham entertain Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.

A win for Villa, and they will move above Spurs; a win for Tottenham and they will be 5 points clear of one of their main rivals for that final UEFA Champions League spot - the ‘holy land' as far as clubs outside the recognised Big Four are concerned.

Villa will go into the game with renewed belief having picked up all 3 points and scored their first goals in 5 games last weekend against Fulham, while Spurs will be reflecting on once again surrendering points to a late goal after Birmingham's stoppage time equaliser at St Andrew's last Saturday.

While Martin O'Neill's men will have had a week to think about having become only the third side to emerge from Craven Cottage with all the points this season, Tottenham will be recovering from a hard-fought, bruising FA Cup replay win away at Leeds United.

If all eyes will be on Stamford Bridge come Sunday, the match in North London on Sunday could prove to be an excellent curtain raiser for yet another fascinating weekend in this season's Barclays Premier League.

The next three games in the Barclays Premier League could well determine Arsenal's season.

On Sunday they host Manchester United at The Emirates Stadium, followed by a trip to Stamford Bridge the following weekend. After that, it's a midweek game at home against Liverpool, before the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout clash with FC Porto.

It's a tough run of matches at a massively important juncture in the season, and come the final whistle at Anfield on February the 10th, we'll have a much clearer picture as to whether they can last the course in what is turning into a three horse race for the title.

Arsenal passed up the chance to return to the Premier League summit on Wednesday night, after playing to a goalless draw at Villa Park.

It was a game that could have gone either way, and while the Gunners hit the woodwork twice and created plenty of chances, they could just as easily have returned to North London empty handed.

Arsene Wenger continues to ignore his captain Cesc Fabregas' exhortations to buy an out-and-out ‘conventional' striker in the January transfer window, and with Arsenal's current conversion rate of goals to chances, this could turn out to be a big mistake.

One can speculate on how Fabregas imagines a natural finisher fitting into the current Arsenal roster, as well as how a big striker (one capable of holding the ball up and retaining possession with his back to goal, and bringing other players into the game) could provide a necessary focal point for the team's attacks.

It could well be that Wenger has yet to identify the right kind of player (and we know how particular he is about new recruits), and it could be that he deems such a ‘unit' to be surplus to requirements. Or is he just being obstinate?

In any event, while Arsenal continue to play some wonderful football - the most attractive this season of any team, by a country mile - their lack of killer instincts immediately in front of goal could cost them dearly.

Players of the calibre of Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba are difficult enough to find these days, but imagine what either of those two gentlemen could do playing in the same team as Fabregas, Nasri, Arshavin, Walcott, Rosicky and their friends. Potentially mouth-watering for fans; positively terrifying, I would suggest, for opposition defences.

But, Wenger is sticking to his Gunners, and as one of my dear friends and the most fervent Arsenal supporter I've ever met (passionate, excessive, dogged, occasionally blinkered - the standard profile) is fond of saying, "Arsene knows."

Does he know, however, that he's under severe pressure to deliver a trophy to the silverware-starved club? I suspect he does.

Is he aware of the fact that Arsenal supporters, while delighted to see their team reaching an aesthetic that is the envy of all, desperate for a little pay-off? I think he is, and if the Gunners can claim the title this season, he will be vindicated and the world will be convinced that playing football and winning things are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Neutrals (if there are any these days) would love to see Arsenal claim the title. As a club, it hasn't tried to buy success - due to a combination of ethos and lack of financial resources - and has stuck to its core values. In this football day and age, it's a refreshing approach and deserves its reward, while lack of success (actual trophies safely ensconced in the cabinet) could be seen as an indictment of the modern game.

Football needs a successful, high-achieving Arsenal FC, and we may get a glimpse of how the remainder of the season will unfold on Sunday as Manchester United pay a visit to the Emirates.

United will be cock-a-hoop after thrusting their way into the Carling Cup Final, with the dramatic win over Manchester City in the semi-final second leg at Old Trafford. Could a better script have been written? I doubt it.

So many pundits have been criticising Sir Alex Ferguson's men this season, for their apparent lack of purpose, under-performing superstars (or should that be ‘superstar' - we all know who we're talking about here...) but the fact remains that Manchester United are a mere one point behind Chelsea at the top of the table, without, seemingly, having hit top gear yet. It's also worth bearing in mind that Chelsea still have to play United at Old Trafford before this campaign draws to a close.

There really is only one place to be this Sunday, and while the result is never going to be definitive, it's an opportunity for both teams to lay down a marker as this intriguing season in the Barclays Premier League approaches the business end.

Wherever you look in the draw for the 4th round of this season's FA Cup, there is fascination galore.

A year ago, Accrington Stanley were in danger of going out of business when they faced a winding up order issued by HM Revenue and Customs. Since then, they've got their act together both on and off the field - having paid their outstanding debts, and hit a run of form that has seen them move to within 5 points of a play-off place in League 2, English football's fourth tier.

They defeated Gillingham at home in Round 3, and have been rewarded with another home tie against Barclays Premier League opposition in the form of Fulham.

While John Coleman's young side (the average age of the squad is a little over 21) will do well to get anything out of the tie, it's a perfect opportunity for the players to pit their wits against English football's elite and earn a bit of money for the club.

FA Cup upsets, or ‘cupsets' as I now like to call them, are getting rarer these days, but cup competition presents an invaluable revenue stream for some of the smaller clubs whose financial future is far from secure.

Preston North End does not have to worry too much about money, although the sell-out crowd expected at Deepdale for the visit of Chelsea this weekend won't do their bank balance any harm.

A home tie against one of the Premiership big guns is a fantastic reward for Preston's impressive 7-0 rout of Colchester United in Round 3, with Jon Parkin bagging a hat-trick, and Rob Kelly getting off to an encouraging start as caretaker manager. His tenure though, didn't last very long, with the appointment of Darren Ferguson as permanent manager following hard upon.

As most people will know Darren is the son of Sir Alex, and while his father's act is going to be an almost impossible one to follow, Ferguson Junior is viewed as a bright young manager with great potential.

While his most important assignment will be to get Preston into contention for a play-off place in the Championship come the end of the season, a decent cup run, and playing against the likes of Carlo Ancelotti's men could prove to be a valuable exercise.

Another tie that captures the imagination will take place at Glanford Park (capacity 9,088) as Scunthorpe United prepare to take on the richest club in English football, Manchester City.

The disparity between the two teams, in terms of players, spending power and indeed gate receipts, couldn't be greater, but to quote a hoary old cliché, the FA Cup is ‘a great leveller', and ‘Scunny' will fancy their chances of causing a cupset - a replay would do very nicely thank you.

Roberto Mancini has already had a taste of the FA Cup when he took his side to Middlesbrough in Round 3, and there's little doubt that he enjoys the nature of cup competition, having won 6 Coppa Italias in his time as a player in Italy, and 4 as a manager. Nothing though will have prepared him for a trip to deepest, darkest Lincolnshire and an examination of his players' mettle and level of commitment.

The tie of the round though has to be Tottenham Hotspur against Leeds United at White Hart Lane.

Leeds were magnificent in Round 3, as they went to Old Trafford and subjected Manchester United to their first defeat at the hands of lower league opposition in the FA Cup since 1984, and Sir Alex Ferguson's first ever 3rd round exit in his 23 years (and counting) as the Red Devils' boss.

Leeds United are a third tier side, and 42 League places separated the two teams heading into the clash at Old Trafford. You never would have guessed it, as the Yorkshire side played with style and panache and thoroughly deserved the upset they caused.

They showed a positive intent from the word go, an even when 1-0 up with 20 minutes remaining, refused to go on the defensive, leaving two strikers on the field throughout.

Tottenham have proved this season that they are far from unbeatable on home soil, having already tasted defeat against Wolves and Stoke, while allowing Hull City to emerge with a point from North London last weekend. Spurs will also have to bounce back from their midweek defeat against Liverpool - a game in which they simply ‘didn't turn up', and which further illustrated the fragility of their status as top 4 contenders.

The ‘Sleeping Giants' visit to the ‘Emerging Pretenders' has to be the pick of the ties this weekend in the 4th Round of the FA Cup, as the competition continues to fulfil its billing as the oldest and greatest domestic knockout tournament in world football.

Burney will be under new management this weekend, after the surprise departure of Owen Coyle.

I use the word ‘surprise', since the reasons he gave for his allegiance change seem to lack substance and perhaps even a degree of coherence.

He said he wanted to move to a ‘bigger club', and certainly in terms of budget and infrastructure, Bolton Wanderers fit the bill.

Coyle spent a couple of years in his playing days at Bolton, and was a popular player among the fans, so, listing a sentimental attachment to the club and its supporters is sure to strike the right cord as far as public relations are concerned.

May I suggest, however, that the main reason for deserting the Clarets, at such an important juncture in the season, is the fact that he thought he had taken the club just about as far as he could.

Coyle joined Burnley from Scottish side St Johnstone in November 2007, and revitalised the club, helping them back into the top flight of English football for the first time in 33 years.

Burnley have been making a fairly decent fist of it so far this Barclays Premier League season, but there are several reasons not to be cheerful

Despite sitting in 14th place, the club is a mere two points off the relegation zone, and boasts the worst away record in the entire league - a paltry one point gained from their ten away days, and 31 goals conceded. Only their home form (five wins, four draws and one defeat) is currently keeping them afloat, and to continue the analogy, Owen Coyle could be seen as having some justification for deserting if not a ‘sinking ship', then certainly one that has sprung a leak and is beginning to list.

48-year-old Brian Laws has taken over the reins at Burnley.

It's an interesting choice. A surprising ‘reward', some have said, for his near abject failure with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

Laws was sacked by the South Yorkshire club on the 13th of December, with his side languishing in the drop zone of English football's second tier, and looking less than capable of dragging themselves out of the mire.

Fast forward a month, and Laws is now a Premiership manager. His first task couldn't be harder, or easier, depending on which perspective you approach it from.

Burnley travel to Old Trafford on Saturday to face a Manchester United side that has probably had more than enough time to reflect on their FA Cup defeat at the hands of Leeds United, and their, arguably, fortuitous point against Birmingham City last weekend.

Even taking into account Manchester United's somewhat indifferent recent form, and their spate of injuries, no one is expecting Laws' men to come away with anything other than a sever battering, so expectations will be lower than the Plimsoll Line on the Good Ship Burnley.

Owen Coyle's first assignment as Bolton boss isn't going to be any less problematic, as the Trotters host Arsenal at the Reebok on Sunday.

Bolton are currently occupying one of the 3 relegation spots, and have won only twice at home all season.

Owen Coyle has always been a purist when it comes to football - demanding that his teams play a passing game and deliver attractive football - almost the antithesis of a Bolton side that owes much of its style to the Sam Allardyce era in which a direct, rather pragmatic approach to the game was the order of the day.

Burnley's series of poor results on the road may be put down to the fact that they have tried to play teams such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, and even West Ham, at their own game, and come badly unstuck.

Will Coyle stick to his guns? Do Bolton have the personnel to deliver Coyle's brand of football? Was he right to leave club at which he was fast becoming a legend to take over one whose hopes of survival look even more bleak?

So many questions; and a little under half the season remaining in which to answer them.

Hands up in the air all of you who have written off Liverpool's Barclays Premier League title hopes this season.

As I suspected...quite a few people.

Hands up, again, all of you who don't even think they'll manage to secure a top four finish by the time this campaign draws to a close.

Slightly fewer, I see, but still a considerable majority.

It may be interesting to point out then, that should Liverpool beat Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday, they would be just one point away from the team that currently occupies fourth spot. That team is, incidentally, Spurs.

Despite a wretched run of form and some distinctly lackluster performances, Liverpool are still very much in the mix for a UEFA Champions League (UCL) place, even if their title hopes are hanging by the most tenuous of threads.

Rafa Benitez has been insistent (for some weeks now) that Liverpool's season is about to kick-off for real, despite the fact that we're already halfway through the campaign. If results over the ‘festive' period are anything to go by, he may, finally, be right.

The Anfield side beat Wolves on Boxing Day, and then followed that up by becoming only the second side this season to take maximum points away from Villa Park. It may have been an unlikely win over an Aston Villa side that will count itself as a fellow UCL aspirant, but the bottom line is the bottom line, and Liverpool have three points to show from their midlands excursion.

On Sunday, they face a Tottenham outfit that has enjoyed the latter part of the old year, having picked up 10 points out of a possible 12 in the league, and kept four consecutive clean sheets. This is almost unheard of for a side that always tries to play good football, and has an attendant vulnerability at the back.

In the past, a trip to Anfield for Spurs has conformed to a fairly tried and tested formula. They will turn up; give a good account of themselves; create a few good chances; spray the ball around; give as good as they get; look the better side for periods of the game....and then lose.

We will see just how far Harry Redknapp's men and boys have come this season, and how genuine their top four credentials really are. Should they fashion a win (even without the services of Aaron Lennon, who's a major doubt for the game with a groin problem) they will go seven points clear of Pool, and cement the fourth spot that is now theirs to surrender. Should they lose, Liverpool will be breathing down their necks, having built up a bit of a head of steam.

Such is the nature of the race for fourth place that a mere four points separate Tottenham and Liverpool, with Manchester City and Aston Villa providing the filling for that particular sandwich.

Man City and Villa are two points behind Spurs, and City have a game in hand. The Roberto Mancini era has started well - you can't do much better than three wins in three games (in all competitions) with three successive clean sheets.

Manchester City's recent run can, to a certain extent, be put down to the ‘new manager' syndrome, with players out to impress their new ‘gaffer' and consolidate their positions in the squad pecking order. It could also have something to do with the timing of Mancini's introduction.

The Italian's appointment had been speculated on for a while, and it may not be a coincidence that it came immediately after a potentially tricky home tie with Sunderland (that City managed to scrape through 4-3) and immediately prior to eminently winnable league fixtures at home to Stoke and away at Wolves, prior to the FA Cup encounter with Middlesbrough. It would have been difficult to handpick a more amenable sequence of games.

It's hard to see Man City not bagging all the points from their Monday night clash with a Blackburn side that doesn't travel well - only Stoke and Portsmouth have scored fewer goals away from home than Sam Allardyce's side this season.

Should Mancini's Mancunians go on to win their game in hand, fourth place would be theirs by rights (although Spurs still have to visit the City of Manchester Stadium) and with money to spend in the January transfer window, and an opportunity to bolster an already talented squad, they will look forward with high expectations to the second half of the season.

As for Aston Villa, they will remember all too well the way in which they have fallen off the pace in the latter part of recent seasons.

Pundits have suggested that this time round they are better equipped and have greater strength in depth than in previous campaigns, but a couple of defeats over Christmas may have cast some doubts on their staying power in the upper echelons of English football's elite.

The FA Cup last weekend provided plenty of fun and entertainment - unless you happen to support Manchester United. It's back to BPL action in the next couple of days, where anything's possible, and the unlikely is probable.

It may well be the season to be jolly, but as most of us (not me, of course) are tucking into our turkeys on Christmas Day, and setting fire to the curtains in an attempt to flambé the traditional pud, players and managers around the Barclays Premier League are looking ahead to a period of feverish activity.

Portsmouth seem to be the luckiest of all the clubs in the forthcoming week, getting 4 days rest between their Saturday clash with West Ham at Upton Park, and Wednesday evening's encounter with Arsenal at home.

Having said that, Pompey have gone into Christmas as the lowest ranked team in the league, and as most statisticians will tell you, that's a monkey on the back of their survival hopes.

Avram Grant and his men though, will be buoyed by having taken seven points out of a last possible 12, including three in their impressive and thoroughly deserved win over Liverpool at the weekend.

The signs are good for Portsmouth, or at least they're better. The team is playing as a team, with the degree of hunger and determination that suggests that they may well emerge from the doldrums in the coming weeks, and claw themselves away from the dreaded drop zone.

West Ham United have relegation worries of their own, and as luck would have it, face Portsmouth in Boxing Day's early kick-off.

The two sides are separated by one league place and one league point, and there's unlikely to be too much Christmas cheer in evidence at Upton Park, despite both sides coming off good results.

West Ham belied their lowly position with a battling display against league leaders Chelsea last time out - a performance that suggested that their league position is not reflective of their collective abilities. The Hammers travel to White Hart Lane on Monday and will be keen to pick up points at home prior to that potentially tricky tie.

There could be some significant movement at the top of the table as well, with three of the top five (Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham) playing two games in the space of three days.

Eight points currently separate the top five teams, and there are six points up for grabs in the next few days.

Aston Villa are the 'form' team right now, having won their last four games without conceding a single goal, and they will be mindful of the way they have trailed off at the end of recent campaigns due, many will say, to a lack of squad depth.

Villa travel to The Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face Arsenal in a massive clash for the cubs in fourth and third respectively and locked together on the same points.

Martin O'Neill's Christmas programme also features a home game against Liverpool just a couple of days later, and no doubt, by the final whistle on Tuesday, we will see just how good this current Aston Villa side is, and maybe even how far they can go this season.

One of the many positive aspects for the midlands club is the fact that they can count several Englishmen in their stable, most of whom are either in, or on the periphery of the current England squad. They're in Fabio Capello's spotlight in each and every game, and can be forgiven for wanting to turn in standout performances at every opportunity.

Arsenal for their part, are continuing to defy the doubters who dismissed their title credentials at the beginning of the season, and should they win their game in hand, would be a mere three points shy of the leaders.

Chelsea have difficult games ahead with in-form Birmingham City (16 points garnered out of a last possible 18) and Fulham as opponents.

The Blues will have to live without a couple of key players when the African Cup of Nations gets underway, and would love to head into January with a healthy lead at the top.

And finally, let's spare a thought for Manchester United, whose defensive problems continue apace.

In the absences of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, United have looked almost absurdly vulnerable at the back, and that fact will provide plenty of encouragement for Hull on Sunday, and Wigan the following Wednesday.

It will be interesting to see if Sir Alex Ferguson elects to bolster his squad during the January sales, but it's not difficult to see that with the current state of injuries, the Red Devils' air of invincibility is looking distinctly thin.

To all regular readers of this column, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, as well as a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

For the first time in more seasons than perhaps most of us would care to remember, the seemingly divine right of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool to fill the top four places in the Barclays Premier League is under serious threat.

One of the reasons is the fact that this campaign, unlike some others, has proven, demonstrably, that any team is capable of beating any other on any given day.

The apparently anomalous results of last weekend in the BPL, and the odd mild surprise in midweek, have shown us all that the spirit of egalitarianism, - upon which the game of football was founded and developed - is alive, kicking and providing fans with plenty of entertainment and intrigue.

Who, for example, would have thought that Aston Villa would go to Old Trafford last Saturday, and emerge with all the points for the first time in 26 years?

Who'd have imagined that relegation-threatened and bottom 3 incumbents Wolverhampton Wanderers would have been able to go to White Hart Lane and get the win over a Tottenham side that had put 9 past Wigan in their previous home game?

And who would even have contemplated the prospect of Chelsea's 100% home record coming to an end at the hands of an Everton team whose setup must include the most overworked medical team in the country?

Or even Bolton holding big-spending Manchester City to a draw at The Reebok, not to mention Burnley getting a point off Arsenal on Wednesday night?

Despite an early season shakeup that suggested the top 4 places were up for grabs, a few games in, normal service appeared to have been resumed, with the Big Four strutting their stuff and putting all to the sword.

But the ‘Pretenders' have now emerged, with Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester City, and dare I even say it, Birmingham City, lined up, ready to pounce, and aspiring to a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.

A mere 6 points separate the 6 clubs positioned from 3rd to 8th, and all the teams will play 3 more fixtures before this calendar year draws to a close.

Aston Villa have stormed into the top 4 off 3 successive league wins (including their Old Trafford triumph) and the rest of the league has had no alternative other than to sit up and take note.

Martin O'Neill's managerial credentials have never been in doubt, but there were question marks over squad structure and under performing players.

Somehow, O'Neill has managed to find a way of accommodating the fecund talents of James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young in a single team, and it's beginning to prove effective, as well as pleasing to the eye.

The Villans will expect a comfortable win this weekend against a Stoke City side that can mix it with the best but that doesn't travel well. Villa need to bag the points as their closest rivals Arsenal, with whom they're locked together on 32 points, host a Hull City team at The Emirates that is one of only 2 clubs in the league yet to win on the road this season.

Tottenham, currently lying 5th and just 2 points behind Villa and Arsenal, will face a stern test as they visit Blackburn Rovers, a team that will always battle hard, and have lost only once at home all season - against Manchester City on the opening day of the season.

This will be more about Spurs' determination, attitude and application than their undoubted footballing qualities. Tottenham sides have tended to be a soft touch away from White Hart Lane in recent seasons, and if Harry Redknapp's men are to prove their worth as genuine top 4 contenders, this is the kind of game that they have to win. Confidence shouldn't be a problem after arguably their best performance of the campaign to date, when they swept Manchester City aside on Wednesday.

Liverpool's problems this season have been well, even ‘over', documented, and have stared everyone in the face in last weekend's home defeat to Arsenal, and the unconvincing 2-1 midweek win over Wigan.

They will not relish a trip to Fratton Park on Saturday for the early kick-off, against a Portsmouth side that ran Chelsea close on Wednesday night, and is beginning to pick up points under Avram Grant.

Portsmouth's league position does not reflect the way they have played this season, nor the quality of their football, and they may fancy themselves to get something from a Liverpool side that on occasions, simply ‘doesn't turn up'.

And what of Birmingham City, the ‘form' side right now in the BPL? 5 wins on the bounce for Alex McLeish's men (a club record) have propelled them up to 7th and within 5 points of a place in the top 4.

The Brummies travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to face an Everton side for whom the term ‘injury ravaged' appears to have been invented.

The Toffees are just a single point off the drop zone, and will need to battle hard against a Birmingham outfit hat has confounded its critics and already exceeded expectations.

Speaking of expectations, this season has proven why the Barclays Premier League is the envy of the world. There simply isn't such a thing as a ‘done deal, or a ‘nailed on 3 pointer.' I guess we all have to learn to expect the unexpected and revel in the unfolding experience.

There's no doubt that the pick of the ties this weekend in the Barclays Premier League takes place at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool host an injury-ravaged Arsenal side, desperate, once again, to bounce back from yet another UEFA Champions League disappointment.

Liverpool's non-progression was sealed prior to the final match of this season's group stage, and their continental adventures will continue in the Europa League - the second tier of European club competition. Even so, the match against Fiorentina was seen as an opportunity for revenge, a shot at redemption, and all it served to prove is the fact that Anfield is not the European fortress it once was.

Once again, they conceded a late goal against the Italian visitors, to surrender the point they felt they had earned. It's the third time this season in the UCL that the fate has befallen them, having allowed Lyon to score in the closing minutes - twice.

It's difficult to imagine quite how much pressure Rafa Benitez is under right now, with Liverpool sitting 7th in the Barclays Premier League table. Let's not even talk about the fact that they are a full 12 points off table-topping Chelsea - most Liverpool fans gave up on the title weeks ago.

The Reds also face the possibility of not qualifying for next season's Champions League, such is the competitiveness for places in the top 4 this campaign, with ‘pretenders' Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa striving to ensure that the established 'quadropoly' doesn't have everything its own way this time round.

Much has been written about Liverpool's over-reliance on key players, particularly Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and it's clear to see that the team has struggled when either or both of these players have been unavailable for selection.

Torres in particular, has had a torrid (excuse the pun) time with injuries, and has missed far too many games already this season for Liverpool's liking.

He's the focal point of everything the team does in the attacking third of the field, and a player capable of changing a game in the blink of an eye. For some reason, Liverpool seem to run out of ideas (and maybe even inspiration) when he's not playing. As any pundit worth his salt will tell you, relying too much on one individual in a team is a recipe for disaster.

Rafa Benitez has spoken so often about ‘getting the season back on track' with the right result in the next game, that his stock is beginning to fall into the ‘laughing' category. It's almost certain that he'll manage to trot out the same meaningless clichés at interviews and press conferences leading up to Sunday's match, but there's little doubt that the smile is becoming shallower and the teeth through which the statements are made are becoming ever more gritted.

Rafa and the Reds need a good performance at Anfield against Arsenal, and they need to convince everyone that results this season have been down to a combination of injuries and bad luck, not the wrong personnel selection (this would include transfers as well as actual match line-ups) and tactical ineptitude.

Arsenal for their part would dearly love to reassert their title credentials and prove that there is genuine substance to the shiny veneer of the aesthetically pleasing football they deliver.

Arsene Wenger has had to deal with a raft of injuries, but his apparent disinclination to spend money in the summer (and possibly again in the January transfer window) is beginning to irk fans. Even club captain Cesc Fabregas has appealed to his manager to buy a recognised, ‘conventional' striker in January, to provide options for his team.

Wenger however, seems very set in his ways, and should get credit for sticking to his Gunners, but it has become apparent that different opponents call for different tactics and different styles of play, and at this moment in time, Arsenal do not seem to have a ‘Plan B'.

Sunday's game will be fascinating, as every Big 4 clash tends to be. Come the final whistle at Anfield, we may have a clearer indication as to what lies ahead for both Liverpool and Arsenal as this intriguing season in the Barclays Premier League continues to unfold.

How much patience do the owners of Manchester City have?

If their pockets are apparently limitless in depth, surely their tolerance isn't, and after a quite remarkable 7 successive league draws, their veneer of confidence and faith in their manager must be wearing gossamer thin.

With a significant amount of money invested in new players, the men that write out the cheques would surely have expected considerably more bang for their bucks.

Those who view a glass as half full will maintain that the side remains unbeaten in 7 league games.

The half empty brigade will point to a meagre haul of 7 points out of a possible 21, and then do more pointing when they point out that Manchester City currently sit a hefty 14 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea.

There's a whole lot of pointing going on, and much of it is in the general direction of Mark Hughes, because, on the subject of bucks, the most significant one stops uncomfortably close to him.

It's been proven in the past that great players don't always make a great team, and Hughes was keen to point out (more pointing) at the beginning of the season that he would need time to get the squad to gel.

Fair enough, some would say, but a squad boasting the expensive talents of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy, Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor et al, even if it doesn't have its collective act together, should be good enough to win home games against the likes of Fulham, Burnley and Hull - with every respect to all three of those clubs.

When Burnley rocked up at Eastlands on 7 November, they had lost all 5 of their previous away league games, and conceded 17 goals in the process, and yet somehow managed to come away from the city of Manchester Stadium with a 3-3 draw. It was a match that should have had 'home win' written all over it.

It owed as much to Manchester City's failings as it did to Burnley's tenacity and determination.

Mark Hughes is going to have to start pulling out some results in the next few weeks, or the pressure on him and his charges will become unbearable, and not everyone can be guaranteed to respond well.

They will be buoyed, no doubt, by the Carling Cup quarter-final win over Arsenal on Wednesday night that takes them a step closer to a first Wembley Cup Final in 28 years, but to be brutally honest, they only beat an 'experimental' Gunners side, whose squad included Emmanuel Frimpong, Francis Coquelin, Craig Eastmond, Fran Merida and Sanchez Watt - all great names, but not yet great players.

Man City face a somewhat bigger test this weekend when they entertain Chelsea at Eastlands, where a draw, believe it or not, may not be a bad result.

Chelsea on Tuesday night in the Carling Cup proved that they are beatable, even if it did come down to a penalty shoot-out, but Blackburn were arguably the better team on the night, and were seconds away from winning it in extra time, the non-arbitrary way.

It may not have been a first choice Chelsea side, with a number of players being rested, but its vulnerability may have provided one or two encouraging signs for Mark Hughes to build on.

While Manchester City versus Chelsea is probably the most high profile tie of the weekend, there may be fun and frolics at the Emirates, as Tony Pulis and the physicality of his Stoke team attempt to get at Arsenal's reportedly soft underbelly.

West Ham United will be desperate to follow up only their second home win of the season last weekend, with another one on Saturday, but will face a Manchester United side that probably feels as though it's got out of third gear and is beginning to develop some genuine momentum.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be as keen as mustard to close the gap on Chelsea to just 2 points, and then hope that their city rivals can do them a favour against the Blues later in the day.

The clamour for video technology in football has reached fever pitch, after yet another perceived injustice was perpetrated on Sunday in the Barclays Premier League.

Paul Scharner quite clearly used his arm to control the ball in the 57^th minute of the game between Tottenham and Wigan, and it led to a goal.

Everyone at White Hart Lane, and millions of television viewers saw the incident - the only exceptions appearing to be the referee and his assistant, whose job it is to notice these things.

Clearly, the incident changed the complexion of the game - as did Thierry Henry's 'Hand of Gaul', in France's World Cup qualifying play-off against Ireland - and Spurs supporters, rightfully up in arms (excuse the pun), are justified in their demands to have the game replayed.

OK, the game ended up 9-1 in Tottenham's favour, but just imagine what the score could have been had Scharner not scored at such a strategically important moment. These things should not be allowed to happen in football anymore. We have the technology; it's time to use it.

Seriousness aside, it would be difficult to start this piece without making mention of Tottenham's extraordinary performance on Sunday.

8 second half goals against Wigan (5 of them steered in by Jermain Defoe) contributed to an astonishing score line for this day and age in England's top flight, and make for a nice little addition to Tottenham's resume in their application to break into the top four.

Wigan's defending at times was, admittedly, atrocious, but the goals still have to be scored, and with Aaron Lennon putting on as good a display of wing play as we have seen in many moons, and Defoe at his clinical best - gorging himself on the fruits of Wigan's ineptitude - it's a surprise that Tottenham didn't score more.

For those naysayers who suggest that Tottenham merely beat a poor team, perhaps it's worth mentioning that this same Wigan side is one of only two to inflict defeat on Chelsea this season...in the whole of Europe.

If Wigan rolled over and could barely muster a death throe, Spurs will not be expecting the same when they travel to Birmingham this weekend to face an Aston Villa side that has top 4 pretensions of its own.

I think it's fair to say that Fabio Capello could well make his way into the stands for this one, keeping a close pair of eyes on some young English talent that could well feature in his squad for the World Cup next year.

Where better than Villa Park for the late kick-off on Saturday to assess the form and the potential of Defoe, Lennon, James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young?

If eyes will be trained on central England come Saturday, there's little doubt where the focus of attention will be on Sunday.

The first Merseyside derby of the season takes place at Goodison Park with Liverpool having to bounce back from UEFA Champions League elimination, and Everton having to recover from a midweek defeat at the hands of Hull City.

Everton have almost as many players on the treatment table as they can persuade to don their football kit, and they currently find themselves a mere 4 points off the relegation places.

For the first time in a long while David Moyes' position is under some threat, while the pressure on Rafa Benitez has reached a level that only the truly confident or totally misguided could withstand.

It may not be pretty on Sunday. It will be intense.

Arguably though, the game of the weekend will take place at The Emirates Stadium, as Chelsea make the short trip across London to face Arsenal.

There appears to be no beating the Gunners this season, when they're in the mood, while Chelsea are showing signs of invincibility irrespective of their disposition.

8 points currently separate the two teams, but Arsenal have a game in hand. Should Arsene Wenger's men manage to fashion a win on Sunday, and win their extra game, they could move to within 2 points of the league leaders, and put paid to suggestions that they are not genuine contenders this season.

On the other hand, were Chelsea to inflict on Arsenal their first home defeat of the season, there's little doubt that Carlo Ancelotti's men will be installed as even firmer favourites to take the title.

Chelsea Football club would have enjoyed the last two weeks.

The team has had a fortnight to contemplate being top of the Barclays Premier League, having opened up a 5 point gap on their closest rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

Having been installed as firm favourites to wrest United's title from their grasp, they have established themselves as the team to beat this season, and notwithstanding reverses on the road at Aston Villa and Wigan, have looked mightily difficult to beat.

While some pundits suggest that they may suffer in the New Year when they lose key players to the African Cup of Nations, the fact that the Court of Arbitration for Sport has suspended their transfer ban - thereby enabling them to have a splurge in the sales - could mitigate that potentially negative effect.

There are even those who maintain that Chelsea's current squad has sufficient strength in depth, and can withstand the losses of Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou (whose international status remains in some doubt after a training ground 'altercation'), John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba.

Essien and Drogba will certainly be missed, and Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to put as many points on the board between now and the end of the calendar year as possible, and he'll be looking at Saturday's home tie with Wolves as an excellent opportunity to grab 3 of them.

Wolves haven't travelled well this season, and with only one win and a draw away from Molineux, currently find themselves one off the bottom of the table and in a little bit of trouble.

Their problems lie at the back, and with 22 goals already conceded this campaign, Drogba (fresh) and Anelka (on a high after helping France scrape through to the World Cup Finals) will be licking their lips in anticipation.

A win, as expected, for Chelsea, and they'll open up a gap of 8 points on Manchester United, who entertain Everton in Saturday's late game.

Such are David Moyes' injury woes right now, that his biggest week-in week-out challenge seems to be finding enough able-bodied souls to get kitted up.

Arteta, Osman, Anichebe, Jagielka, Neville P, Vaughan, Pienaar and Jo, will all probably still be unavailable at the weekend, and 6 of those 8 would almost certainly feature in Moyes' starting line-up.

While the Toffees' performances have been admirable in light of their decimated squad, they could find life hard at Old Trafford, facing a United side that needs to win, and win convincingly.

Many pundits suggest that Manchester United have conspicuously failed, so far, to hit the heights of last season, and have been eking out results rather than striding imperiously to them.

Sir Alex Ferguson and his men have a point to prove this weekend on the resumption of league hostilities, and it's vital that they manage to allay concerns about their aptitude (in the case of some players) and attitude (in the case of others) - they know who they are, and so do you.

Robin Van Persie and Kieran Gibbs have been added to Arsene Wenger's ever-lengthening injury list at Arsenal, to join the likes of Walcott, Bendtner, Vela, Djourou, Clichy and Denilson, and questions will continue to be asked about the depth of the squad as well as the inherent problems that its youthfulness throws up.

The Gunners must endure the long trip to the North East of England to face a Sunderland side wondering what hit them at White Hart Lane a couple of weeks ago. After their performance, they would have been disappointed to come away with just a single point. In the event, they came away with nothing.

The tie of the weekend? It has to be the early kick-off on Saturday at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester City.

It's 7^th versus 6^th, the two sides separated by a single point, and apparently misfiring on all cylinders.

Liverpool have won just once in their last 9 games in all competitions, and have lost 3 of their last 5 league encounters.

Manchester City have drawn their last 5 league games, which could be viewed as 5 points gained, if you're someone who views a glass as 'half full', or 10 points dropped, if you are of the more negative persuasion.

Incidentally, those 10 'dropped' points would have put Mark Hughes' men level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table, and while there's no doubting the amount of pressure Rafa Benitez is under right now, the City boss may also be having his fair share of sleepless nights.

Manchester City's owners are not getting a whole load of bang for their bucks at this moment in time. And speaking of 'bucks', we all know where they stop.

The international break is over, and I offer my congratulations to all 32 nations that have secured their places in next year's World Cup Finals - although in some cases I may need a translator.

For now though, as far as the Barclays Premier League is concerned, it's back to business.

While nothing will be decided this weekend as far as the ultimate destiny of the Barclays Premier League title is concerned, some questions may well be answered.

Chelsea host Manchester United on Sunday in an archetypal Clash of the Titans - an encounter never for the faint of heart or for those of nervous dispositions. United were put to the sword at Anfield less than a fortnight ago, in a match (and a performance) that did more than cast a shadow over their title credentials.

Sir Alex Ferguson has declared that although it's always a tough assignment going to Stamford Bridge, "we'll deal with it better than we did at Anfield", and United fans will be hoping that his confidence isn't misplaced.

The fact of the matter is that Manchester United have failed to look convincing on far too many occasions this season, and while many pundits will point to the palpable absences of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, a club of United's stature and calibre should always have sufficient strength in depth to compensate and cope.

For the first time in quite a few years, this aspect of Manchester United's personnel list may be in question.

With Nemanja Vidic not fully fit and looking somewhat jittery, and Rio Ferdinand also prone to injury and looking far from his best, United have become vulnerable at the back - 3 goals conceded against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League in a near shambolic display was uncharacteristic, to say the least. Jonny Evans is still far from the 'finished article', and Wes Brown is looking almost as rusty as his occasional coiffure.

Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will be licking their lips in anticipation of getting at the United back four, and the 'diamond' formation that Carlo Ancelotti is currently deploying in midfield is proving mightily effective.

Although we're not even a third of the way through the season, a win for Chelsea at the fortress that Stamford Bridge has once again become, will put them 5 points clear of Manchester United. While that wouldn't be a disaster for United, it's clear that Sir Alex Ferguson has identified The Blues as their most significant title challengers this season and all eyes this weekend will be on Sunday's heavyweight battle.

While Chelsea can't possibly deliver the knockout blow on this occasion, they're more than capable of inflicting serious damage both on Manchester United's confidence, and their chances of retaining their coveted Premier League crown.  

Tottenham Hotspur finished bottom of the English First Division in 1915.

That's why there has always been such a bitter rivalry between them and their North London counterparts Arsenal.

There's nothing like a slice of simplistic history to get the imagination working, is there?

I feel that there may be a need to put some flesh around the historic bone mentioned above, and so I will add that as there was no football played during 'The Great War' (the 'war to end all wars", but I don't want to get into that...) when normal playing service was resumed in 1919, Tottenham were relegated to the Second Division, and Arsenal were promoted to the First.

Two unusual facts come to the fore at this point. Although Spurs finished bottom of the league, and Chelsea finished one off the bottom, Chelsea were NOT relegated, and maintained their top flight status.

This was because it was revealed that a match during the 1914-15 season between Liverpool and Manchester United (would you believe?) had been 'fixed', and the result had ultimately decided Chelsea's fate.

Chelsea were, therefore, allowed to retain their First Division status.

Arsenal meanwhile, had finished 6^th (according to the official table of the time) in the Second Division (they were subsequently pushed up to 5^th after an accounting inaccuracy pertaining to their goal difference was unearthed - life must have been so quaint in those days) and yet still managed to get themselves promoted.

How did this happen? It depends on who, or what, you want to believe.

Arsenal supporters (who know their history) will maintain that their club's officials of the day lobbied hard and were 'elected' fairly. I know it's hard to believe that teams could be elected to promotion, but as I mentioned, life was different then.

Spurs fans (who also know their history) will point to the possibility of corruption and widespread bribery - money changing hands all over the place to secure Arsenal's elevation, even at the expense (excuse the pun) of Wolves and Barnsley who finished above them in the table.

Effectively, Arsenal took Tottenham's place in English football's top flight, and as many people will know, they have not relinquished it since. Add this to the fact that before World War I, Arsenal had moved from Woolwich (in the South of London) to Islington (in the North, and perilously close to Tottenham's spiritual home) and the rivalry, that often breaks into unfettered hatred between the two clubs, can almost be explained.

Here endeth the history lesson, I do hope it's been interesting.

Students of recent history will point to Arsenal's dominance over Spurs in recent seasons and the fact that since Tottenham's last league title in 1961, Arsenal have claimed 6 crowns, including 3 Premiership triumphs under Arsene Wenger.

Indeed, Spurs can point to a win in last season's Carling Cup as the only time they have got the better of the Gunners in the last 24 matches in all competitions. Tottenham fans have to cast their minds way back to the 7^th of November 1999 for the last time their modern day nemeses in a league game.

It's a record that Harry Redknapp and his current crop of hot and cold blowing Spurs would dearly love to break into small pieces, and they have the opportunity to do so this Saturday.

Arsenal versus Tottenham kicks off the Barclays Premier League weekend, and it's a fixture that rarely fails to entertain and enthral. Last season's corresponding tie ended in a 4-4 draw - easily one of the games of the year - Spurs 4-2 down with only a minute remaining on the clock.

Arsenal though, as ever under Arsene Wenger, are playing the kind of football for which superlatives were created and then discarded for failing to do justice. On their day, they are irresistible, while Harry Redknapp must know that the biggest obstacle he and his side have to overcome is a psychological one.

Spurs don't expect to beat Arsenal these days, and if they emerge from either the Emirates or White Hart Lane with a point (proven or otherwise), it's considered to be a job well done.

If Tottenham are to assert themselves as serious contenders when it comes to breaking the established Premier League quadropoly, these are matches that they must embrace and not fear. It will be a severe and exacting test of character.

At the beginning of the season, almost everyone wrote off Arsenal's title challenge. The young squad has been branded, variously, as either too inexperienced, or not steely enough (never 'lacking in quality', significantly). Wenger needs to deliver some silverware to the short-suffering fans, while defeat at the hands of their North London rivals this weekend is unthinkable.

My thanks go to Bob Dylan for supplying the title to this week's piece. And I don't even know whether he likes football or not. H did write 'Blowing in the Wind', so presumably he does have some empathy for referees. I digress.

The last time Liverpool lost 4 games in a row, the year was 1987; Kenny Dalglish was the manager; and the Anfield club boasted the prolific goal scoring talents of Ian Rush.

There were grumblings on Merseyside, but that's about all. Fans weren't calling for the head of the manager, demanding it on a sacrificial silver platter - the ultimate punishment for perceived failure and the ignominy to which supporters of the club had been subjected.

Sure, it was disappointing. Of the 4 defeats, one had come at White Hart Lane against the perennial underachievers of Tottenham Hotspur, and one had come in the final of the League Cup against Arsenal, when Ian Rush's record of never being on the losing side when scoring for Liverpool was finally broken after 7 impressive years. The other two league defeats came at the hands of Norwich and Wimbledon, so perhaps it's surprising that there wasn't more of a clamour for Dalglish's ouster.

The Liverpool faithful at the time had been brought up on a diet of football played by teams created by Bill Shankly and his successor Bob Paisley. 4 defeats on the bounce was almost unthinkable for the supporters of a cub that take its football very seriously indeed. Was Dalglish pilloried in the press? Was he accused of being tactically inept? Did the club's Board summon him to a meeting to deliver an ultimatum or, even worse, the universally dreaded and doom-harbinging 'vote of confidence'?

The answer to all the questions above is almost certainly, 'no', although I'm sure passing words were exchanged in Anfield corridors.

1986-7 wasn't a successful season for the club, who finished 2nd in the league behind city rivals Everton, and failed to pick up any silverware for only the second time since 1975. To make matters worse, the talismanic Ian Rush left for Juventus in the summer.

The rest, as they say, is history. Liverpool went on to win the league title the following season and then again in 1990 - their most recent success.

The history lesson is over; I recount by way of illustration. 22 years later Liverpool have again lost 4 games in a row, and Rafa Benitez couldn't be under more pressure if he was scuba diving with enriched air nitrox, possibly around the 'wreck' that some pundits are referring to as the current state of his managerial career.

How times have changed.

While no one would fully exonerate Benitez for his part in Liverpool's poor form of late, most rational people will aver that it can't come solely down to the manager. If players don't perform on the pitch, there is often little that a coach can do, and by their own admission, key personnel have not been cutting the mustard.

There is, of course, a chance for a degree of redemption this weekend as Liverpool host table-topping and pace-setting Manchester United at Anfield.

It is, arguably, the most important game in the club's season, and also, possibly, in Benitez' tenure on Merseyside.

The result, I will suggest somewhat contentiously, is not as important as the performance. While Liverpool will not want to get the statisticians and historians scratching their heads to discover when the club last lost 5 in a row, the form on Sunday will be just as important as the substance. Even by Rafa's own admission; the major task ahead of him is one of restoring confidence.

Liverpool 'doubled' Manchester United last season, winning 2-1 at Anfield and then humiliating the Red Devils at Old Trafford in a 4-1 win that very nearly qualified as a 'rout'.

The latter win was against the odds, nothing if not surprising, and very nearly propelled the Anfield club towards the title.

Unfortunately, at that stage of last season, the damage had already been done, with Liverpool having dropped far too many points at home, drawing matches against the likes of Stoke, Hull, Fulham and West Ham, that they really should have won.

Perhaps I should mention, at this point, that against the opponents mentioned above, Manchester United won all 4 games on home soil, scoring 14 goals in the process, and conceding only 3 (all against Hull, incidentally).

Clashes between Liverpool and Manchester United are always significant and to be savoured. Sunday's meeting though, has a razor-sharp edge, with a great deal more than a mere 3 points on the line.

The international break can be a nuisance.

If a team wins their league match prior to the weekend off, momentum can be lost in the time it takes to say 'World Cup qualifiers', while the teams that tasted the bitterness of defeat, have a couple of weeks to ponder their shortcomings and contemplate the implications of continued failure.

Portsmouth, I would suggest, would love to have played last weekend.

Coming off 7 straight defeats to open their league campaign, Pompey worked their socks off and played with considerable verve and spirit to come away from Wolverhampton with a 1-0 win. It was their first win of the season, and working on the adage that you're only as good as your last performance, you could say that they were on a roll.

Paul Hart and his newly re-financed team would have been anxious to get back on to the field as soon as possible, and prove what many pundits have already maintained this season; that Portsmouth are too good to be anchored to the bottom of the table.

Their home clash with Tottenham on Saturday is full of sub texts, with Harry Redknapp bringing his latest club to play against a club that he has managed twice (and provided some silverware for) and a bunch of former Spurs players playing for Pompey, and vice versa. It should be an entertaining affair, for a variety of reasons.

If Portsmouth are anxious to build on their first win of the season, West Ham United will have had two weeks to think about the fact that they haven't won a league game since opening day.

Gianfranco Zola's men have picked up a measly 2 points in their last 7 games, and find themselves one off the bottom of the current standings.

West Ham visit Stoke on Saturday, and will know exactly what to expect from a side that tends to punch above its weight on home soil. On current form, the Hammers may not be expecting to come away with much.

Managers of the current Big Four in English football hate the internationals breaks, no matter what they may say for the benefit of the media.

The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal boast a cornucopia of international players, some of whom who tend to get injured on international duty.

The absence of key players, even at this early stage of the season, can be crucial for title hopes, and while all the squads will have a certain amount of strength in depth, for the possible ramifications, just imagine Man Utd without Wayne Rooney; Chelsea without Lampard and Drogba; Arsenal without Fabregas; or Liverpool without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

Interestingly, of the Big Four managers, only Carlo Ancelotti represented his country as a player, so while Rafa, Sir Alex and Arsene will, I'm sure, gush over the achievements of their coterie of international stars, they'll be indifferent to the results as long as said players return with all their limbs in tact and in full working order.

Manchester United host Bolton on Saturday, and will be mindful of what happened at Old Trafford last time out, when they were seconds away from defeat against Sunderland.

If prizes were handed out for 'progress', as they were when I went to school, Bolton would have bagged it over the last month, picking up 8 points from a possible 12. They've secured a couple of away wins, and two draws on home soil, with Gary Megson appearing to have gone 'back to basics' to a certain extent, deploying the game plan that has made the Trotters so difficult to beat in the past.

Manchester United will not relish encountering a Bolton side bursting with physicality and with a degree of confidence now under their collective belts.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool face difficult ties this weekend, with The Blues travelling to Villa Park, and The Reds going up to the Northeast to face the same Sunderland outfit that gave Manchester United such a tough time a fortnight ago.

It's already turning into something of a strange season for Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa. They went on a four game winning streak after an opening day home defeat, but have picked up just a point from their last two league games. It's a phrase that football pundits are fond of, but it's true to say that you never quite know what you're going to get from the Villans these days.

Steve Bruce seems to have Sunderland fired up at the moment, and I'm sure no one will call his motivational skills into question in terms of keeping his lads focused over the last two weeks.

They came close, so close, to fulfilling their dreams and beating Manchester United, and may well fancy their chances at having a crack at Liverpool on Saturday. The Stadium of Light will be the venue, and Rafa will certainly not be taking this game lightly.

While we all love international football, and clearly there is no greater honour for a player than to represent his country, it's good to be back with the Barclays Premier League, for what promises to be another enthralling weekend of top quality action. Game on.

Sunday's key Barclays Premier League clash between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge is a perfect opportunity for revenge.

The problem is, it's hard to see who will be taking it, and who will be on the receiving end. Not simply in terms of the result, that could give us some indication as to the title credentials, genuine and otherwise, of both sides, but also with respect to which club seems to have suffered the most in recent history.

I'll keep score for you.

Chelsea have failed to beat Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League since 2006, September the 17^th, to be precise. Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1.

They say you're only as good as your last performance, in which case there's nothing to choose between the two, after the sides played out a dramatic 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) on the 14^th of April 2009. Still Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1.

That match was the second leg of the quarter-final tie in last season's competition - Chelsea wet up to Anfield 6 days before, and emerged with a 3-1 win, despite going down to a 6^th minute Fernando Torres goal. Branislav Ivanovic, that world renowned goal scoring machine, scored a brace, and Didier Drogba completed the scoring to make the Reds blush. Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1.

The two clubs have met in the UCL 5 times in the last 5 seasons, and in the 2007-8 version, Chelsea eliminated Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1.

In 2005 and 2007, they met in the semi-finals of the competition, and Liverpool progressed on both occasions. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 2.

Last season in the Barclays Premier League, Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield on the 1^st of February 2009, with two very late goals coming from Fernando Torres. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3.

In the reverse fixture played in October 2008, Liverpool went to Stamford Bridge and came away with a 1-0 win - Xabi Alonso's wickedly deflected shot of Jose Bosingwa proving to be the only goal of a pretty drab match in which it was clear that the result was everything, the manner, unimportant. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 4.

That match ended Chelsea's unprecedented run of 86 league games at The Bridge without defeat - a series of results that stretched back to February 2004, and defied logic as much as belief. Chelsea 2 Liverpool 5.

Liverpool lost in the UCL midweek against Fiorentina, in a match for which, by their own admission, they simply 'didn't turn up'. Chelsea played poorly in Cyprus against APOEL and came away with a 1-0 win. Chelsea 3 Liverpool 5.

Liverpool finished 3 points ahead of Chelsea in last season's BPL standings. Chelsea 3 Liverpool 6.

Liverpool put 6 past Hull City last weekend in a league game, with a hat-trick from Fernando Torres, and are certainly looking a potent threat in front of goal. Chelsea lost to Wigan, their first defeat of the season, and their first reverse under Carlo Ancelotti in all competitions. Chelsea 3 Liverpool 7.

Liverpool have conceded 9 out of their 10 league goals so far this season from set pieces. Chelsea - with Terry, Carvalho, Drogba, Anelka, Lampard, and Ballack - always fancy their chances to score from corners and free-kicks. Chelsea 4 Liverpool 7.

Chelsea will be at home. Chelsea 5 Liverpool 7.

Chelsea have Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, Liverpool have Rafa Benitez. Chelsea 7 Liverpool 7.

I know, it probably seems as though I'm trying to even things up, and I'm equally probably being harsh on Rafa, but it reflects the fact that there is little to choose between the two sides. To quote a hoary old football cliché, it'll come down to who wants it most on the day.

What I want most on the day, is to be at Stamford Bridge.

I'm going to start today's column with quote from an entirely different sport...cricket.

"People talk about momentum in one-day cricket, and we're on a roll now!"

It came from England cricketer Graeme Swann, after his side had finally beaten Australia in a one day international, having lost the previous 6 matches.

His tongue was, of course, very firmly in his cheek, but it reflects the mantra that you are only as good as your last performance, and if that last performance is sound enough, the platform may be sufficiently solid to move on to bigger and better things.

Swann and his teammates will be hoping so, as his side do battle in South Africa, in pursuit of the ICC Champions Trophy.

It's certainly what the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Stoke City will be hoping ahead of this weekend's ties in the Barclays Premier League.

Clearly identified as three of the teams who would be struggling against relegation this season, all three of them have made better fists of things than most pundits would have expected, and they currently occupy 3 of the 4 spots in the table from 9^th to 12^th.

As the saying goes, had you offered them that at the beginning of the season, they would have bitten your hand off, and possible gnawed the remainder of your forearm up to the elbow.

Notwithstanding defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the Carling Cup in midweek, Wolves have started the season brightly, winning last weekend against Fulham, and picking up 7 points from their opening 6 games.

The performance against Fulham was as dogged and committed as it needed to be, and maintaining that level of controlled aggression will be at the core of everything Wolves do for the remainder of the season. They stopped Fulham playing, and they'll need to do the same against Sunderland on Sunday.

Burnley seemed to have been everyone's favourites for the drop come May 2010, and when handed a series of fixtures that saw them tackle 4 out of last season's top 5 in their opening 5 games, it would have been forgivable to fear the worst.

Somehow though, Owen Coyle's men have picked up an impressive 9 points so far, all from victories on home soil, but not to be diminished for that. Wins against Manchester United and Everton have delighted the Turf Moor faithful who have clearly targeted home form as the means to their survival this campaign.

Burnley will be aware though, of the fact that they are yet to score on their travels this season, and will probably not be expecting much when they travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday. Tottenham will be desperate to reassert their credentials after back-to-back losses at the hands of Manchester United and Chelsea.

With Stoke City, we've come to know what to expect. 35 out of their 45 points accrued last season were garnered at the Britannia Stadium, and that pattern seems set to continue.

They have a tough assignment this weekend, as Sir Alex Ferguson and his men pay a visit.

The Red Devils' notoriously slow start to a season has not been quite as protracted as usual. Defeat against Burnley was a shock, but subsequent to that United have won 6 out of 6 in all competitions, including league wins over Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City - 3 clubs currently in the BPL's top 7.

The big question though remains. Can anyone this season, stop Chelsea?

8 wins from 8 matches in all competitions - Carlo Ancelotti is off to a dream start in his Chelsea managerial career, and they have been nigh on devastating to date. Not necessarily in the style of their victories, but certainly in terms of their self-belief, commitment, and singularity of purpose.

Wigan have already lost twice at home this season, and few would bet against a third reverse on Saturday as Chelsea, bolstered no doubt, by the availability of Joe Cole and Yuri Zhirkov, pay a visit to the DW.

Chelsea may not be able to sign any players for the foreseeable future, but the way things are going, that will be the least of what few worries they have.

In terms of momentum, it's Chelsea right now who appear to be the irresistible force.

Reality bit for Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday, while the Manchester City fantasy football bandwagon rolled merrily on.

This is a rough overview of the last round of fixtures in the Barclays Premier League that was dubbed 'The Pretenders' weekend, reflecting a possible new order in the English football world, and the potential for two clubs to break into the top four.

After 4 straight wins to start the season (Tottenham's best start to a campaign since 1960) questions were asked at White Hart Lane, as Manchester United paid a visit, and the answers were not forthcoming.

In the unfolding drama, Spurs fluffed their lines in a play that had a bright beginning (Jermain Defoe's opening goal on 50 seconds) one or two twists and turns (Paul Scholes was sent off, harshly, on the hour mark) and ultimately ended in disappointment. To spin out the analogy; the audience applauded at the end, but it wasn't through any sense of satisfaction or resolution.

Harry Redknapp's men looked distinctly second best, even - let's be honest here, especially - after United had been reduced to 10 men.

It was as if Tottenham were pretending to be pretenders, and after 90 minutes of pulsating football, the pretence was looking slightly on the darker side of unconvincing.

Manchester City on the other hand had rehearsed their part well, and put on a pretty decent performance in front of an increasingly fervent and expectant home crowd.

While Emmanuel Adebayor gets the accolade of 'Dipstick of the Week', for his malice, brilliance and stupidity - in that order, following his assault on Robin Van Persie, his goal, and his subsequent 'celebration' - there can be no disputing the quality of Man City's display against Arsenal.

This Manchester City side has been assembled at considerable cost, but in the form/substance debate, Mark Hughes' men are beginning to answer the questions posed by their doubters and critics. To mix up terms, and possibly obfuscate issues, their form is indisputable - 4 wins out of 4 - and their substance appears to be genuine.

Tottenham have a chance for redemption on Sunday when they travel to Stamford Bridge in what, on current form (there's that word again) appears to be the toughest assignment for any team this season.

Chelsea left it very late against Stoke City last time out, but still managed to return from the Britannia Stadium with all the points. This is a measure of the team that Carlo Ancelotti has inherited, for the most part, and developed to the extent that, once again, they go into every game expecting to win.

Tottenham's record against The Blues, particularly at Stamford Bridge, makes for grim reading. They are yet to take all the spoils away from that particular part of West London in the history of the Premier League.

Manchester United sewed the seeds of doubt last weekend. Few would expect Chelsea not to harvest the crop on Sunday.

As luck would have it, the first of the Manchester derbies comes early this campaign, and it presents a perfect opportunity for City to further establish their credentials as Big Four party poopers.

They'll face a Manchester United side on a high after wins against Spurs in the BPL, and Besiktas in the UEFA Champions League.

Notwithstanding Wayne Rooney's mild attack of petulance at being substituted in Turkey, it was a professional, effective, if unspectacular 'job done' by the Red Devils, proving that as far as Sir Alex Ferguson is concerned, when it comes to 'winning ugly', adjectives don't matter.

All eyes will be on Old Trafford this weekend to see just how far Manchester City have come in their bid to break into the elite's elite, while Tottenham will need to get something from Stamford Bridge to keep the 'Redknapp Revolution' on track, without losing too many more heads.

Sunday should be super.

"A centre-back, a centre-back, my kingdom for a centre-back."

With apologies to William Shakespeare, extended perhaps to Richard III, these could well be the words of Harry Redknapp ahead of this weekend's Barclays Premier League encounter with Manchester United.

They may even be echoed by his managerial counterpart in Saturday's fixture at White Hart Lane, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Tottenham host Manchester United after a perfect start to the season for the North London club. 'Perfect' in terms of their 4 wins from 4 games; far from perfect in terms of the manner of those victories, culminating in the latest possible winner against Birmingham City last time out.

The international break has given Spurs players the opportunity to get injured, and Sebastien Bassong seems to have ascribed to the prevailing ethos - joining Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson and Ledley King on the treatment table - and being highly doubtful for Saturday's big game.

It leaves Harry with one player who sometimes plays at centre-back (Vedran Corluka) and another player who can, but seldom does (Tom Huddlestone).

Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov may well be licking their lips in anticipation at the prospect of going down the channels against those two, with Berba in particular, keen to thumb his nose at this former club, from whose fans he will not be receiving many Christmas cards - this or any other year.

If Spurs versus Man Utd is the pick of the ties this weekend in terms of the teams' respective league positions - it is, after all, 2nd against 3rd - the most intriguing clash could well take place at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Mark Hughes' men have won their opening three league games, and although not entirely convincing in any of them, have displayed enough quality to suggest that, given time, the group of superstars could gel into a decent outfit, capable of threatening the Big Four monopoly.

Arsenal have had a couple of weeks to think about their first defeat of the season against Manchester United - a match in which they were the architects of their own demise. The grit and determination that Arsene Wenger assures us has been instilled in his side will have to come to the fore at an Eastlands arena that Manchester City will have every intention of turning into the archetypal 'fortress'.

If Arsenal are looking like the most likely member of the elite four to lose their membership to the club (as most pundits have suggested) then Manchester City will be only too happy to get their application in. It will be interesting to see if Saturday's match serves as a precursor to a possible change in the seemingly immutable order of things in the BPL.

Stoke City, sitting proudly in 5^th spot, with two wins already to their name this season, may have to face a reality check this weekend, as a rampant Chelsea side visits the Britannia Stadium.

The Blues under Carlo Ancelotti have started the season with a 100% record, and that hasn't looked under threat in the 6 hours of football they've played to date. Stoke are unlikely to present any surprises; Chelsea may be eyeing their goal difference.

Liverpool have contrived to lose as many games in their opening four fixtures as they suffered in the whole of last season.

Although it's a grim statistic, it's not the unmitigated disaster many are trying to turn it into.

Liverpool's title challenge ultimately failed last season because they drew too many games. As long as they don't repeat that pattern (particularly at Anfield) they could still be there or thereabouts come the campaign's denouement. It's essential though, for morale as much as points, that they put Burnley to the sword on Merseyside come Saturday.

If a week is a long time in politics, then two weeks is interminable when it comes to getting our much needed Barclays Premier League fix. It's good to be back, and it's Game On.

Is it too early in the season for Manchester United to be taking on Arsenal?

For Sir Alex Ferguson, possibly; for Arsene Wenger, possibly not; but then again, it depends which way you look at it.

Manchester United were far from convincing in their opening two league games, eking out a narrow win at home against Birmingham City, and then falling to newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor.

Wigan felt the backlash at the DW Stadium last weekend, coming out on the wrong end of 5-0 score line, as Fergie's men reasserted their title credentials in undeniable style.

Notwithstanding the controversy of Arsenal's opening goal in the UEFA Champions League playoff on Wednesday night, they were far too good for Celtic, as indeed they have been for Everton and Portsmouth in their two Barclays Premier League wins so far.

Incidentally, while the stats point to an impressive tally of 10 league goals in 2 games, it's worth noting that only one of them has been scored by a 'striker'.

Saturday's clash at Old Trafford, the first Big Four encounter of the season, will be an excellent test of Arsenal's progress, and a thorough examination of Arsene Wenger's new and improved 'fluid' 4-3-3 formation, and his 'defending from the front' philosophy.

Neither Everton, Portsmouth nor Celtic could cope with it, but Manchester United, away from home, could prove to be a different prospect. Does Wenger have a Plan B? Will he need one?

Interestingly, and perhaps significantly, Manchester United took just 7 points from the 6 games played last season against fellow members of the Fab Four. Liverpool topped that particular mini league table with an impressive 4 wins and 2 draws, but were unable to match United's clinical, almost serial demolitions of the clubs beneath them.

Arsenal have played some stunning football already this season, in mockery of the pundits who have written them off and dismissed their chances of being genuine title contenders. A win for the Gunners at Old Trafford will set tongues a-wagging, and invite plenty of debate over the international break.

Tottenham Hotspur will have every expectation of remaining on top of the pile after this weekend. They host Birmingham at White Hart Lane following a superb start to the season that has seen them win all 3 league games, and secure their place in the 3^rd round of the Carling Cup with a comfortable midweek win at Doncaster Rovers.

Who knows; perhaps Harry Redknapp will start to admit that his side may not be relegation prospects this season, but severe tests await his men, with Manchester United at home, and Chelsea away following hard upon next weekend's recess.

Despite this early stage, I think it would be fair to say that Liverpool's visit to Bolton on Saturday is a massive game for the club.

Liverpool lost 2 games in the whole of last season, and they've already achieved that dubious honour after a mere 3 games of the current campaign. Nothing less than a convincing and stylish win at the Reebok on Saturday will be enough to keep their detractors at bay for a couple of weeks, with most media knives already out, sharpened, and pointing to the palpable absence of Xabi Alonso and the apparent over-reliance on the performances of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

While most pundits seem to have tipped Burnley to make a precipitous return to English football's second tier, Owen Coyle's men have gone quietly about the business of picking up 6 points from their opening 3 games.

For them to face Manchester United and Chelsea in the first 4 Premier League encounters in the club's history seems like a cruel twist of fate, but they've beaten United already, and if they can get anything from the early kick-off at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, they'll have every reason to believe that they can make a decent fist of it in the top flight.

There are fascinating tussles everywhere you look in the Barclays Premier League this weekend. And there's a bit of added spice provided by the upcoming international break.

They say that you're only as good as your last performance, and as such, every team will have two weeks to look back and contemplate what they may see themselves capable of achieving this season.

Tottenham are top of the league; champions Manchester United lose to newly-promoted Burnley; Everton go down 6-1 at home. Has the world gone mad?

Accepted, these are early days. It's going to be a long, hard season and one swallow doesn't make a summer, but there's a distinctly different feel to this season in the Barclays Premier League and for the neutrals, that may not be a bad thing. If there is such a thing as a 'neutral'.

Spurs have begun 2009/10 in inverse proportion to how they started the last campaign, in which they claimed a mere two points from their opening eight games.

It's way too early to be talking about championship contention, but there is a confidence and swagger to this Spurs side - as demonstrated in abundance in Wednesday night's clash against Hull - that suggests that Harry Redknapp's men may give quite a few teams a run for their money this season. An opening day Big Four scalp (and a deserved one at that) followed by a 5-1 demolition of Hull, indicates that perhaps Tottenham have tightened up their perennially soft underbelly, and may be prepared for other teams to have a scratch as the campaign progresses.

A big test though will come this weekend, when they make the short trip to east London to face a West Ham side that claimed all 3 points against Wolves (away) last time out, and seem to be a team being moulded in Gianfranco Zola's own image. It should be an attractive game to watch, especially for the 'neutrals'.

Another derby takes place on Sunday as Chelsea, also 'perfect' after two games, stroll the short distance across west London to Craven Cottage. Carlo Ancelotti's men seem to have decided to give teams a head start this season, having gone down to Hull and Sunderland before rolling up their sleeves, knuckling down, and bagging all the points.

While Manchester United looked spectacularly underwhelming in their opening day win over Birmingham City, and couldn't seem to find the right high notes in Wednesday's defeat at Turf Moor, Chelsea have been clinically efficient.

I have to agree with Steve Bruce's description of them (after his side's defeat on Wednesday) as 'frightening', and if Ancelotti can bring Michael Ballack's performances up to expectations, and rejuvenate the career of Deco (even Andriy Shevchenko got some game time against Sunderland - remember him?) then the Blues will be a formidable force this season.

Manchester City face Wolves this Saturday in a match they would expect to win, especially after a promising and quietly efficient win at Blackburn last weekend.

Mark Hughes praised his team's 'fighting spirit' in that match, which is not a phrase you would normally associate with such an expensively assembled group of individuals. But it's a quality that will be required for the Citizens to deliver a little bang for their owners' buck.

Arsenal host Portsmouth at The Emirates this Saturday with confidence fuelled by their demolition of Everton last weekend, and an excellent UEFA Champions League performance in midweek - entering the cauldron that is Celtic Park, and coming away with a relatively comfortable 2-0 first leg win.

Their progression into the competition's group stage almost assured, they will expect to breeze past Paul Hart's side that has already lost twice this season, and must be looking forward to the remainder of this campaign with the enthusiasm of a turkey in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Wigan's home clash with Manchester United on Saturday should prove to be an entertaining affair, if for no other reason than the fact that the Latics, under Roberto Martinez, could be fun to watch.

An away win over Aston Villa, was promptly followed by a home loss to Wolves, so it's clear that we won't know what we're going to get from them until we've got it. Sir Alex Ferguson will be planning to execute a characteristically well organised backlash after the Burnley bumble.

I've said it before, and I'm very happy to say it again. Any team can win on any given day in the Barclays Premier League. It's an aspect that makes every weekend of fixtures so compelling.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger never said, 'It's good to be back.'

It's been a long, lonely summer, as the Everly Brothers once wrote (and sang).

For fans of the Barclays Premier League, the start of the new season cannot come quickly enough, and I'm delighted to be able to announce that it is upon us; it is nigh; it all kicks off this weekend.

Rather than look at some of the key fixtures this weekend in detail, I've decided to examine the comings and goings at the clubs, and assess the key summer signings (and departures).

Arsenal travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to face an Everton side that secured the permanent move of Jo from Manchester City and have otherwise been slothful in the transfer market.

The Brazilian impressed while on loan last season, and is a solid acquisition for the Toffees. David Moyes will be desperate to keep Louis Saha off the treatment table, and his understanding and rapport with Jo could determine whether Everton will be competing for Europe or languishing in mid-table.

As for Arsenal, they will have to learn to live without Emmanuel Adebayor (their main strike threat last season) and Kolo Toure (their defensive bedrock). Otherwise we're possibly going to be looking at another ‘transitional' season.

The Gunners have brought in Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax, presumably as a replacement for Toure. The 23 year old has big boots to fill.

Speaking of ‘life without', how are Aston Villa going to fare without their kingpin Gareth Barry? Villa's loss is Manchester City's gain, and while Martin O'Neill has secured the services of Stewart Downing and the promising Fabian Delph, Barry is going to be a big loss.

Aston Villa host Wigan on Saturday, and there are many pundits who fear for the Latics this season. Antonio Valencia (arguably their best player, but then who would argue?) and Lee Cattermole (unquestionably their best young player) have flown the coop for pastures new, and the inexperienced (at least at this level) Roberto Martinez has gathered up the managerial reins.

Wigan have brought in Jason Scotland who scored plenty of goals last season - in the Championship...for Swansea!

Of the newly-promoted sides Birmingham's key signing has been goalkeeper Joe Hart, on loan for the season. With the World Cup next year, Hart is probably in Fabio Capello's thinking for a place on the plane to South Africa, and he'll almost certainly have plenty of work to do, starting with a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Burnley's major signing has been Steven Fletcher from Hibernian, while Wolverhampton Wanderers will introduce the talents of Andrew Surman to the BPL and attempt to resurrect the career of Kevin Doyle.

I'm afraid that I can't get too excited about Blackburn's summer acquisitions, although it will be good to see Franco Di Santo (on loan from Chelsea) get some regular first team action.

Bolton too have been relatively quite in the market, although Sean Davis is a shrewd buy (especially on a ‘free') and Zat Knight will have yet another chance to prove that he has the Premiership ‘right stuff'.

For Fulham and Hull City, the summer has been more about keeping players than acquiring new ones.

Interestingly, both Roy Hodgson and Phil Brown have managed to retain the services of key players in the forms of Brede Hangeland and Michael Turner - both centre backs, both huge, and both vitally important to the success of their respective clubs.

Sunderland will have a potentially potent strike force this season. They've managed to keep Kenwyne Jones, and can now partner him alongside the likes of Darren Bent or Fraizer Campbell when they travel to Bolton this weekend, but the big question in many minds is, ‘how will Manchester United get on without the world's best player?'

Sir Alex Ferguson has been keen to point out that Antonio Valencia is a very different player to the Portuguese maestro, but that isn't going to stop people comparing them. Quite apart from anything else, Valencia doesn't have Ronaldo's goalscoring instincts - 68 goals in all competitions in the last two seasons will be an almost impossible act to follow. Will Michael Owen be the man to step up? Is that question rhetorical?

There's little doubt that many eyes will be on the light blue half of Manchester as the campaign commences. Manchester City have spent big, and expectations will be at fever pitch. With a slew or marquee signings, including Roque Santa Cruz, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure, Mark Hughes has the unenviable job of getting a host of superstars to gel immediately, although I can't help thinking that his best acquisition has been Carlos Tevez. The combative Argentinean will be hell bent on proving to United that they were foolish not to stump up the cash for his continued services, and may well rise up to bite he hand that used to feed him. Tevez's absence could well illustrate the influence he exerted on matches when wearing the red shirt.

The pick of the ties this weekend has to be Tottenham against Liverpool, although I'm equally attracted to Chelsea versus Hull (the game that starts the ball rolling, and that could witness the debut of Chelsea's big summer signing Yuri Zhirkov - as long as he recovers fro a knee injury).

Peter Crouch to start at White Hart Lane against a former club who deemed him surplus to requirements? Liverpool coping without the presence of Xabi Alonso?

Neither club has spent significantly in the summer, although Glen Johnson should enjoy life on Merseyside and Sebastien Bassong will prove to be a valuable squad member for Spurs. The big questions here will be; can Liverpool mount another title challenge? and, can Tottenham shuffle off the tag of perennial underachievers who promise so much and ultimately deliver so little?

And so it begins. With relish, and with delight, I say, ‘Game On'.

Guus Hiddink will bid a fond farewell to Chelsea football club after Saturday's FA Cup Final against Everton.

There can be little doubt that the imposing Dutchman has made a significant contribution to the club in his role as ‘interim' manager, and that almost everyone associated with Chelsea would dearly love to hang on to him.

He's been a breath of fresh air since taking over from Luiz Felipe Scolari - a man who, frankly, looked constantly confused and even out of his depth in the Barclays Premier League - which is a curious thing to say about a man who has guided his country to World Cup success.

With a no nonsense approach and a level of communication with the players that Scolari was clearly incapable of achieving, Hiddink got the team back on track and playing attractive football, guiding them through to the FA Cup Final and a better than even chance of securing some silverware this season.

Somehow, Hiddink has managed to get the Chelsea players to enjoy playing their football again, and has engendered a spirit that seemed to be lacking under Scolari. According to reports, senior players were questioning the Brazilian's tactical decisions, and were far from overwhelmed with his man management abilities. The relationship between Scolari and Chelsea was not a happy one, while Hiddink - ‘on the rebound', so to speak - managed to endear himself, almost instantly, to players and fans alike.

‘We'd love to leave him with a trophy as a thank you,' said Frank Lampard, going on to say that all the Chelsea players feel the same way. It's a testament to the way Hiddink has managed to forge the disparate elements in the Chelsea camp into a tight-knit group of individuals with a single purpose - getting their hands on the oldest and greatest piece of silverware in domestic club competition.

Chelsea will not find it easy though on Saturday against an Everton side that has had an excellent season, deserving its Barclays Premier League finish just outside the top four.

David Moyes has further cemented his reputation as an excellent manager, and proved that he is able to get the best from his charges, even under trying circumstances.

Rarely this season has Moyes been able to deploy a first choice attacking line-up, and midfielder Tim Cahill has been used as a lone striker on more occasions than he would probably care to remember. Injuries to Louis Saha, James Vaughan, Victor Anichebe and Jo have plagued Everton this season, and yet they've still gone on to exceed expectations, pipping Aston Villa for fifth place in the last few weeks of the season, to claim the unwritten title of ‘Best of the Rest'.

Considering the resources at Moyes' disposal, particularly with regard to transfer budgets, the achievement has been remarkable, and a place in the showcase FA Cup Final on Saturday is a richly deserved reward.

Incidentally, Moyes has just been named as the League Managers Association Manager of the Year, for the third time, something that even the great Sir Alex Ferguson hasn't achieved. Not only has Everton Football Club expanded its fan base this season with its success and determined style of play, but it appears as though Moyes has plenty of fans of his own among his peers.

While lifting the trophy on Saturday will be the perfect scenario for Hiddink to bow out, there'll be no place for sentiment when David Moyes and his boys pound the hallowed Wembley turf. Chelsea go into the match as favourites, but you write off Everton at your peril.

With no disrespect to either of those clubs, who've had fine seasons in the third tier of English football, it must be difficult to prepare for a trip to Old Trafford with its 75,000 fans one season, and look forward to a fixture at London Road, Peterborough (capacity 15,460) the next.

That, however, is the fate that will befall two of four clubs, when final whistles blow up and down England in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday.

With a few words of warning: 'this article could confuse, and may have to be read twice', I'm going to attempt to fill you in on the scenario that is being referred to by most pundits as ‘Survival Sunday'.

MIDDLESBROUGH - 19^th. Boro must win to have any hope of survival. A draw, or defeat, and they are down. Not only must they win, but Newcastle and Hull have to lose, and somehow, Boro have to claw back a four goal margin in terms of goal difference on Hull.

So, if Middlesbrough win 3-0, and Hull lose 2-0, Boro will be safe (as long as Newcastle lose as well). If Boro win 1-0, and Hull lose 1-0 (and Newcastle lose) Boro will be relegated. Get the picture?

NEWCASTLE UNITED - 18^th. Whatever Middlesbrough achieve, if Newcastle get a point against Aston Villa at Villa Park, and Hull lose, Newcastle will survive, and Hull will go down. If Newcastle win, Hull need to win; otherwise the Tigers face the drop. If Newcastle lose, they're down, no matter what happens elsewhere.

I hope it's all becoming clearer.

HULL CITY - 17^th. Unfortunately for Phil Brown's men, they have an inferior goal difference to Newcastle. If they lose, and Newcastle get a point or more, Hull are down. If Hull draw, they have to hope that Newcastle lose, and then they will survive. If Hull win, they stay up, irrespective of other results.

It's in their hands, and feet. The problem is that their final game is against Champions Manchester United.

Still confused? Take a Panadol.

SUNDERLAND - 16^th. A win, and they're safe. A draw and they're safe as long as Newcastle and Hull don't both win. Defeat; a Newcastle win and a Hull loss; and they're safe. Defeat; a Hull win and a Newcastle loss, and they're also safe. Defeat, and draws for Newcastle and Hull, and they're still safe.

But, a defeat, and wins for Newcastle and Hull, and Sunderland will be a second tier team in the next campaign.

There you go, simple really. The fascinating part comes when we start talking about Sunday's opponents for the four teams facing the ignominy of relegation.

Middlesbrough travel to East London on Sunday, to face a West Ham United side that has little to play for. Their hopes of a place in Europe have been dashed, but there's no doubting the fact that Gianfranco Zola is beginning to put together a decent team with an exciting blend of experience and youthful exuberance.

Boro have been stunning on the road of late - stunningly bad. They've managed to amass a 133-year club record haul of 11 straight defeats away from home, so whoever is expecting them to put a hatful past the Hammers at the weekend must be either an eternal optimist, deranged, or know something that we don't.

Middlesbrough, I'm afraid, can start planning for the Peterborough match.

For Newcastle United, the script was written. Alan Shearer took the reins in the club's darkest hour, and was expected to revitalise the team and guide them to safety.

Having identified the three remaining home games as ‘must win' matches, the Toon has gone on to take just four points out of a possible nine points from encounters at St James' Park, and they're now dependent on other teams slipping up.

They face an Aston Villa side on Sunday that has severely fallen off the pace of late, but will be determined to end the season in front of their home fans on a high note, and possibly secure a fifth place finish.

Without key central defender Sebastien Bassong, Newcastle will be vulnerable and nervous. It's arguably the biggest game in the club's history, and while no right-minded person will be predicting the outcome, it's difficult to see Newcastle getting a positive result.

At the beginning of the season, Hull City may have looked at their final day fixture and wondered if it would be a game that they needed to get something out of - fervently hoping ‘not'.

A home tie against Manchester United is always an occasion to be savoured, but not perhaps when you're fighting for your very Premiership lives.

All Hull need, in reality, is to match Newcastle's result. Should they both lose, Hull also have to hope that Middlesbrough don't manage to put 6 past West Ham. That'll be enough to ensure that the Tigers spend another season, at least, rubbing shoulders with the big guns.

Working in their favour is the fact that three days later, Manchester United meet Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Final in Rome. Will Sir Alex Ferguson select a strong side, or will key players be rested? Will the youngsters come in and perform above expectations, possibly looking for a place in the Rome squad, or will they lack motivation having been deemed peripheral? Can the current Hull side match even Manchester United's second string? Answer, on Sunday.

Sunderland's last day fate? A home tie against a Chelsea side that will be looking to bid a fond farewell to interim coach Guus Hiddink, and who knows, maybe even put a bit of pressure on Liverpool for second spot.

Sunderland's form of late has been slightly better than shockingly bad, with just one win in their last 12 league games, and eight defeats. Ricky Sbragia and his boys must be hoping that all the teams below them lose, as it's unlikely that they'll get much from a bunch of Chelsea players who will be jostling for their places in the FA Cup Final starting 11.

So, who do I think will be joining West Brom in the Championship next season?

That would be telling.

One point.

That's all that stands in the way of Manchester United claiming their 3^rd Barclays Premier League crown in succession.

The title is so close for Sir Alex Ferguson's men that they can almost touch it, and if the scenes of celebration on Wednesday night after their 2-1 win over Wigan are anything to go by, they have a fair idea of what it will taste like.

In 90 odd minutes at the JJB, Manchester United demonstrated exactly why they will soon be worthy champions.

After a bright start, they went a goal down, and remained behind at the break. While one can only speculate on what was said in the dressing room at half-time, I‘m willing to bet that Sir Alex was doing most of the talking, and there may have been a hair dryer involved.

But here's the thing; this United squad is so mentally tough, that losing simply wasn't an option. As the match resumed, everyone (with the possible exception of the odd fatally optimistic Liverpool fan) knew that the Red Devils would go on to bag the points.

The introduction of Carlos Tevez was yet another tactical masterstroke from Ferguson, and the fact that the diminutive Argentinean manufactured an equaliser barely three minutes after coming on, came as no surprise.

I'll state the case plainly. United went on to win the game because they knew they would.

Manchester United host Arsenal on Saturday in the early kick-off, so the title could be theirs just after lunch. It means that we can all then focus on the other important issue of who will retain their Premiership status and who will be playing next season against Peterborough, Leicester, and maybe even Scunthorpe United.

Hull's freefall has already been well documented, and having failed to pick up any points against Stoke City last weekend, the Tigers face a tricky tie at Bolton.

Simply put, Hull have to find something special from somewhere, and after recent performances it's difficult to identify a location. Their decline has been spectacular, and they won't be looking forward to, or expecting anything from, their final match at home against ‘champions' Manchester United.

If Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics against Wigan proved astute, what can we say of Alan Shearer's substitutions on Monday night at St James' Park against Middlesbrough?

Shearer sent on Peter Lovenkrands and Obafemi Martins in the second half, and Newcastle turned a 1-1 standoff into a 3-1 win. If the Toon can fashion another win on Saturday against Fulham, the ‘messiah' will all but have done his job.

Middlesbrough may fancy their chances against an Aston Villa side that's tiring fast, having played some delightful football this season. But, they've used fewer players than any other club in the division, and the repetitive stress has taken its toll.

A Boro win could make things very interesting indeed, especially for the likes of Sunderland who will let the weekend's events unfold before visiting Fratton Park on Monday night. Should Newcastle and Hull pick up wins on Saturday, Ricky Sbragia and his men will find themselves in the dreaded ‘zone' when they kick off against Portsmouth.

There are plenty of permutations ahead of what will undoubtedly prove to be another fascinating round of Barclays Premier League fixtures. Life at the top, though, is always sweeter. Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson.

Manchester United lost only 5 games in their title-winning campaign last season.

The fact that two of those defeats came at the hands of their close city rivals Manchester City, was possibly the only negative aspect of what was otherwise a near flawless season.

The second Manchester derby of the season takes place this weekend in the Barclays Premier League, by which time Liverpool could, once again, have supplanted Sir Alex Ferguson's men at the top of the table.

The defending champions will still have two games in hand, and the title within their grasp, but games are coming thick and fast for the Red Devils, and the encounters ahead will provide a stern test of the strength in depth of their squad, as well as its mental toughness.

If Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League triumph against Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium is anything to go by, it's not in doubt, and probably never has been. Sir Alex Ferguson provided further evidence of his outstanding tactical acumen, surprising many by giving Park Ji-Sung a start, and deploying Cristiano Ronaldo, ostensibly, as a loan striker.

It confused some of the pundits and commentators, but they were clearly better able to deal with the ramifications than the Arsenal defence, whose collective heart seemed to miss a beat every time the Portuguese ‘winger' touched the ball.

On his day, Ronaldo is a talisman and a match winner, and few players in the world can get near him when he's in the mood. Manchester City will be only too aware of the threat he poses when they visit Old Trafford on Sunday for an important game in their season.

Mark Hughes has spent plenty of the owners' money this season, and a place in the Europa League, one would expect, is a minimum amount of bang for their bucks. City currently sit a point off West Ham United in 7^th place, with 3 games of their season remaining.

Qualification for Europe is, therefore, in West Ham's hands, but they'll need to get something from their game at Upton Park against Liverpool on Saturday. Rafa Benitez remains insistent that Liverpool's title hopes are still alive, but with each passing game, the protestations become more hollow, and the bravado slightly less convincing.

Liverpool know that Manchester United will have to slip up, twice, if they are to have a chance of claiming their first league crown since 1990, and that is looking increasingly unlikely. 

Sunday is derby day in the Premier League with the Manchester clubs going at each other in the early kick-off, and Arsenal hosting Chelsea later in the day. After Tuesday night, and having already secured their involvement in next season's Champions League competition, the Gunners have little to play for except pride and possibly prize money, if they can reel in Chelsea who enter the weekend 6 points clear of them in 3^rd.

Arsenal have failed to put silverware in the club's trophy cabinet for the fourth consecutive season, and Arsene Wenger has openly admitted that the semi-final Champions League defeat against Manchester United was ‘ the most disappointing night of (his) career.'

Chelsea, for their part, will have to recover quickly from the heartache of their last gasp defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday night, and what The Blues' frame of mind will be come Sunday is anyone's guess.

If Sunday's action is going to be fast and furious with plenty of subtext, Monday night's North East derby at St James' Park will definitely not be for the squeamish.

Wins for Sunderland and Hull City on Saturday - unexpected though they would be - will mean that Newcastle take to the field against Middlesbrough with both sides 6 points from safety with 3 games to play. The loser of the match will be as good as relegated.

Even if results go their way, whoever loses can probably start planning for life in the Championship next season, while a draw probably won't do either side much good.

Saturday and Sunday will no doubt witness some of the action, thrills and spills that characterise the best domestic league on earth, but the major drama looks set to unfold on Monday night, in what may well prove to be a battle to the death for two proud clubs.

The end of the season is nigh. It is upon us.

For some teams in the Barclays Premier League, the next few weeks will be potentially apocalyptic, and for one or two others - just to mix my quasi religious metaphors and confuse the heck out of everyone - nirvana will be achieved.

Saturday's match at the Riverside Stadium could go a long way towards establishing who will be this season's champions, and who will be plying their trade in the Coca Cola Championship in the next campaign.

Middlesbrough host a Manchester United side that will go 6 points clear at the top of the table, if Sir Alex Ferguson's men can stride to their 10^th away win of the season.

And speaking of the number 10, Gareth Southgate's outfit will be delighted to be back on home soil, after slumping to their club record equalling 10^th consecutive away defeat at the hands of Arsenal last weekend.

Facing Arsenal and then Manchester United in the space of 7 days is not an ideal scenario for any club. When you're Middlesbrough, and you've taken root in the relegation zone with the tenacity of an herbaceous plant, it's an even more unfortunate happenstance.

It's difficult to see where Middlesbrough are going to pick up points as this season draws to a close. As if facing two of the ‘Big Four' in the space of a week isn't bad enough, next up for Boro will be the short trip to St James' Park to face a Newcastle United side with relegation issues of their own.

After that it's a home game against Aston Villa, and West Ham United (away) on the final day of the season. Middlesbrough are 3 points shy of safety, and one doesn't anticipate them picking up much this weekend against a Manchester United side that could heap the pressure on Liverpool with the right result on Teesside.

Speaking of expectations, what will Newcastle United be feeling ahead of Sunday's clash at Anfield?

The Shearer Era (you have to love the poetry, although it's been all too prosaic so far) has failed to produce the expected galvanisation of the Toon troops, and his side has procured a measly 2 points out of a possible 12 in his 4 matches in charge to date.

Liverpool remain as the only club in the league not to have lost on home soil this season, and bearing in mind Newcastle's defensive frailties (in addition to their inability to identify, never mind locate, the back of the net) Shearer's men could be looking at the negative side of a severe drubbing.

Both Aston Villa and Blackburn have better back lines than Newcastle, and Liverpool put 5 and 4 goals past them (respectively, and disrespectfully) in recent weeks.

If expectations are met this weekend, and Hull get even a point out of their trip to Aston Villa on Monday night, one would have to say that it's looking reaper-grim for two of the three North East clubs.

An intriguing battle is developing for 7^th place come season's end, and a place in next year's Europa League. It's different to the UEFA Cup in only name, and remains as Europe's second tier competition, but involvement in European football can be significant lure for potential signings once chairmen and owners start brandishing their cheque books in the summer.

Only 3 points currently separate Fulham in 7^th, and Tottenham in 10^th, with West Ham United and Manchester City also firmly in contention.

On paper, Tottenham have the easiest of the ties this weekend, with a home game against bottom side West Bromwich Albion, but the Baggies won last weekend, convincingly, against Sunderland, and will feel that another 3 points could put them back in the survival mix. They'll have to score though, at White Hart Lane, against a Spurs side that has conceded the fewest goals at home in the entire league this season.

Blackburn all but secured their safety with a 2-0 win over Wigan last time out, but a win at Eastlands against Manchester City would guarantee it. Mark Hughes' men can expect a physical battle, especially if Sam Allardyce continues to deploy the colossus that is Christopher Samba as a striker.

Fulham will not be relishing the very short journey across West London to face Chelsea, while West Ham United won't be too upbeat about a trip to the Britannia Stadium where hosts Stoke City boast the 7^th best home record in the league.

It's shake-up time in the Barclays Premier League season. And it won't simply come down to matters of faith.

Phil Brown's mission, and he has no alternative other than to accept it, is to try to get something out of Hull City's home game on Saturday against title-chasing Liverpool.

Following that seemingly unlikely scenario, his side will have to pick up points away at Aston Villa, at home to Stoke, away again at Bolton, before hosting, on the final day of the season.....Manchester United.

It's not impossible, but as the season has progressed, it's become harder and harder to see Phil's men getting good results anywhere.

After a bright start to the campaign that saw the club confound, and then go on to exceed everyone's expectations, Hull's decline in the Barclays Premier League standings has been spectacular.

After a number of weeks that have seen the bottom clubs jockeying for position and in which a couple of good results were enough to propel the successful up the table, the situation has become somewhat clearer of late.

While West Bromwich Albion look almost dead and buried, it's now Middlesbrough and Newcastle who are getting detached, while Hull and Blackburn find themselves a mere three points clear of the dreaded drop zone.

One point from three games is not exactly the stuff of messianic legend, and indeed only the hopelessly optimistic (or Newcastle United fans - which may amount to the same thing) would have expected Alan Shearer's re-emergence on Tyneside to reap instant rewards.

The Toon have the easier tie in this round of fixtures, with a home game against Portsmouth on Monday night, but then they face the prospect of a trip to Anfield five days later.

Shearer has targeted three home wins in order to get out of trouble, and that expectation must be turned into reality. Otherwise Newcastle United could be looking at a season, or more, in the Championship.

Interestingly, one of Newcastle's remaining home games is against Middlesbrough, the side that sit a point and a place above them heading in to the weekend.

It could, conceivably, be too late for both teams by then. While Newcastle will be reasonably confident of garnering points against Portsmouth, Middlesbrough will look at Sunday's clash away at Arsenal and not expect anything other than a fairly good pasting.

Blackburn for their part, will not relish a home tie on Sunday against a Wigan side that's pushing hard for a Europa League spot.

There will be some desperate battles this weekend for the teams embroiled in the relegation battle, while at the top, the title is, once again, very much Manchester United's to lose.

Liverpool played their part in, arguably, the game of the season against Arsenal on Tuesday night, but I can't help feeling that the title-winning mentality is simply not theirs. Rafa Benitez admits that his side made ‘massive mistakes' in the game. He does not overstate.

Not surprisingly, with almost surgical precision, Sir Alex Ferguson stuck the knife in, with a comfortable win at Old Trafford on Wednesday against a Portsmouth side that lacked belief.

United's home game on Saturday against Tottenham will be no walk in the park, but Sir Alex's men can afford to slip up, maybe once or even twice more this season.

I'm not sure the same can be said for the likes of Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, and, of course, Hull City.

There will be no change at the top of the table after this weekend.

The Big Four take a break from Barclays Premier League action so that three of them can bask in the potential glory of the oldest and greatest domestic cup competition on the planet.

Arsenal face Chelsea on Saturday in the first FA Cup semi-final, fresh from their demolition of Villarreal in the Champions League, and beginning to display a confidence and swagger that we haven't seen for some time.

We have always maintained that Arsene Wenger's side would show their mettle once key personnel had been transferred from the treatment room to the pitch, and so it has proved.

Cesc Fabregas is back to pull all the midfield strings; Emmanuel Adebayor has returned to take the chances he creates, while Theo Walcott's mere presence is often enough to create space for the two gentlemen mentioned earlier to do their thing.

While Arsenal are a joy to watch right now, Chelsea under Guus Hiddink are beginning to confound the critics. They showed enormous character on Tuesday night in the 4-4 Champions League draw with Liverpool.

Chelsea could have capitulated - Liverpool certainly put them under enough pressure. But somehow they contrived to hold their nerve, and take their place in the last four of the competition.

On Sunday, Manchester United face Everton in the other Cup semi-final. David Moyes' men are comfortable in the table, and it's been a good campaign for the Toffees - another side blighted with injuries to important players.

The quintuple is very much still alive for Sir Alex Ferguson and the Red Devils, so do not expect them to take their foot off the pedals too much this weekend. Some peripheral players may see a little game time, but expect most of the hotshots to be in attendance.

While the big guys slug it out this weekend for a date at Wembley, the battle that's emerged at the wrong end of the Premiership table will take centre stage in terms of league action.

For Newcastle United, the ‘Shearer Factor' hasn't quite kicked in yet, and they travel south to face a rejuvenated Tottenham side pushing for Europe.

The Toon need their experienced players to come to the fore and take responsibility. They're now two points shy of Sunderland (in the final position of safety) and will look at their northeast rivals' home fixture against Hull City on Saturday, thinking that they may well get points.

Alan Shearer's men could find themselves five points adrift if they fail to bring something back from White Hart Lane on Sunday.

And speaking of Hull, defeat this weekend for them at the hands of Sunderland, and wins for Blackburn and Newcastle would mean that Phil Brown's men are just a point clear of the drop zone with five games to play. It's a far cry from their opening nine games of the season, of which they won six, and the Tigers will be a bag of nerves for this round of fixtures.

There are fascinating battles left, right and centre this weekend in English football. Sometimes it's nicer to be a presenter than a pundit. At least my neck will be in tact when the chopping blocks are put away on Sunday night.

For instant coffee, you merely have to add boiling water.

For instant stardom, score a late winner at Old Trafford in a game that your team could easily have lost, and that may have helped seal the league title.

It's difficult to underplay the significance of Federico Macheda's first senior goal for Manchester United, but it turned out to be the winner last Sunday against Aston Villa, and it made the difference between the Red Devils being a point behind Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League standings (with a game in hand), and a point ahead.

Such has been the impact of the 17-year-old's first half an hour of top flight football that he has already achieved legendary status at the club.

It's likely therefore, that we'll be seeing plenty more of the precocious but already well developed talents of a young man few people in the football world had heard of prior to last weekend.

His winning goal had shades of Cantona and Berbatov about it, but the question that will be foremost in Sir Alex Ferguson's mind is whether he is ready for the demands of the Barclays Premier League, particularly against the likes of Sunderland, who United face this weekend.

The match at the Stadium of Light will not be for the faint of heart. Sunderland are just one place and three points above the drop zone, and will know that they will have to compete in all areas of the field. Realistically, the only way they can hope to match their more august counterparts will be in the physical side of the game.

While Macheda is a strapping lad even at 17, it may not be the best stage for him to display his talents, and Ferguson will know that winning this weekend will be more important than the nature of the victory.

Liverpool kick the weekend's fixtures off on Saturday with a home game against Blackburn, another side fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table. Sam Allardyce's men though gave themselves a real boost last time out with a home win against Tottenham that lifted them a full five points clear of danger.

Liverpool's reaction to their 3-1 Champions League defeat at the hands of Chelsea will be fascinating to behold. Mindful of the fact that they have to go to Stamford Bridge next week and score at least three goals against Guus Hiddink's side simply to stay in the tournament, Rafa Benitez would like to be able to rest one or two key players.

He can't. Liverpool must beat Blackburn to keep the pressure on Ferguson's increasingly weary charges.

Chelsea will look to take advantage of any slip-ups when they entertain Bolton Wanderers - Gary Megson's men are now eight points off the drop zone and appear to have secured their Premiership survival.

Arsenal sit comfortably in fourth, and will have more than half an eye on the second leg of their Champions League tie against Villarreal next week, when they travel to face a Wigan side still very much in contention for Europe.

Arsene Wenger's men could well decide to conserve their energies in what will not be their most important game of the season.

While Stoke City hope to continue their excellent home form against Newcastle United, Alan Shearer knows that his side desperately need something from the Britannia Stadium.

The Magpies are now three points from safety, and have a devilishly difficult run-in. The ‘Shearer Factor' has to come in to play; and it cannot come soon enough.

Once again, even at this late stage in the season, there is not a meaningless fixture in sight. Every team is battling for or against something, setting the scene for yet another intriguing, excitement-packed, tension-filled weekend in the greatest domestic league on earth.

Alan Shearer has no managerial experience.

Despite this, Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has entrusted the Geordie legend with the onerous task of keeping the club in the Barclays Premier League, and he has eight games of the season left in which to do it.

The appointment of Shearer until the end of the season could be construed as madness, footballing suicide, desperation, a stroke of genius and all of the above.

Mike Ashley is certainly desperate. From a purely financial point of view, relegation to the Championship doesn't bear thinking about, but even this would be secondary to the damage it would do to an already flawed reputation.

The Newcastle fans adored Ashley when he appointed Kevin Keegan as manager, and promptly fell out of love with him when Keegan departed. They then scratched their heads in collective wonderment as Joe Kinnear was handed the role of interim manager. While Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood have done their level best to steady the ship, it's clear that in football terms, the club is rudderless, lacking genuine leadership, and almost ready to fall off the map.

Alan Shearer will return to Tyneside, amid messianic expectations, and his mere presence could be enough to give the side the fillip it needs. While he has never made any secret of his desire to manage Newcastle at some point in his career, one could forgive him for biding his time and waiting for a cosier moment and a better set of circumstances.

As if the job itself wasn't difficult enough, Shearer's first task is to plot the downfall of Chelsea at St James' Park this weekend.

Guus Hiddink's men will have had a couple of weeks to think about their league defeat at the hands of Tottenham, and a missed opportunity to move just a point behind Manchester United.

With Sir Alex Ferguson's men losing back to back league games for the first time in the equivalent of just under four seasons, Chelsea and Liverpool know that the title race still is still on.

The Blues will be in determined mood to garner the 3 points against Newcastle on Saturday. Shearer probably couldn't have chosen a harder game in which to make his managerial debut.

Shearer's appointment is the gamble of the season, but then, just to continue the analogy, when you've got nothing to lose, perhaps the long shot is your best bet.

Sunday's big game at Old Trafford promises to be an intriguing one. Manchester United have had a fortnight to think about their mauling at the hands of Liverpool followed by their defeat at Craven Cottage. We shouldn't talk about a crisis at the club - United are still a point clear of Liverpool, and they have a game in hand.

But there must be doubts, and the match against Villa will be a test of Ferguson's legendary tactical acumen and motivational skills. Manchester United could taste the title just a few short weeks ago. The flavour is now somewhat diluted. Nothing less than a convincing victory this weekend against a Villa side whose form has been wretched of late, will dispel the nerves in the northwest.

What was Fabio Capello thinking when he named Ledley King in his squad to face Slovakia and Ukraine?

The question could be posed in a variety of tones, ranging from mild inquisition to outraged incredulity, but whichever way you look at it, the decision was a strange one.

King hasn't represented England since June 2007, and has been suffering from chronic knee problems that render him barely able to train, and incapable, most of the time, of playing consecutive matches for his club side Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite this, Capello obviously thought he was worth taking a ‘close look at' ahead of next Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, with a view, presumably, to including him in the World Cup Finals squad for South Africa in 2010. This is assuming England makes it of course, but with four wins out of four so far in their qualifying group, they're in a commanding position.

King's effectiveness at such a tournament must be called into question, bearing in mind the recovery time he requires between games - the poor man has very little cartilage remaining in his right knee. The call-up has infuriated King's club manager Harry Redknapp, who would be resigned to losing the payer for the Barclays Premier League clash against Blackburn at the weekend following the Ukraine game, were he to feature.

King has played a huge part in Tottenham's resurgence of late, and you can understand why Redknapp would be so loathed to lose him.

The story has an ending that is both happy, and sad. King has left the England camp and returned to his club - Spurs are happy. King may have to face the prospect of retiring from international football in order to prolong his club career - Ledley always wore the England shirt with pride; he'll be sad.

Not content with that little belter, Capello also named Ben Foster in his squad. To be fair, Foster has been a regular international at Under-21 level, and has recently been tipped to succeed Edwin van der Sar as Manchester United custodian, despite starting the season as third choice keeper at Old Trafford.

Some have suggested that Capello picks his squads purely on form - once the regulars (Gerrard, Lampard, Terrry, Ferdinand, Rooney et al) have been inked in. This would account for Foster's inclusion, as well as that of Leighton Baines, who will act as Ashley Cole's understudy, and may see a little game time against Slovakia on Saturday.

England will know that despite being in pole position in their qualifying group, they will be judged as being as good as their last performance, when they were outclassed in Seville by European Champions Spain.

Slovakia have faced England only twice previously, but this will be their first visit to Wembley. The two nations met in qualification for Euro 2004, and England prevailed on both occasions, coming from behind in each match.

Slovakia have a number of familiar names in their squad, including Liverpool's Martin Skrtel, West Brom's Marek Cech, and the hugely experienced Miroslav Karhan who now plies his trade in the German second division with Mainz.

It's up front where Slovakia can pose a threat with the enigmatic, and let's face it, mercurial, Robert Vittek hoping to add to his 17 international goals.

The 26-year-old, now playing for Lille in France, was hailed as, potentially, one of Europe's strikers, but to quote a well know ESPN STAR Sports pundit's famous phrase, he now ‘has a great future behind him.'

He will be keen to impress at Wembley on Saturday, in a high profile match that will be watched by a number of potential suitors. Coming out on top against some of Europe's best defenders (whoever Capello starts at the back) could get Vittek the kind of contract he's looking for at this important juncture in his career.

Both England and Slovakia will be looking ahead to their crucial World Cup qualifiers, even as they take to Wembley's ‘hallowed turf'. While England are cruising in Group 6 with a perfect record so far, Slovakia have their work cut out for them in Group 3.

They're at the summit right now, but are only two points clear of Northern Ireland, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia (who've already beaten them in this campaign). It's one of the tightest of the European groups, and Slovakia's next opponents are the Czech Republic, who they face in Prague on Wednesday.

Slovakia is an ideal side for Capello's men to encounter at this stage, playing a similar style to Ukraine, and containing several players who earn their living from Eastern European football. We can expect a degree of experimentation on Saturday, and a number of substitutions as both Vladimir Weiss and Capello work out their tactics and establish their starting line-ups for the qualifiers.

If, as has been suggested, Capello picks a substantial part of his squad based purely on form, the friendly against Slovakia may not tell him anything he doesn't already know. But then, I have a feeling that Don Fabio already knows exactly who will be wearing the three lions into battle on Wednesday. And it won't be Ledley King.

Usually, with nine games remaining (10 in the cases of Manchester United and Portsmouth) there are a slew of largely meaningless mid-table clashes that are played out as such, and generally don't provide too much entertainment.

Not this time around though; every match taking place this weekend is important to the clubs taking part, and for a variety of different reasons.

Liverpool's stunning victory at Old Trafford last Saturday could work in one of two ways. Either the result has genuinely thrown the title race wide open - Chelsea and Liverpool are now just four points behind leaders Manchester United, although the defending champions do have a game in hand.

Alternatively, the 4-1 home defeat could have served as a wake up call, and normal service will resume this weekend as Sir Alex Ferguson's men face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Fulham have suffered indifferent form of late - losing back-to-back home games against Hull and Blackburn before claiming their first away win of the season last weekend at Bolton. Fulham will be mindful that even though they sit 9th in the table, they are only 8 points clear of the drop zone.

We'll get a measure of Manchester United's ability to bounce back, on Saturday, in west London.

In any event, with a gap now of only four points, Liverpool and Chelsea's tails will be up. Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday knowing that their opponents are starting to look tired - Villa have used only 19 players in their league campaign, the lowest number of any team in the league - and it's beginning to show.

Despite threatening to break the dominance of the Big Four for much of the season, they've lost three of their last four league games, and been knocked out of the FA Cup and UEFA Cup within days of each other.

These are difficult times for Martin O'Neill, and the Villa Park fans are starting to make life even more difficult for the team. Villa have relinquished 4th spot (and that last UEFA Champions League place) to an Arsenal side that is seeing stars returning from injury and beginning to find the back of the net with regularity.

The Gunners will be confident of bagging the points at St James' Park this Saturday, when they face a Newcastle side low on confidence, and high in vulnerability.

Stoke City versus Middlesbrough provides the ultimate relegation six pointer, the two sides sit in 18th and 19th places, and are separated by only two points.

Tony Pulis has always maintained that his side's home form will keep the club in the top flight, while Middlesbrough must know that they will have to add to their one win in the last 17 league games if they are to preserve their Premier League status.

Perhaps the most intriguing match-up this weekend will take place at White Hart Lane, as Tottenham entertain Chelsea.

The Blues are rejuvenated, seemingly, under the enigmatic Guus Hiddink, while Spurs have put together a decent run of form, taking 10 points out of a last possible 12 that included three away games. The team threatened with relegation for most of this season, is now looking upwards - seventh place, and a European spot, is now not totally out of the question, although it remains an optimistic dream.

Chelsea will feel that they have Manchester United in their sights, and will be desperate to continue their excellent run of results on Spurs' soil. Chelsea will take the league's best away record to north London, knowing that they have lost just once to Tottenham in the history of the Barclays Premier League, a record that stretches back some 33 games.

There is not one team this weekend that is not involved either in the title race, the push for a European place, or the battle against relegation. This is turning into one of the most fascinating seasons in years.

How can Liverpool be so tactically astute, so full of passion and conviction, so irresistible in European competition, and then so inept when it comes to certain matches in the Barclays Premier League?

On Tuesday night at Anfield, Liverpool put Real Madrid to the sword in the UEFA Champions League. It was one of the great nights of European football for the club, and the list it joins is an impressive one.

From the word ‘go', the Reds looked collectively like men possessed, playing without a care in the world, confident in their ability to beat whatever was in front of them - nine-time European champions in this case.

Compare this to certain games at Anfield this season when the side has looked clueless, lacking in ideas, and simply, not up for it.

Liverpool have performed well this season against the other ‘Big Four' sides. They've already beaten Chelsea home and away in the league, got a creditable draw at The Emirates against Arsenal, and accounted for Manchester United at Anfield.

In the same campaign, they have played out three 0-0 draws with the Stoke City, West Ham and Fulham (all at Anfield) and been held by Hull, also at home.

Rafa Benitez cannot look at those results as anything other than eight points dropped, and those eight points, were they in the bag, would see Liverpool on top of the table, a point clear of Manchester United.

It's inexplicable. Or is it?

Teams such as Stoke and Fulham could be forgiven for coming to Anfield and ‘parking the bus' - defending as resolutely as possible, hoping for a chance or two on the break, but essentially trying to prevent the more talented side from playing their natural game. It can work.

When Liverpool come up against teams such as Arsenal and Manchester United, there's no suggestion that their opponents will deploy negative tactics, and this seems to suit the Merseyside club better.

Arguably, Rafa Benitez should have the talent and the tactical acumen to break down any side, regardless of their approach, so questions will be asked, even if Liverpool do manage to beat Manchester United this weekend and possibly open up the title race once again.

The facts are simple. Should Liverpool subject Sir Alex Ferguson's men to their first home defeat of the season, the gap will be a mere four points at the top (although United will still have played a game less).

Should Manchester United stride to their 13th home win of the campaign, the gap will be an all but unassailable 10 points (13 if United win their game in hand).

It's do or die for Rafa and The Reds, in the pick of the ties this weekend in the Barclays Premier League. But more than a few eyes will be on the matches between Middlesbrough and Portsmouth, and Hull City and Newcastle.

We've reached the stage in the season when the jostling for positions becomes frenetic, particularly at the bottom end of the table.

No club wants to be embroiled in a relegation battle with a couple of games remaining, and yet while West Brom are now six points from safety and looking almost doomed for the drop, the same fate could befall any two of the 12 teams immediately above them.

Even Manchester City in 8th are not safe, being a mere seven points clear of the bottom three, while the match at The Riverside features Middlesbrough in 19th, against Portsmouth, just one place and two points above them.

Hull managed to arrest their recent slide with an away win at Fulham last week, but the fact remains that it was their first league win since December 6 last year, and they've been dropping in the standings like the proverbial stone.

Newcastle for their part, could find themselves occupying a relegation place come the end of the weekend, so it's certainly time for some of their senior players to stand up and be counted.

The tension is building. It's time for the tough to get going.

Owen Coyle has been tipped for a starring role in the Barclays Premier League.

Who? I hear you ask. And I answer, ‘Owen Coyle...a former Scottish footballer who banged in the goals for the likes of Dumbarton, Clydebank and Falkirk and who played a little over seven minutes of international football for the Republic of Ireland.'

And you're still perplexed, aren't you?

So, I'll simply add that he's the current manager of Burnley FC in the Coca Cola Championship, and that this season he has already masterminded the defeats of West Brom, Fulham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in cup competitions.

I should also mention that after Burnley's away win at Blackpool on Tuesday night, the club are within a point of a play-off place in English football's second tier, so there's every chance that we'll be seeing him in the Premiership next season in any case.

But his name has been touted in media circles as a potential top-flight manager, and with such a burgeoning resume, it's not difficult to understand why.

Once again this weekend Coyle has the opportunity to pit his wits and his team's skills against football's elite, as Burnley take on Arsenal in the 5^th round of the FA Cup.

The club from Lancashire in the North West of England have already dumped the young Gunners out of the Carling Cup, at the quarter final stage, on a memorable night at Turf Moor, and will be relishing the prospect of taking on what is expected to be a more senior line-up on Sunday.

Coyle has proven himself to be possessed of excellent motivational skills, as well as considerable tactical acumen, and Arsene Wenger will be well aware of the task that faces him at the weekend.

Notwithstanding the Champions League, where Arsenal have a slender 1-0 lead to take into the second leg of their knockout tie with AS Roma, the FA Cup represents the Gunners' only realistic chance of silverware this season, and they'll need to be up for the challenge against a team that plays tidy football, with occasional moments of brilliance, and invariably displays a grit and determination that can unsettle more accomplished sides.

Arguably, Burnley versus Arsenal is the pick of the ties this weekend in the FA Cup, although it's important to note that the match will be played to determine the right to enter the quarter finals of the competition (after Arsenal's 4^th round replay with Cardiff had to be postponed), a stage that Coventry and Chelsea have already reached.

They meet on Saturday for a place in the semi finals, and it will be fascinating to see how Chelsea's ‘interim' manager Guus Hiddink approaches the game.

He enjoys cup competition, having guided PSV Eindhoven to Dutch domestic honours four times, while his success with unlikely teams in World Cups has become the stuff of legends.

As with Arsenal, Chelsea will know that they're in for a battle, and will be fully aware of the fact that Coventry have beaten Championship high-flyers Wolves and Birmingham City at home in recent weeks, and knocked Blackburn Rovers out of the cup in the last round.

The two all Barclays Premier League clashes this weekend see Everton host Middlesbrough, and Fulham taking on Manchester United at Craven Cottage.

While Gareth Southgate could perhaps be forgiven for having his mind on other matters - Premiership survival for one, following their 4-0 mauling at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night - Everton are comfortably in 6^th place in the league standings, and looking good for a European spot next season. David Moyes would dearly love to put a trophy in the Toffees' cabinet, and may find Boro easy pickings on Sunday.

Manchester United's quadruple dream (‘quintuple' if you count the Club World Cup, and some people apparently do) is very much alive, after they bagged the Carling Cup last weekend. Fulham are off a shock 1-0 home defeat against Hull City in midweek, and will want to put on a decent show in a bid to claim a cup that they have never won.

Very soon there will be four left standing, each team knowing that they are one game away from a Wembley final, and the biggest day in domestic cup football. As ever, to the winners go the spoils, but who will be the spoilers?

This weekend marks the start of yet another new era for Chelsea football club. Guus Hiddink takes full control of the team for the very first time, and in many ways he couldn't face a more problematic encounter.

The Blues visit a rampant Aston Villa side on Saturday in the game that gets this weekend's fixtures underway. It's third against fourth, with just two points separating the two teams, and Villa continuing to prove their credentials as the team most likely to finally break the stranglehold of the Big Four.

With eight wins and two draws in their last 10 league games, and having last been beaten in the league on 9 November last year, Villa are the ‘form' team right now. They will, however, face a severe test against a Chelsea side that refuses to concede that its title aspirations have disappeared, along with its World Cup-winning former manager.

There was much talk about divisions in the dressing room when Luiz Felipe Scolari was at the helm - certain individuals even suggesting that communications were so poor that players had no idea what they were being asked to do.

Hiddink's English is almost perfect (probably a deal better than many of his multinational charges) and if reports from the training ground are to be believed, the Dutchman has already instilled a sense of unity and heightened purpose in the squad.

They may find the Villa defence slightly easier to break down at the moment than at other points this season. Martin Laursen is still injured and Curtis Davies is carrying a knock, which means that a great deal of the responsibility falls on Zat Knight, who, though improving week by week, has not always been the most reliable of performers.

Hiddink may have isolated Villa's central defensive area as something to exploit, and while Scolari seemed loathe to include both Didier Drogba and Nicholas Anelka in his starting line up, Chelsea's new boss may just decide that it's exactly the kind of strike partnership that could unsettle Martin O'Neill's side.

Villa versus Chelsea is arguably the pick of the ties this weekend, but quite a few eyes will be on Old Trafford for Saturday's late kick off.

Manchester United have been quite superb of late, and show few if any signs of relinquishing their stranglehold on the title.

At the beginning of the season certain pundits questioned the strength in depth of the Red Devils' squad. Questions were asked as to what might happen should Cristiano Ronaldo, or Wayne Rooney, be out for prolonged periods, or whether Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs even had another season in them.

How could any of us have doubted Sir Alex Ferguson?

While some of us looked down the squad list at unfamiliar names such as Rafael Da Silva, Danny Wellbeck, Darron Gibson and even Jonny Evans, Sir Alex obviously knew exactly what he had at his disposal and when they could best be deployed to maximum effect.

Ferguson retains his amazing ability to choose the right team for the right occasion, although I am sure that even he will admit that the form of Ryan Giggs, and the Welsh winger's continued passion for the game, has exceeded this season's expectations.

Manchester United face a Blackburn side this weekend that finds itself in the drop zone, and off their first loss under Sam Allardyce. While United now find themselves five points clear at the top after cantering to victory against Fulham on Wednesday, Liverpool will be only too aware that they cannot afford to slip up again this season, if they are to maintain any hope for their first English league title since 1990.

Rafa's men face Manchester City on Sunday with both managers under almost absurd amounts of pressure, but for different reasons. While Benitez's contract negotiations continue to stall and reports suggest that he is nearing the ‘ultimatum' stage, Mark Hughes needs to start delivering some results in order to convince City's new owners that he can take the club forward next season, and that he is the best man to invest their vast wealth in the summer.

It's a game that neither side can afford to lose.

There's something very satisfying about watching the draw for the FA Cup.

As the names come out of the ‘hat', no one knows who's going to be pitted against whom, and as each successive round reduces the number of clubs - it's a knockout competition after all - the holy grail of a Wembley final comes into clearer and clearer view.

16 clubs head into action this weekend, and yet 17 clubs remain in the competition. ‘Adverse weather conditions' - an understatement if ever there was one - accounted for the replay between Arsenal and Cardiff at the Emirates Stadium last week, and so Burnley wait to see who they will face for a place in the quarter-finals.

Arsenal's match against their Championship counterparts should take place this weekend (just after the weekend, in fact), meteorological conditions permitting, with the Gunners only too aware of how close they came to an FA Cup exit (and a degree of humiliation) at Ninian Park on 25 January.

Cardiff dominated the early exchanges, and wasted a spate of chances. Arsene Wenger will be reasonably confident of seeing them off at the Emirates, but won't relish a 5th round tie against Burnley, the side that dumped them out of the Carling Cup earlier this season.

Cardiff have proved this campaign that they can mix it with the best, and will look forward to taking to the big stage on Monday night. If you're looking for an FA Cup upset, this game could provide it.

Cardiff City have nothing to lose, everything to gain, and can afford to play with a degree of abandon, while Arsenal may look at Wembley glory as their best hope for silverware this season. The pressure will be on the side that is expected to perform.

Watford host Chelsea at Vicarage Road in Saturday's late 5th round kick off, and will take heart from the fact that even with new ‘caretaker' manager Guus Hiddink in attendance, the west London club must be in a certain amount of disarray.

Chelsea have fallen off the pace in the Barclays Premier League, with last weekend's 0-0 home draw against Hull City the straw that broke the camel's back as far as Luiz Felipe Scolari's tenure was concerned.

Chelsea will also need to be aware that although Watford currently find themselves in the drop zone of English football's second tier, only three teams in the entire division (including the top two) have scored more goals at home in league games. They concede their fair share as well, as their league position reflects, but we should be in for an entertaining, and possibly high scoring game on Saturday.

One of the two all-Premiership tie sees Everton entertain Aston Villa at Goodison Park. Cock-a-hoop after their replay triumph over Merseyside rivals Liverpool, David Moyes will have his men charged up and determined to face a Villa side that has threatened all season to break the dominance of the Big Four in the Barclays Premier League, and is proving its credentials on an ongoing basis.

The two clubs have 12 FA Cups to their name, but the most recent of those was when Everton tasted success in 1995. Although Aston Villa appeared in the 2000 final, they haven't lifted the famous trophy since 1957, while it's an honour that eluded manager Martin O'Neill throughout his playing career, and so far as a manager.

Derby County against Manchester United is another fascinating tussle, the two sides separated by 35 places in the league standings. Derby are ‘revitalised' under their new manager Nigel Clough, and showed an amazing spirit in their 4th round tie against Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest when they came back from two goals down.

Manchester United are still pursuing silverware on four fronts, and there's a glint in Sir Alex Ferguson's eye, along with his customary steely determination, that suggests not only that he's ‘going for it', but that he also believes it can be done.

The glamour and the allure of the oldest and greatest domestic cup competition on earth will be very much in evidence this weekend. A place in the quarter finals means that the teams will be only two games away from a date at Wembley.

Let's just hope that the weather plays its part and that postponements, by their nature a thing of the future, are now a thing of the past.

If I hear one more footballer describing his transfer from one club to another as a ‘dream move', I'm going to spit.

Robbie Keane's ‘dream' came true when he secured a move from Tottenham Hotspur to his ‘boyhood favourite' club Liverpool in the summer of 2007. In less than six months, the dream became a nightmare, and Keane was discarded by the Anfield club like a piece of flotsam washed up on the banks of the Mersey.

He has returned to Spurs, with hardly a hint of the tail that must be hanging between his legs, and has promptly been handed the club captaincy.

I wonder if rejoining the club that was more or less forced to sell you half a year ago, and is now desperate enough to welcome you back to its bosom, also rates as a dream move. If it does, perhaps the sleep medication should be looked into.

Andrey Arshavin fervently expressed his desire to leave Zenit St Petersburg for greener pastures, and now it appears as though his dream has come true with a move to Arsenal.

How marvellous then that Andrey and Robbie could be going head to head this weekend in the next round of fixtures in the Barclays Premier League. Spurs versus Arsenal at White Hart Lane is, arguably, the pick of the ties.

Spurs have won just once in their last eight league games, and are hovering just one point above the relegation zone. Arsenal almost need to win every remaining game this season to keep their title hopes alive, as it doesn't look as though Manchester United are in any mood to drop points at present.

The injury list at Arsenal has been well documented, while Arsene Wenger continues to talk about building a team. Apparently deprived of money to invest in new players because of ongoing financial commitments to the Emirates Stadium, Arshavin has been the Gunners' sole purchase this January transfer window - a club record signing into the bargain.

The protracted nature of the transfer has increased the pressure on the 27-year-old Russian, and the danger is that Arsenal fans will see him as something of a saviour as far as the season is concerned. The poor man hasn't played a game in weeks.

Other players to look out for this weekend?

Hull City will be hoping that Jimmy Bullard's infectious enthusiasm can spark a revival at the club. The Tigers have taken just one point out of a last possible 21 and are sinking like a stone in the standings.

They face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Ricardo Quaresma (on loan from Inter Milan) being given another chance to rejuvenate a career that was supposed to be stellar, but has so far been eminently terrestrial.

Emile Heskey scored on his Aston Villa debut against Portsmouth a couple of weeks ago, and it's clear that he still has the belief and the hunger to perform at the top level.

Villa visit a Blackburn Rovers side this weekend that has yet to taste defeat since Sam Allardyce took the reins, and can now number the much-pilloried and often misunderstood El-Hadji Diouf among its staff.

Manchester City missed out on Kaka, failing to conclude a deal that would have been the biggest in the history of football. It hasn't stopped the world's richest club splashing the cash though, bringing in Nigel de Jong, Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy and Shay Given.

Just what kind of impact these new faces will have on the team's season remains to be seen, but they'll have to win, and win well on Saturday against a beleaguered Middlesbrough side for speculation on the safety of Mark Hughes' job to die down.

New faces in new teams. It only adds to the allure of the best football league on earth.

No Wilson Palacios. No Emile Heskey. Antonio Valencia and Chris Kirkland were injured, Titus Bramble suspended.

Despite a severely weakened Wigan Athletic side, Liverpool were still unable to secure all the points at the JJB on Wednesday night that would have kept them level on points with Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

The facts: Liverpool have now drawn seven of their last 10 league games, dropping, effectively, 14 points in the process.

While Manchester United go about their business in often methodical, occasional clinical fashion, Liverpool seem intent on handing the title to their rivals on a plate.

13 points out of a possible 30 at this stage in the season is not championship-winning stuff, and Rafa Benitez knows it. He was circumspect in his comments after the Wigan game, while alluding to the overly physical nature of some of the challenges perpetrated by certain Wigan players, particularly on Steven Gerrard.

Sorry Rafa, this may sound cynical, but if I were the manager of a team playing against Liverpool, knowing full well that my opponents' game plan pretty much revolved around one man, I might do my best to ensure that my players were geared up and instructed to neutralise his effectiveness by whatever means possible. Within the rules of the game, of course.

While Rafa doesn't seem to get it, Liverpool are not getting the results, and with Manchester United now blazing the trail, everyone's playing catch-up.

If success is built around a solid defence, then United are showing everyone the way forward, breaking a Premier League record at the Hawthorns by keeping their 11th consecutive clean sheet.

It's been 1,033 minutes (give or take) since Edwin van der Sar last conceded a league goal, and that's more than 17 hours - a simply astonishing achievement.

When you bear in mind the fact that the United back line has seen several changes in personnel (Van der Sar and Nemanja Vidic have been the only ever-presents) the milestone becomes even more significant.

Manchester United are now two points clear at the top of the table (with a game in hand), and have the proverbial wind behind them, a fact that won't be lost on either Liverpool or Chelsea this weekend when they do battle at Anfield in the tie of the round.

Liverpool's massive investment in Robbie Keane has failed to bear much fruit so far, with the player seemingly depressed and with Rafa Benitez refusing to quash speculation that he might be sold before the January transfer window closes.

Fernando Torres is yet to get back to top form after injury, and most pundits maintain that the team's continued over-reliance on Steven Gerrard isn't healthy. It's difficult to disagree.

Chelsea for their part have been giving away points, with three wins three draws and a defeat in their last seven league games. That amounts to 12 points out of a possible 21, and these are not title-winning statistics. Indeed, they were only two minutes from defeat at Stamford Bridge against Stoke City in their last but one league outing, but managed to claw their way back to bag the points with two late goals.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, and every Chelsea supporter, will be hoping that the resilience they showed on that occasion will act as a springboard for the rest of the season. With Liverpool's indifferent form, Chelsea have emerged as the side most likely to challenge Manchester United for the title. For Sir Alex Ferguson, the fixture between the two couldn't come at a better time.

You can see him now. At home, on the sofa, a glass of good red wine in his hand, watching 90 minutes of a game that has ‘draw' written all over it. Should Manchester United secure the points at Old Trafford on Saturday against Everton, and judging by the way they dismantled West Brom on Tuesday, there's every reason to suggest they will, United will be four points clear of the field, having played one game less.

Saturday's fixtures see Arsenal entertaining a much-improved West Ham United side that seems to have found its feet and a coherent style of play under Gianfranco Zola. The Gunners have been besieged by injuries of late, but with William Gallas back in the fold, and Eduardo nearing a return to action, Arsenal will be able to see how far they have to go, by establishing how far they've come this weekend.

It may seem strange to talk about relegation problems for a club that sits 10th in the table, but Hull City have lost the last six league games and are now just six points clear of the drop zone. Such is the nature of the current standings that a win could take bottom side West Brom out of the relegation positions.

Battling the dreaded drop one week; possibly competing for a place in Europe the next. A couple of wins can make all the difference at this stage, with 12 clubs separated by just eight points at the lower end of the table.

This season is certainly not one for the faint of heart.

Times have changed somewhat, and the circumstances that saw the slackening of interest in football's oldest domestic cup competition were mostly to do with money.

While some of the smaller clubs look forward to drawing a big team in an FA Cup tie and receiving the inherent financial rewards, the bigger clubs realise, and have had to accept, that winning the Barclays Premier League (even remaining IN the Barclays Premier League) and competing in European competitions, are more lucrative and hence more desirable.

I'm pleased to be able to report though that the English FA Cup has made something of a resurgence in recent years, and is now even bigger and better than ever. 762 teams entered this year's competition, only one will remain standing come May in the final at Wembley.

This weekend sees Fourth Round ties as the remaining 32 teams do battle. While some are mouth watering - Manchester United versus Tottenham, and Liverpool versus Everton spring immediately to mind, others capture the imagination as only the FA Cup can.

Hartlepool United, in League One, the third tier of English football accounted for Barclays Premier League side Stoke City in Round Three. And it was no fluke. Although 41 places separated the two teams in the league standings, Hartlepool were the better side on the day and deserving winners - taking their chances and defending resolutely against their more august counterparts.

The reward for Hartlepool's magnificent display? Another home tie, also against Premier League opposition, and I can guarantee you that West Ham United will not relish a trip to the North East of England on Saturday to face a side that has nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

The form book will tell us that the result should be a formality, but that's the beauty of the FA Cup. Frequently we see the minnows taking on the mighty, and as any manager will tell you, ‘it's 11 against 11 at the end of the day', shortly before going on to talk about ‘a game of two halves'.

Clichés are part and parcel of football, and the FA Cup has quite a few of its very own. ‘David and Goliath' battles (and ‘giant-killing, of course), ‘potential banana skins', are but a few, but they sum up the essence of this most egalitarian of sporting competitions. Oh yes; let's not forget ‘the romance of the FA Cup'. How many times does the word ‘romance' get used in sport?

The tie of the round though in terms of banana sins and giant-killing has to be Kettering Town, from the Conference, against Fulham from the Barclays Premier League.

Five divisions separate the two teams, and most of the Fulham players probably earn more in a week than their non-league counterparts do in a year.

Rockingham Road will be full to the rafters on Saturday afternoon - all 1,800 seats will be occupied, and officially there's standing room for a further 4,300 or so - but the atmosphere will be electric and the Premier League superstars will be in for an uncomfortable time, whatever the outcome.

A Kettering win, and an away draw at Manchester United or Liverpool in Round Four, and everyone's dreams will be fulfilled. That's what the FA Cup can do.

This is assuming, of course, that Manchester United and Liverpool make it through to the Fifth Round.

United host Tottenham at the Theatre of Dreams - not a very subtle segue, I know, but bear with me - in what will serve as a dress rehearsal for their Carling Cup Final date at Wembley on March 1..

Both teams appear to be decimated by injuries, and while Sir Alex Ferguson's men currently have the Premiership title in their hands, to win or to lose, Harry Redknapp's focus is concentrated on keeping Spurs in the top flight!

Liverpool and Everton meet for the second time in just seven days in their Sunday clash, and they couldn't be separated in last Monday's league fixture. Rafa Benitez is under considerable pressure after watching his side surrender its lead at the top of the table, and with Real Madrid lying in wait in the first knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool could be looking at the FA Cup as their best bet for silverware this season.

Merseyside derbies are always feisty and entertaining affairs. FA Cup Merseyside derbies are almost certain to provide even more high-octane action.

We are most definitely ‘up for the cup' on ESPN STAR Sports this weekend. And you should be too.

There is, and has been for a while now, a certain inevitability to United's rise after they endured another slow start to a season.

But while Liverpool have been dropping points left, right and centre - 0-0 draws home and away against Stoke City tells you just about everything you need to know - Sir Alex Ferguson's men have been grinding out the results.

December 6 2008: Manchester United 1 Sunderland 0 - a goal in injury time from Nemanja Vidic bagging all the points against a stubborn - some would even say ‘valiant' - Sunderland side.

December 26 2008: Stoke City 0 Manchester United 1 - Carlos Tevez securing the win for United just seven minutes from time against a dogged - some would even say ‘valiant' - Stoke City team.

December 29 2008: Manchester United 1 Middlesbrough 0 - at least Dimitar Berbatov had the decency to score with a little over 20 minutes left on the clock, preventing further damage to United supporters' fingernails.

And yes, Boro had been pretty valiant on the night as well.

January 14 2009: Manchester United 1 Wigan 0 - Wayne Rooney easing everyone's nerves with a goal in the first minute, and despite Wigan gaining a deal of possession, the Red Devils remained devilishly resolute at the back.

Manchester United have not conceded a single goal in the last nine league games.

The point is, that while Liverpool draw with Stoke (twice), Manchester United take all the points against the likes of Stoke, Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Wigan.

They may be narrow wins and involve late goals, but Ferguson's men get the job done, and anyone watching the above-mentioned games against Sunderland, Stoke and Middlesbrough in particular, will assert that it was simply a matter of time before United made the breakthrough. One does not get that impression watching Liverpool.

I am not trying to imply that Manchester United are now a shoe-in for the title - far from it. There are plenty more matches to be played, plenty of points to be won and lost, and plenty more twists and turns before this current season in the BPL is put to bed.

But United have now been installed as ‘favourites', and, more importantly, the momentum is with them. If momentum isn't going to be enough, then belief will get them through. Sir Alex Ferguson knows how to instil belief in players, while question marks still hang over Rafa Benitez - his motivational skills, his man management, not to mention his tactical decisions and team selection.

Liverpool players can be forgiven for scratching their heads and doubting the advisability of Rafa's latest outburst against Sir Alex - stating clearly and in sufficiently measured tones for the world's press to be able to take down every word - that he feels his counterpart is above the law when it comes to criticising referees.

The timing could have been better, and had Liverpool dismantled Stoke at the Britannia Stadium last weekend, it probably would have been. Liverpool have a tough game on Monday night against arch city rivals Everton, and the chances are that they'll need a win to climb back to the top of the table. Manchester United will still have a game in hand.

United travel to the Reebok on Saturday, and face a team that has lost five out of the last six league games and been dumped out of the FA Cup by Sunderland. It won't be easy for the FIFA World Player of the Year and his mates, but who would bet against Ferguson's men getting a 1-0 away win?

Hull's clash with Arsenal at the KC Stadium should be a tasty encounter and set the scene for the remainder of the season for both clubs.

Hull have been struggling of late, but know how to fight hard; Arsene Wenger feels that his side is becoming more resilient, but clearly cannot afford to drop many more points if they're to have any chance of being there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

Quite a few eyes will be on White Hart Lane this Sunday as Tottenham take on Portsmouth. Harry Redknapp's old club visit Harry Redknapp's new club; Jermain Defoe will be in almost immediate action against his previous employers and team-mates. Pick a winner in that one, if you can.

No one can doubt that the game of the weekend will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday, when Manchester United take on Chelsea.

Just four points separate the two teams in the current standings, and Manchester United have two games in hand. A win at the Theatre of Dreams for Sir Alex Ferguson's men will see them move to within a point of a Chelsea team that is beginning to resemble an ocean going vessel that has sprung one or two leaks below decks.

Scolari's tactical decisions have reportedly been called into question recently by some of Chelsea's senior players, and the manager himself has been informed that there will be no funds for new recruits made available to him this January.

It's a far cry from the early part of the Roman Abramovich era when blank cheques were the order of the day, and Chelsea could pick and choose from the pool of global talent. Manchester City's new-found wealth has changed all that.

There is always pressure at the top to get results, and it's worth noting ahead of Sunday's game that if Manchester United can win their two games in hand they will be just a single point shy of leaders Liverpool, but the pressure in and around the bottom of the table is also increasing with each passing week.

No one is under the microscopic scrutiny of fans and media alike more than Manchester City's Mark Hughes.

City have won just one league game in the last six, and lost five of the last nine games in all competitions, including the ultimate humiliation last weekend when they were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest, a team from English football's second tier - and struggling against relegation to boot.

To lose by the odd goal in a thrilling Cup tie in which the underdogs play out of their skin and get a few lucky breaks is almost acceptable. But Manchester City lost 3-0, at home, to a team that sacked their manager on Boxing Day.

‘Indefensible' was the word used by Hughes himself to describe his team's performance, and that may well apply to the state of his tenure should City not get a decent result against Portsmouth on Saturday and the side remain just a couple of points above the drop zone.

Other cracking ties this weekend see Arsenal entertaining Bolton and Stoke City hosting Liverpool.

The Gunners are now 10 points off Liverpool at the top of the table and any more points dropped, particularly at home, will see their title aspirations evaporate.

Indeed, Arsenal find themselves in a scrap at the moment for that final UEFA Champions League spot with Aston Villa, and such is the extent of their injury list that they may have to ask for planning permission to put an extension on their treatment room.

Stoke City emerged from Anfield earlier in the season with a creditable 0-0 draw, and there's little doubt that Rafa Benitez's men will be looking to set the record straight this weekend.

They'll have to deal with the narrow pitch at the Britannia Stadium, and the siege gun long throws of Rory Delap, but will expect nothing less than all three points on Saturday.

A draw on Sunday between Manchester United and Chelsea - not an unlikely result in any encounter involving the Big Four - and Liverpool could open up a significant gap at the top.

Another hugely entertaining weekend in the Barclays Premier League looms, but be careful when it comes to putting your necks on the chopping block in terms of making predictions.

Remember; anything can happen, and frequently does. Game On.

Liverpool's home game against Hull would have been viewed (at the beginning of the season at least) as a nailed on three pointer. Having gone two goals behind at Anfield, Rafa Benitez could be forgiven for being grateful for emerging with a draw.

It wasn't a result that confounded the form books - Hull have already proved this season that they can mix in the best company - but it was still a surprise. For Liverpool to be genuine title contenders, and the current league table shows that they must be, these are games that they simply have to win. They didn't.

Arsenal's draw at Middlesbrough wasn't startling, and Arsene Wenger was probably the most sanguine of the Big Four bosses after the weekend. Boro always give the Gunners a tough time at the Riverside, and this occasion was no exception. A lot of questions are being asked of this current Arsenal squad at this juncture. So far, very few answers have been provided.

As for Chelsea, they must have looked at a home game against beleaguered West Ham United (who came into the game at Stamford Bridge with just one win in the previous 10) as a walk in the park, only to be held to a 1-1 draw, while Manchester United, despite dominating much of the game at White Hart Lane against Tottenham, also had to settle for a solitary point.

Nothing this season, is as it seems. No results are ‘givens'. The Hulls and Stokes of this world have proven themselves to be more than capable of punching above their perceived weight, and delivering the odd bloody nose. It's a set of circumstances that has led to it being tight at the top of the table, and even more congested at the bottom.

For Paul Ince and Blackburn, it's a case of ‘Rover and Out'. For many of us who make a living watching and talking about football, it was an accident waiting to happen, almost from day one.

Managing Macclesfield Town and the Milton Keynes Dons, with every respect to both those clubs, doesn't qualify you to manage a Barclays Premier League club, and many aver that Ince's reputation as a player was a greater part of his CV than his managerial credentials.

In Sam Allardyce, Blackburn have secured the services of someone eminently capable of steadying the ship and getting it out of choppy waters. He's a good tactician, knows how to work with limited resources, and always gets the best out of his players. His mission this weekend, and he has no choice but to accept it, is a home game against Stoke. It would seem to offer a great opportunity to offer a touch of pre-Christmas cheer to the Ewood Park faithful.

The big match this weekend sees Arsenal entertaining Liverpool on Sunday. Should Rafa's boys bag the points, they will be 11 clear of the side from North London. Even at this stage of the season, that's a healthy lead. Should Arsenal get a home win, however, the gap between the two will be just 5 points, and that's easily surmountable with half the season remaining.

Manchester United are embroiled in FIFA Club World Cup action in Japan, and could conceivably find themselves 9 points behind leaders Liverpool by the end of the weekend, albeit with two games in hand. It may seem like an unwanted distraction for the Red Devils, but as Sir Alex Ferguson has said (in as many words), given the opportunity, who wouldn't want to be crowned the best club side in the world?

Chelsea's visit to Goodison Park on Monday night would appear to have ‘away win' written all over it. Everton have won just once at home all season, while Chelsea's away record has been perfection itself. 8 games, 8 wins, 21 goals scored and just 1 conceded; quite remarkable.

But if there's one thing we can be sure of this season, it's that we can't be sure of anything. Nothing can be taken for granted. There are rumblings in the Chelsea camp with, reportedly, several senior Blues players questioning some of Scolari's tactical decisions, while Everton will be buoyed by yet another away win at Manchester City in the last round of fixtures.

Another fascinating weekend looms in the greatest football league on earth. Making predictions is never easy, but this season it's turning out to be spectacularly difficult in terms of getting them right. If the call to arms is to ‘pay your money and take your choice', then I'm zipping up my wallet, putting it in my piggy bank (a bit of a squeeze) and placing it in the safe.

This weekend, we are likely to see just how far Tottenham Hotspur have come under Harry Redknapp's tutelage.

The task at hand, in this round of fixtures in the Barclays Premier League, is a home game against Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson's men in pretty good form, and hell-bent on making sure that Liverpool and Chelsea don't get away from them at the top of the table.

United are coming off a UEFA Champions League draw with Aalborg, and struggled to break down Sunderland at Old Trafford last weekend, despite a bewilderingly high share of possession and the creation of innumerable chances. They had to rely on a late, late goal to bag all the points, and Sir Alex will not want to put himself through the same level of stress two weekends running. He isn't getting any younger, you know.

While one would expect Manchester United to hit the ground running at White Hart Lane, they'll face a Spurs side that has won 9 out of the last 12 matches in all competitions, and is beginning to play some decent football.

The 2-0 win at Upton Park on Monday night wasn't particularly convincing - or stylish, for that matter - but Redknapp's men got the job done, and every Spurs supporter would have taken great heart from Ledley King's ‘triffic' - thanks Harry - performance, and the fact that his first goal in three years broke the deadlock between the two sides.

King had a huge game at Upton Park, but it's been well documented and assiduously reported that he has chronic knee problems and has difficulty playing successive games within a few days of one another. King's involvement on Saturday is vital to Spurs' chances, so it will be interesting to see if his name is on the team sheet.

Chelsea face West Ham United in the London derby on Sunday, having scraped through to the knockout stage of the Champions League after a 2-1 win against CFR Cluj. Once again, Luiz Felipe Scolari's men failed to deliver a stellar performance in front of their home fans, and the tension at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night was palpable. Didier Drogba rescued the situation for Chelsea when he came on as a second half substitute, and Scolari will be faced with tough selection decisions ahead of the weekend.

Should Drogba start in place of Anelka - the league's top scorer this season? Can the two form a credible strike partnership, and if so, who gets left out?

Admittedly, this is the kind of headache top managers are happy to deal with, and indeed thrive on, but Scolari needs to get it right on Sunday, and Chelsea need to re-establish Stamford Bridge as the place where no one comes to get a result.

One of the most intriguing ties this weekend sees Hull City's visit to Anfield. It's a fixture that would have been almost unimaginable a few seasons ago, in anything other than a cup competition.

Following a dream start to their first ever campaign in English football's top flight, reality appeared to have kicked in when Phil Brown's men lost four on the bounce.

But, and speaking of bounces, they have bounced back to remain unbeaten in four, showing great character last weekend to come from behind for the home win against Middlesbrough.

Liverpool's title credentials seem to be analysed and assessed after every single performance, and they'll know that results at Anfield haven't been good enough this season.

Stoke City, Fulham and West Ham have all emerged with 0-0 draws from a ground that is supposed to be the archetypal ‘fortress'. These are all teams that Liverpool would have expected to beat comfortably, and Hull is another.

Just how realistic are Liverpool's Barclays Premier League title chances?

Results this weekend will go a long way towards answering the question.

What's the hardest job in the world?

Coal miner? Great white shark dentist? Brain surgeon? Diamond cutter? (‘hard'...get it?). Carlos Tevez's beautician? Test pilot for a model airplane manufacturer?

Or a pundit on ESPN STAR Sports, particularly one of the ‘chosen' few who get to appear on Football Forecast?

Making predictions is never easy, as last week's announcement that the Annual General Meeting of the Society for Clairvoyants had to be cancelled due to ‘unforeseen circumstances', testifies to.

The current Barclays Premier League season though has thrown up so many surprises and aberrant results that only the foolhardy, the brave, or those who get paid good money for putting their reputations on the line, would dare to stick their necks out.

The last couple of weekends have witnessed some extraordinary score lines. Who, for example, would have imagined that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool would all have failed to score two weeks ago, or that Aston Villa wouldn't have found some way past Fulham last Saturday? Did anyone really think that Bolton would emerge from the Stadium of Light with a 4-1 win?

So many questions; and quite a few answers - most of them wrong. It's a difficult job being a pundit.

I have a strange feeling that it's not going to get any easier this weekend.

Arsenal's result at Stamford Bridge last Sunday has set the proverbial cat among the pigeons. A win for Chelsea and they would have been top of the table and a full 13 points clear of their London rivals. The question marks surrounding the Gunners' spirit and determination were addressed to some extent in their come-from-behind win, and the gap is now just six points.

Manchester United's win at Eastlands contributed further to the concertina effect, taking them to within six points of the top of the table, with a game in hand.

To quote a favourite saying in football, ‘it could all have been so different'. But it wasn't, and we head into the next round of fixtures with a mere eight points separating the top four. Game on.

Arsenal must be confident of beating Wigan at The Emirates on Saturday, but then they must have expected to receive all the points in their game against Hull City at home, and Stoke City away for that matter.

If Arsenal can raise their game to take on the likes of Chelsea, they need to prove their title credentials by ‘getting themselves up' for teams such as Wigan as well.

The same nature of task faces Chelsea this weekend as they travel to face a Bolton side off a string of good results. It's four wins out of five for Gary Megson's men and they're comfortably up to 9th in the table. They will provide a stern test for Chelsea at The Reebok, while pundits will be looking at The Blues' perfect away record this season. A tough one to call? You bet.

Liverpool were booed off the field at Anfield on Monday night, after they failed to overcome West Ham United. It was a game almost stage managed to ensure that Liverpool surged to a three point lead at the top of the table, but on the night, they fluffed their lines, playing out their fourth 0-0 league draw of the season.

On Saturday they face a Blackburn side that has taken three points out of a last possible 27, have lost the last four on the bounce, and are now just one place off the bottom. Paul Ince's job is under threat, and he will demand full commitment from his players at Ewood Park. It will not be an easy afternoon for Liverpool.

Arguably the most intriguing fixture of the weekend will take place at Old Trafford where Sunderland come calling. Roy Keane said after the defeat against Bolton, "I ask myself every day if I'm the right man for Sunderland. I asked myself this morning and I said I was. Sunday morning, if the answer's no, we'll have to look at it."
 
We must conclude that on Thursday morning, the question Roy posed himself, presumably in the mirror at home, was answered in the negative, and the man who returned to Sunderland with almost messianic expectations has quit the club after 27 months in charge.
 
Keane had been under enormous pressure, with Sunderland losing five out of their last six and dropping into the relegation zone; all this amid accusations in the press that the man had 'lost the plot', and had begun 'to believe his own mythology'. Sunderland will go to the Theatre of Dreams without a manager.

It all presents a fascinating backdrop to the game, but surely only the very imaginative would foresee anything other than a Manchester United win. Right?

What's going to happen this weekend in the Barclays Premier League?

It's hard to say.

Apart from the fact that we get to see some of the top teams in action in the UEFA Champions League - at least those of us with a plentiful supply of coffee who are prepared to tune in for matches at 3.45 in the morning - it means that the subsequent Barclays Premier League weekend schedule is staggered.

This in turn means that we do not have to try to watch three games at the same time on a Saturday night, wearing out batteries in the remote control and almost invariably switching over just before a goal is scored and missing all the important bits. Or is this just me?

The current season is panning out as one of the most fascinating in years. The bottom 10 clubs are separated by a mere seven points, while the gap from seventh place to rock bottom is a paltry eight points - that's less than three wins after taking into account football currency conversion rates.

It means that a win can propel teams up the table in the time it takes to score a winner, while even the clubs in the relegation zone know that relative safety could be just around the corner.

Usually, I might even say ‘traditionally', at this stage of a season, one or two clubs are detached and fighting for their lives. Although West Bromwich Albion have had to look up at every other team for a couple of weeks now from the depths of the Premier League table, a win at Wigan on Saturday would put them back into the survival mix.

However, Tony Mowbray's men continue to try to play attacking, flowing football, and many pundits feel that this may not be the order of the day when it comes to maintaining top flight status.

Stoke City have proved that the direct approach can work at this level, and have used their admittedly limited resources to good effect. Rory Delap's long throw, and the considerable physique of their players have contributed to Stoke winning five games at home already this season. Only Liverpool, Manchester United and Fulham can match that.

While teams continue to play their somewhat manic mid-table game of musical chairs on Saturday, all eyes will be on two cracking Sunday matches, the results of which could have significant ramifications for the rest of the campaign.

Manchester United will be only too aware of the fact that their city rivals beat them twice in the league last season - an almost unprecedented series of events. Manchester City were the only team to emerge from Old Trafford in the 2007-8 campaign with all the spoils, something that must have been particularly galling for Sir Alex Ferguson.

On Sunday, we will see just how far Manchester City have come, and perhaps are capable of going, with their current squad, which could give us some indication as to their transfer window intentions come January.

Manchester United are now eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the table, and nothing less than a win will be required to maintain their title credentials. City players will be aware that they are all playing for their places in view of the club owner's vast financial resources and their stated desire to bring in the world's best, regardless of cost.

Following the Manchester derby, Sunday also sees a titanic clash at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea entertain Arsenal. London derbies are never for the faint hearted and the context for this encounter is particularly intriguing.

Arsenal still have to answer most of the questions raised about their bravery and commitment to the cause, and while rumours of back-biting and dissension in the ranks continue to rumble, Arsene Wenger may be facing one of the more significant challenges in his distinguished managerial career. There will be no bigger test than at Stamford Bridge.

ESPN STAR Sports pundits had a poor weekend last time out when it came to making predictions, but then, didn't we all? Who, for example, would have imagined that with all the firepower at the disposal of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, not one of the teams would have been able to score?

Three 0-0 draws, and a 3-0 home loss for Arsenal, were all the elite teams in English football were capable of mustering, and the shock waves are still reverberating around the Barclays Premier League.

It proves once again, that on any given day, any team in the Premier League is capable of beating any other, and the Big Four don't have a divine right to get results against seemingly inferior opposition.

Nothing is certain these days in the world's best football league, except uncertainty. Will there be more surprises this weekend? I wouldn't be at all surprised.

Here is the weather report, brought to you by Aston Villa FC.

In October there were overcast skies early on, followed by a couple of bright sunny spells.

Villa struggled to a 1-1 draw with lowly Litex Lovech before coming away from Stamford Bridge empty handed, having been dominated and systematically dismantled by Luiz Felipe's Scolari's men.

A spell of high pressure followed in the 0-0 home draw with Portsmouth, but the Villains couldn't find the back of the net despite some second half flurries.

Bright sunshine was then the order of the day, as Villa beat the once mighty Ajax of Amsterdam in the UEFA Cup, and then put four past a hapless Wigan at the JJB. The sunglasses and factor 15 were then brought out in the 3-2 home win against Blackburn.

Just as the bad weather appeared to be blowing over, Aston Villa went up to St James' Park in early November and came away on the wrong side of a 2-0 score line, and while an away win at Slavia Prague seemed to have got Martin O'Neill's men back into the temperate zone, the wind chill was very much in evidence as Villa went down 2-1 at home against a Middlesbrough side that had only won once away from home all season. Aston Villa gifted Middlesbrough both their goals with shocking defensive errors - it was enough to cause a depression in the Midlands.

A cold front appeared to be looming as they faced a tough London Nor'easter at The Emirates Stadium against Arsenal, but the atmospheric conditions proved to be beneficial to the men in claret and blue as they outgunned the Gunners and emerged with all three points - Gabriel Agbonlahor's lightning pace eventually proving too much for the Arsenal back line to handle.

A win this weekend for Aston Villa at home against Manchester United is sure to provide the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but the simple fact of the matter is that Villa have been blowing hot and cold all season. Martin O'Neill's scalp will be even less likely to withstand the dangers of ultraviolet rays should he succeed in tearing any more of his hair out.

Brilliant one day; lacklustre and misfiring the next; Aston Villa have been one of the most entertaining, and easily the most frustrating team to watch so far this season. Failure to put on a good performance against Manchester United at the weekend will further serve to fog the issue of their credentials for breaking into the top four. It will be (and this will be the last of the meteorological analogies, I promise) a severe barometer test.

It's arguably the pick of the ties in this round of Barclays Premier League fixtures, but Arsenal's trip to Manchester City could prove almost equally intriguing.

City are just a point off the relegation zone and have tasted defeat in three of their last four league fixtures, drawing the other. Mark Hughes is under enormous pressure to give the new owners an immediate return on their massive investment, and yet his team seems to be failing to click in any meaningful way.

Arsenal for their part have to bounce back from the home defeat against Villa and prove to us all that they have the steely edge and commitment required to win matches when fast-paced attacking football doesn't appear to be getting the job done. It will be tense at Eastlands.

While Chelsea will settle for nothing less than an emphatic win at home against Newcastle, Liverpool may find Fulham difficult to break down at Anfield. Roy Hodgson's men have been defending well of late, with Brede Hangeland putting in some standout performances - as though he doesn't stand out enough at 6' 5" in height.

Liverpool need to get Fernando Torres back to match fitness as soon as possible.

The pick of Sunday's games sees Tottenham Hotspur, off their first defeat under Harry Redknapp, entertaining Blackburn Rovers at White Hart Lane. It's 19th versus 18th in terms of the league standings, and a relegation 6-pointer if the media hype is to be believed.

After a superb start to his managerial career at Spurs, the confidence seemed to evaporate at Fulham last weekend, and three points against a Blackburn side that knows how hard it will need to battle, will not be a breeze. Sorry - couldn't resist it.

To be perfectly honest, at the end of the day, and bearing in mind that it's almost invariably a game of two halves, we'll trot them out with alacrity whenever there's a need to fill the time it takes to think up something either relevant or interesting to say.

You could look at it as our own form of punctuation. While the written word contains commas and full stops, occasionally even semi colons and the odd hyphen, when you talk for a living, the commas (or short pauses) tend to take the form of something meaningless such as ‘of course' (every commentator's favourite), ‘you know' (every footballer's favourite) or ‘well, to a certain extent' (a pundit's favourite generally used to hide the fact that he either hasn't understood the question or has no idea how to answer it - in some cases, both).

So, I'm not going to talk about ‘bubbles bursting', ‘never say die attitudes', or ‘winning ugly' in this week's piece, and I am not going to refer those hoary old chestnuts to Hull City, Tottenham and Liverpool. Or am I?

Hull were dismantled by Chelsea at the KC Stadium on Wednesday night, a major reality check for Phil Brown's boys. The fairytale isn't over, not by a long chalk, because if you had given the Tigers, at the beginning of the season, 20 points from their opening 10 games, they would have bitten your hand off.

But Chelsea went through the Hull defence at will, like a knife through butter, and it proved to be poor preparation for the newly promoted side's trip to Old Trafford this weekend.

If Hull have been punching above their weight so far this campaign, they went into the ring on Wednesday night with some experienced prize fighters who didn't pull any of their blows and were prepared to stand toe to toe.

Hull knew that they couldn't match the quality of Chelsea's expensively assembled team, and they'll be fearing the worst ahead of their encounter with Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Saturday at the Theatre of Dreams is going to be a tough outing for Hull, especially bearing in mind the fact that the World Player of the Year Elect (elected by himself admittedly, but he's a fairly safe bet) is beginning to rediscover top form. I'm speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo by the way, just in case anyone was wondering.

Arsenal and Tottenham fought out the game of the season so far at The Emirates on Wednesday night, with Harry Redknapp's Spurs simply refusing to go quietly into the night as another Gunners' scalp, having twice trailed by two goals.

At 4-2 down with a minute left of regulation time, Harry and the lads were heading for defeat in his first game in full charge. It was widely expected, and over the course of the match, very few would have begrudged Arsene Wenger's men the three points, but a great strike from Jermaine Jenas (who'd done precious little for the previous 89 minutes) and a tap in for Aaron Lennon deep into injury time, rescued a draw for Spurs and a precious point in their quest to drag themselves out of the drop zone.

Wenger was hopping mad. The Arsenal faithful - at least those who hadn't left their seats after the home side's ‘game over' fourth goal - were stunned.

The Spurs players and the corner of the ground that housed the visiting supporters were delirious. You would have thought they'd won the league title, or the lottery, or both.

The match highlighted all the problems that Harry has to address - an error prone goalkeeper; incompetent defending at set pieces; the lack of physical presence displayed by certain individuals. But in refusing to give up, he will go into the next training session, and look ahead to the next match at home to Liverpool, knowing that his team has character.

With the way Spurs have been playing in recent weeks, and indeed possibly up to last Sunday and including Wednesday, Rafa Benitez must have thought that all Liverpool had to do this weekend is turn up at White Hart Lane and collect the three points.

It may be a slightly different prospect now, and Liverpool will be well aware that they have not always been winning with the degree of style their supporters expect.

They did enough to beat Portsmouth at Anfield on Wednesday night, and no one would take anything away from their excellent team performance last weekend when they became the first side in more than four-and-a-half years to emerge from Stamford Bridge with all the goodies.

In the current context, Tottenham versus Liverpool is one of the choice ties in this upcoming round of fixtures, while Manchester United versus Hull City also captures the imagination.

Anything can happen in the Barclays Premier League, and frequently does. We'll take lots more of the same please. Thank you.

All eyes this weekend will be on Stamford Bridge.

Sunday sees the clash between the two remaining undefeated clubs in the Barclays Premier League and, as they say, notwithstanding a draw, something has to give.

Liverpool have shown a new-found resilience and self-belief this season - their innumerable come-from-behind wins have testified to that. They conceded first against Manchester United in September and rallied to take the points; they were a goal down against Marseille in the UEFA Champions League and came away with a 2-1 win; and in their last two league games they went into the break at Manchester City 2-0 down and still emerged victorious, and were twice behind against Wigan before sealing the triumph with a late Dirk Kuyt strike. I won't mention the fact that it was a mishit volley - we all know.

In terms of triumph in adversity, any Liverpool side will have to go some to emulate the feat of the Champions League winning outfit of 2005, when they overcame a 3-0 half-time deficit against AC Milan in the final to claim the trophy. That was ‘almost impossible', while the win at Manchester City was merely ‘highly unlikely', but while Liverpool sides have constantly proven their credentials in European competition, Rafa and his Reds had struggled to replicate that kind of spirit on the domestic front.

The situation may have changed, and apart from a certain amount of good fortune - which every team needs in order to make a concerted title challenge - the current crop of Liverpool players has been good value for the wins it has eked out against the odds.

They may, however, not find Chelsea quite as accommodating as, say, the Manchester City side that was content to sit back and defend their 2 goal lead in the second half at Eastlands.

Unlike Jose Mourinho, and indeed his short-lived successor Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari doesn't sit on 1-0 leads, preferring to continue to push forward in search of a second goal that would make a game safe, believing that attack really is the best form of defence.

Few would refute the tactics of a World Cup winning manager, and most pundits have been delighted to observe a Chelsea side this season that has put together an eye-catching combination of both form and substance.

Furthermore, Chelsea have been carrying all before them this season with an injury list as long as Petr Cech's arm - he's 6'5 and ½", so it's reasonable to expect his arms to be lengthy. The rest of the Barclays Premier League (and indeed Chelsea's Champions league counterparts) could be forgiven for shaking in their football boots at the prospect of what the side could achieve once Scolari has a fully fit squad from which to make his team selection.

Liverpool will not want to give Chelsea a head start this weekend, and one would imagine that they would be happy to take a point from the game. A Chelsea win would signal a statement of intent as far as the league title is concerned, and it may be one that becomes more and more difficult to refute.

I make no apologies for devoting much of this week's column to the top of the table clash at The Bridge, but there are several other intriguing encounters over the weekend.

Expect the rumblings at White Hart Lane to reach seismic proportions should Tottenham not secure their first league win of the season against Bolton, while Everton could find themselves in the drop zone if they can't get something out a rampant Manchester United side at Goodison Park.

The North East derby at The Stadium of Light should give us some indication as to whether Newcastle United are beginning to find their collective feet under Joe Kinnear, while Hull City could move to within a point of Liverpool and Chelsea at the top should it end in stalemate at Stamford Bridge and Phil Brown's men continue their winning ways against West Bromwich Albion.

West Ham United have seen the ‘feel good' factor of Gianfranco Zola's appointment as manager diminish recently following successive defeats at the hands of Bolton and Hull, and Arsenal will know that they must continue to win to keep the pressure up on Liverpool, Chelsea and....Hull City!

This weekend signals a period of frantic activity for all the Premier League clubs, most of which will take to the field 3 times in the space of 8 days - less, in some cases. By next weekend, the season will be through its first quarter, and while the usual suspects jostle for certain positions, we've had more than our fair share of surprises. And there'll be more to come.

But of the 10 clashes this weekend one stands out as an almost ‘must win', ‘do or die', encounter and it takes place at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.

That it features Stoke City will not come as a surprise to many. Most pundits felt that the squad put together by Tony Pulis lacked the necessary quality to perform at the very highest level. That the nascent relegation mire also involves Tottenham Hotspur is unheralded, unanticipated, and widely unexpected.

Spurs remain as the only BPL side yet to win a game this season, with a manager whose tenure is under threat, and with a bunch of profoundly talented but under-performing players who still seem to be displaying first date nervousness when kitting up and taking to the field with each other.

Juande Ramos has been given the dreaded ‘vote of confidence' by the Tottenham board of directors, who insist that he will be given time to get things right. Even at this stage, time may be running out.

If Tottenham are still bottom of the league when all around them are tucking into their turkey at Christmas time (it's worth noting that only one cub in the history of the BPL has been bottom of the table heading into the New Year, and still managed to avoid relegation) Ramos's position will be untenable. Changes will have to be made; horses changed in midstream; and the building process begun again, no doubt with an influx of new players after the January transfer window closes.

Spurs need a result this weekend, and so do their opponents. It was never going to be an easy season for Stoke City, and despite a fantastic spirit at the club and a manager who knows how to best utilise the resources he has, they're ‘workmanlike', at best.

In Rory Delap they have an individual who can produce siege gun throw-ins that have already proved their effectiveness in unsettling even the best defences, and in Ricardo Fuller they have a striker who, on his day, is a major threat. Looking through the rest of the squad, and with every respect to a group of players who work hard and play hard, there doesn't appear to be an awful lot more to concern other teams in the league.

Conversely, Hull City have had a stunning start to their first season in the top flight. They host a financially beleaguered West Ham United side, also on Sunday, in a game that could see Phil Brown's side move even close to the top of the table.

Everyone's favourites to make their stay in the BPL a short one (‘season-long' seemed to conform to most expectations) Hull have confounded in style. Back-to-back wins in North London have taken them to the heady heights of 3rd in the table, and produced a confidence and self-belief that is proving hard to shake.

West Ham have also enjoyed a good season start, but the club is, reportedly, in disarray off the field, with bad financial news counteracting the feel-good factor of having a new, dynamic and charismatic manager. Sunday's clash will give us a good indication of where both teams are ‘at' at this juncture.

From inept, to sublime, and back to merely ordinary; that's been Arsenal's form of late, losing to Hull at home, dismantling FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League, and then failing to get more than a point at Sunderland. Arsenal need a win on Saturday at The Emirates to keep the pressure on title race leaders Chelsea and Liverpool, and they face an Everton side that may well be buoyed by David Moyes' decision to sign a new 5 year contract.

Liverpool face a Wigan Athletic side that has played better than their current points total suggests, knowing that in their last league encounter at Anfield they allowed Stoke City to escape with a point.

Having said that, two weeks ago, Liverpool came away from the City of Manchester Stadium with all the spoils, despite trailing 2-0 at half time. It is precisely that kind of result that serves to firm up Liverpool's title credentials, but they do need to despatch Wigan on Saturday with a minimum of fuss to add further weight to their burgeoning expectations.

Manchester United must be confident of taking the points against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford, despite the fact that the Baggies have secured two wins on the bounce in recent league games. Tony Mowbray's side sits 9th in the table, and continue to try to play attacking, stylish football. They will relish their day at the Theatre of Dreams, and would be delighted to come away with a point. Manchester United need to be ruthless.

Left, right and centre, once again the Barclays Premier League throws up fascinating encounters. If Stoke were entertaining Tottenham in their current positions with only a few games of the season remaining, we would have every right to invoke ‘do or die'. So why not now?

Hull City proved me right, taking on an Arsenal side in fine fettle and playing superb flowing football, and beating them on their own turf.

Phil Brown's boys enjoyed their North London sojourn last weekend, and they get the opportunity to revisit the area in this next round of fixtures. They might be thinking that there won't be a better time to face a Tottenham Hotspur outfit for whom the word ‘beleaguered' is simply insufficient.

Spurs are experiencing their worst start to a league season in 53 years, and Juande Ramos, the man assiduously courted by the Spurs board while Martin Jol was still ‘in charge', and subsequently poached from Spain's Sevilla, is fighting for his very survival.

What's gone wrong?

Where do I start?

Despite spending a substantial amount of money in the summer bringing in the talents of Giovani dos Santos, Luka Modric, Vedran Corluka, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Heurelho Gomes, not to mention David Bentley (although of course now I have) the club also saw the exits of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane.

Those two produced 46 goals between them last season, and constituted one of the best and most successful strike partnerships in the league. Should I mention the departure of Jermain Defoe at this juncture? I may as well, although he was allowed to leave well before Messrs Berbatov and Keane flew the coop.

To understate the obvious, Spurs have not replaced like with like. With a degree of respect to Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko, Keane and Berbatov are a tough act to follow.

But it's not just about scoring goals. I have watched every one of Spurs' games so far this campaign, and quite apart from never seeing the same starting 11, I have also never seen a set of players who look so much like strangers to one another. The only point of unification seems to be that they are all wearing shirts of the same colour. It doesn't appear to go beyond that.

Furthermore, the players don't seem to be able to string three passes together unless it's just outside their own penalty box, while Juande Ramos, the ‘master tactician', who took Sevilla to back-to-back UEFA Cup titles, has come up with some strange line-ups and some even stranger formations.

Of course a manager has to be given time to decide on a first choice 11, but these are matters that need to be worked out on the training pitch, not 6 games into a season that has already seen a club plummet to the bottom and show signs of sinking yet further.

I could go on. I shouldn't. Suffice it to say that poor results against Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night and against Hull City in the Barclays Premier League this weekend, would put Ramos in an almost untenable position. It's a sorry plight for a man who arrived in North London so keen to satisfy the hopes and expectations of the Spurs fans.

Tottenham is the only team standing between Newcastle United and the bottom of the table, and Joe Kinnear takes charge of the side for the first time in Sunday's visit to Goodison Park.

If Spurs are in a mess on the field, Newcastle are in chaos off it. Appointing a new manager on more or less a ‘part time' basis doesn't bode well. That the manager happens to have been out of work for four years and had significant heart-related health problems when he was employed, doesn't bode much better.

With every respect to Joe, it's a strange appointment, and one that smacks of desperation. Newcastle must hope that Everton's poor home form this season continues, because being bottom of the table heading into the international break would add insult to the already injured Geordie faithful.

Other ties that capture the imagination this weekend feature Paul Ince's Blackburn Rovers entertaining Manchester United at Ewood Park, and Chelsea playing hosts to Aston Vila.

Ince versus Ferguson makes for a tasty encounter, and as the former Manchester United player attempts to build a team in his own image, the Red Devils will know that they've been in a game.

Chelsea and Aston Villa produced one of the most entertaining matches of last season when they played out a 4-4 draw in the corresponding fixture. Let's hope for more of the same at Stamford Bridge.

There are no less than 9 Barclays Premier League teams who will have been involved in European action prior to this round of fixtures. Experience teaches us to expect a degree of strain. It's game on for everyone this weekend, with Juande Ramos in particular wondering quite how long that will continue to be the case.

Hull were promoted and are now enjoying life in the Barclays Premier League.

Sheffield United remain in the Championship, where they are just three points off a play-off spot at this early stage in the season.

Sheffield United were put to the sword by Arsenal's B team in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup on Tuesday night.

Hull City travel to the Emirates Stadium this weekend to face a rampant Arsenal side that's top of the table and bathing in confidence suffused waters.

Can you see where I'm going with this?

If recent form is anything to go by, the result on Saturday between Arsenal and Hull City should be a foregone conclusion. But the beauty of the Barclays Premier League, and indeed its very essence, is that on any given Saturday, any team is capable of beating any other.

Hull City have to have the same sense of belief that Stoke City displayed last weekend when they went to Anfield and came away with a hard fought, but creditable draw. No one - pundits included - gave them so much as a snowball's chance in hell of emerging from Merseyside with their tails anywhere other than between their legs.

On paper, the task for Hull is even harder, especially after Arsenal rested a slew of players for their Carling Cup tie, and put out a team against Sheffield United with an average age of 19. What an experience it must have been for Sheffield United's Gary Speed, playing with a bunch of whippersnappers literally half his age!

Arsenal's young Gunners were quite simply superb in their 6-0 win, and with Wenger having an almost fully fit squad from which to choose, Phil Brown and his Tigers may be looking ahead to a long Saturday afternoon - made longer possibly by the late kick off and the increasing length of the shadows they may end up chasing.

But while Hull will be hoping for an Arsenal off day - and they do occur - Phil Brown's men will also know that they will have to deploy every ounce of the grit, determination and discipline that got them into the Premier League at the end of last season. They'll take a point. If they do, they will have made one.

This weekend sees the first Merseyside derby of the season, as Liverpool make the short trip across Stanley Park to face Everton. David Moyes' men have secured seven points so far his campaign from their opening five matches, and all of those points have been accrued on the team's travels.

The burden of entertaining the Goodison Park faithful seems to be weighing heavily on Everton's shoulders right now, and this is something the backroom staff is going to have to address.

If Stoke City were ecstatic to come away from Anfield last weekend with a point, I wonder how much they would give for a similar result against Chelsea, visitors to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Chelsea have dropped four points this season, off successive home draws - one of which was against Manchester United. Like Everton, they appear to enjoy playing away from home, freed perhaps from the pressure of having to entertain, and being able to concentrate on the important things in football life, such as winning matches.

Chelsea might wish that they were playing Portsmouth again this weekend. They beat them 4-0 on the opening day of the league season, and dismantled them on Wednesday by the same score-line in the Carling Cup.

It's an important weekend as well for Manchester United who haven't won a league game since 25 August, and are already seven points behind Arsenal in their quest to retain the Barclays Premier League title. They face a Bolton side at Old Trafford that has struggled so far, particularly in terms of their away form.

This could turn out to be a long, hard season for Gary Megson's men, especially when you look at the club's personnel. Perhaps I'm being harsh, but looking through the Bolton squad, I'm struggling to find a name that I would associate with the phrase ‘worth the entrance money alone'.

Finally, Tottenham Hotspur have something to build on this weekend, after securing their place in the 4th round of the Carling Cup at the expense of Newcastle United. It wasn't a great performance by Juande Ramos' men at St James' Park - another different line-up, yet another variant on the theme of formation - but the job got done.

Portsmouth play hosts to Spurs on Sunday and have but a few days to recover from the shellshock they must have experienced in their two most recent games. Manchester City and Chelsea have seen to it that Portsmouth's defences have been breached no less than 10 times in three hours of football, and Harry Redknapp will not want his side to concede any more ‘scandalous' goals.

Intriguing fixtures abound once again this weekend in the Barclays Premier League. While teams in form will always be favoured, it's important to remember that there's never such a thing as a foregone conclusion.

Hairdryers, football boots and teacups have become cliché. Sir Alex Ferguson is going to have to look for something else in his armoury if he's to put fear in some of his underperforming and, so far, under-achieving players.

Manchester United have taken 4 points from their opening 3 games in the Barclays Premier League; have been beaten in the European Super Cup by Zenit St Petersburg; and fired blanks in the UEFA Champions League against Villarreal on Wednesday night. The Red Devils are not exactly setting the world alight at this moment in time.

To make matters worse, Sir Alex tasted defeat at the hands of Rafa Benitez in a league match for the very first time last weekend, and now has to travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face a rampant Chelsea side brimming with confidence and clearly intent on undermining United's confidence yet further.

Chelsea haven't lost at The Bridge now for 84 league games - a truly astonishing record that dates back to February 2004. The way they dismissed Manchester City last weekend (even with Robinho sporting a City shirt for the first time) and then dismantled Bordeaux in the Champions League in midweek, should give Sir Alex and the boys plenty of cause for concern.

United will be delighted to have Cristiano Ronaldo back in the fold, but it will be a while before he regains match fitness and even approaches his former sharpness. In the meantime, just to mix my sporting metaphors, Sir Alex's other charges are going to have to step up to the plate, and be counted (so, two metaphors for the price of one).

Encounters between the Big Four are always eagerly awaited, but I can't help feeling that perhaps Sir Alex would like to have waited a little bit longer for this one.

Dimitar Berbatov has yet to bed in to the tactical structure of the United set-up - no blame for anyone here; it's only been one game, and that was against as determined and combative a Liverpool side as we've seen in recent years. But there's been plenty of criticism in media circles for two of Manchester United's old guard, namely Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Giggs' defensive negligence (some would even call it ‘naivety', but then that would be cruel to the 34 year old) directly resulted in Liverpool's winning goal last Saturday, and Scholes ‘should have been brought on at half time'. Well, that was the comment from a cheery pundit who clearly wasn't impressed with his first half performance - or any part of it, come to that.

Chelsea versus Manchester United is the pick of the Barclays Premier League fixtures this weekend, and one has to get the impression that there is a great deal more at stake than just the 3 points.

Liverpool entertain Stoke City on Saturday, off their win against Manchester United, and their defeat of Marseille in the Champions League. They could go 3 points clear at the top should they, as widely expected, get the win. The physicality they displayed against United will need to be in evidence again, and I feel sure that Pepe Reina will be having daymares involving Rory Delap and his siege gun long throws.

Arsenal too will be up against a physical presence in the form of Bolton Wanderers who will give them a tough time at The Reebok. If ever the phrase ‘an irresistible force against an immoveable object' could be called to mind it would relate to this match.

Bolton will do everything to try to prevent Arsenal's talented youngsters from playing their natural game and weaving intricate patterns around the field. Gary Megson's men will try to stamp some authority on the proceedings - let's just hope they don't go in ‘studs up'.

There are two local derbies this weekend, as West Bromwich Albion host Aston Villa in the midlands of England, and Sunderland roll out the red and white striped carpet for North East rivals Middlesbrough, but I'm intrigued by the game at the KC Stadium where Hull face Everton.

Hull City have had a better than expected start to life in the Premiership. OK, let's be honest; better than they ever could have dreamt! But Everton, freed from the trammels of having to entertain/amuse/engage (delete where applicable) fans at Goodison, have performed well so far this season.

Hull for their part, have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime - being stuffed by Wigan at home (Steve Bruce's men had 5 chances in the entire 90 minutes, and converted every one of them) - and then coming away from St James' Park with all the spoils.

And then there's Tottenham Hotspur. Widely tipped once again to break in to the top 4 this season, they have begun the campaign like schoolboys on the first day at a new school. Sure, they want to play football, but no one seems to know who his mates are, or what they might do, and they don't even seem to know where the goalposts are.

Regardless of what transpires in their UEFA Cup encounter on Thursday night, Spurs need a result against Wigan at White Hart Lane on Sunday. If not, Juande Ramos, the man on a messianic mission, could be the next in line for the old Spanish archer - or ‘El Bow', to translate.

Left, right, centre, up front and in defence, the Barclays Premier League will enthral this weekend. Game on. 

Not because I think the idea of a transfer window is good. Frankly speaking, it's inflationary, doesn't benefit the smaller clubs as it was intended to do, and in almost any other walk of life would be tantamount to ‘restraint of trade'. I'm sad because in recent weeks it's given me so many column inches of verbiage to chew my merry way through.

Rumour mongering, gossip, speculation; it's all been there. And like scurrilous stories in the gutter press involving celebrities and their anti-social habits and illicit co-mingling, I've lapped it up with just a hint of shame that has augmented rather than tempered the guilty pleasure.

Once again it went right down to the wire, with ink drying on certain contracts when the Midnight hour struck on September 1st.

Dimitar Berbatov finally completed his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United. It was the transfer that everyone in football expected, and that practically everyone else on earth -irrespective of their knowledge of, or passion for, football - knew was going to happen. Somehow though the actual transaction was only conducted at the 11th hour, and a half.

Berbatov talked about it as his ‘dream move' - a similar phrase was invoked by Robbie Keane who completed a big money (some would say ‘rather too big') switch to Liverpool, also from Spurs. We have to assume that playing for the North London outfit is something of a nightmare, if all its players can do is ‘dream' of getting away.

Even the Berbatov deal though pales in comparison to what Manchester City pulled off as the authorities had their collective hands on the window handle preparatory to pulling it shut.

While transfer periods are designed for players, it's rare that an entire club changes hands, and yet that's exactly what transpired in the light blue half of Manchester.

Beleaguered former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra sold a major part of his stake in the club to Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (conveniently, and fortunately referred to as ‘ADUG') in a deal that has amounted to a complete takeover.

ADUG intends to ‘make Manchester City the biggest club in the Premier League', and immediately set about putting their bewilderingly extensive financial resources where its representative's mouth is.

Brazilian star Robinho, whose ‘dream' was to hightail it out of Real Madrid, was an instant capture, becoming England's biggest transfer and the Barclays Premier League's highest paid player in the time it took to write out a cheque.

He'd been linked with a move to Chelsea for several weeks leading up to the close of the transfer window, and that move was hijacked at the very last minute.

How appropriate then that Manchester City should find themselves hosting Chelsea this weekend in the Premiership.

The mood at Eastlands following news of the takeover had been euphoric. When news filtered through that Manchester City had shattered the English transfer record and secured the services of a Brazilian superstar, the euphoria went up a notch or two.

The sensible fans will not be expecting an overnight miracle - the squad is largely the same. But City have already picked up 6 points in their 3 opening games this season, and will be keen to let Robinho loose on his would-be employers.

Berbatov will almost certainly start for Manchester United this weekend, in the most eagerly anticipated weekend clash - indeed arguably THE most eagerly anticipated clash of the entire season. Liverpool host United at Anfield, in a fixture Sir Alex Ferguson claims to look forward to the most.

Liverpool have one or two problems, with star striker Fernando Torres almost certain to miss the match with a hamstring tear, and Steven Gerrard rated as highly doubtful. Many pundits will aver that the pair constitute Rafa Benitez's best two players, and while Robbie Keane continues to find his feet at his new club, it will be interesting to see how Liverpool fare against the Red Devils.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the game will be to see if Dimitar Berbatov is indeed, as Sir Alex believes, the final piece in the jigsaw that will see Manchester United carry all before them.

Mention must be made of the two managerial departures.

Newcastle United face Hull City at St James' Park with Kevin Keegan having flown the Magpies' coop once again.

West Ham go the Hawthorns without Alan Curbishley, although they will almost certainly have installed former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola as their new boss by the time they kick off against West Brom.

Blackburn against Arsenal is another mouth-watering tie, as is Tottenham against Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on Monday night.

There are new players to look out for, and no doubt some new tactical approaches being considered by coaches in order to accommodate them. It's good to be back with another weekend of Barclays Premier League action after the international break. And I'm happy to say, game on!

The answer to this question (and in the case of many a rhetorical example) is, ‘yes' and ‘no'.

Very little can be gleaned after only two games of the current Barclays Premier League season, and yet, as I mentioned last week, this hasn't prevented a whole host of pundits and self-professed experts pole-vaulting to conclusions (part of my mind is still at the Beijing Olympics) with broad sweeping strokes of assessment and condemnation.

Chelsea have already been installed as firm favourites for the title, and their aspirations won't be hampered if, as reports lead us to believe, they complete the signing of Brazilian star Robinho before the close of the summer transfer window.

They face a Tottenham side this weekend, apparently in turmoil after back-to-back defeats to start a season for which they had such high hopes - the last nine words could have been applied to almost every Spurs campaign in most people's living memory.

Chelsea were awesome against Portsmouth on the opening day, and less than convincing against Wigan Athletic last time out, eking out a 1-0 away win as they managed to do so often under Jose Mourinho.

Tottenham need a result, almost desperately.

Due to World Cup qualifiers, the Premier League takes a break after the weekend, and Juande Ramos, along with his current crop of underachievers, will have two weeks to contemplate a return of no points after three games and the possible ignominy of being in the relegation zone, in the event that they return from Stamford Bridge empty handed.

The signing of Spartak Moscow and Russian international striker Roman Pavlyuchenko seems to be a done deal for Spurs, and negotiations over Andrei Arshavin appear to have been reopened. If the Russians are indeed coming for Tottenham, they can't come soon enough.

Another intriguing tie to be thrown up this weekend is the visit of Newcastle United to The Emirates Stadium. 4 points after 2 games is a healthy return for Kevin Keegan's men, and Arsenal need to bounce back from defeat against Fulham last weekend - a result that few would have predicted.

Arsenal dismissed FC Twente of The Netherlands in their Champions League qualifier in midweek with an imperious display - Theo Walcott inspiring a performance that saw the previously goal-shy Gunners hitting the back of the net four times.

This match will be a good indication of how far Newcastle have come, and the extent to which their new signings are capable of playing their parts on the bigger stages.

Aston Villa's encounter against Liverpool at Villa Park is another ‘pick' of the weekend. Villa wilted under the aerial and physical bombardment from a prosaic Stoke City outfit last time out, and according to many pundits, Liverpool could change their name to ‘Unconvincing FC' at this stage, without anyone demurring.

That having been said, Rafa and The Reds have won both their opening games of the Premier League season, and secured their involvement in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Rafa has already said, and the Merseyside faithful will be only to keen to aver, that to win when you're not playing well is a sign of a good team with genuine title aspirations, but there's little doubt that many will be expecting heightened performance levels from Liverpool this Sunday.

With Manchester United out of league action due to their date with Zenit St Petersburg and their pursuit of a second piece of silverware already this campaign, I make no apologies for taking a look at one of the less glamorous encounters this weekend.

Hull City host Wigan at the KC Stadium, keen to add to the 4 points they have already picked up and for which, had you offered them the deal pre-season, they would have, to coin a phrase, ‘bitten your hand off'.

Wigan have been excellent for three halves of their two games so far, and are more than unlucky not to have put a point on the board to date. After dominating the second half of their opening day fixture against West Ham United, they gave Chelsea a serious run for their vast amounts of money last time out.

Surely it's only a matter of time before they get some reward for their endeavours.

Having smacked Notts County around in the League Cup in midweek, and fully realising the nature of their two league losses, Steve Bruce will have his men primed for an encounter against a side for which most people are predicting a reality check.

On Football Forecast last Friday, our UK analyst gave us a slew of ‘top tips' based on where the ‘smart money' had been going ahead of the weekend's fixtures. The ‘smart' turned out to be not quite so smart after all - an indication, if any were needed, of just how unpredictable the Barclays Premier League is likely to be this season, and how, on any given Saturday (or Sunday), any team is capable of beating any other. Game on.

Orthopaedic surgeons in England have had a marvellous week.

In reaction to some of the results and performances on the opening weekend of the new Barclays Premier League season, so many knees have been jerked that most of the doctors will have been putting in for overtime while their surgeries have been taking on extra staff.

In arguably the most popular, and certainly the most talked and written about football league in the world, there is bound to be a fair amount of noise after the first game of a new campaign. What has stunned and amazed many of us has been the extent to which teams and players have been written off with a little more than 2.6% of the season complete.

If we believe everything we have read, and at least some of what's been said after the weekend, Fulham have as good as been relegated to the Championship; Tottenham Hotspur haven't a snowball's chance in hell of breaking in to the top four; Manchester United's title hopes are out of the window because they can't score enough goals, and we may as well be wrapping up the Premiership silverware now and shipping it straight over to the trophy room at Stamford Bridge.

There are more, of course, but some suggestions are just plain silly.

All the above scenarios are, of course, possible. But don't we all think that it's just a little bit early to be making sweeping judgments based on 90 minutes of football?

Fulham were indeed poor for much of the game last weekend against Hull City - the newly promoted side who were roared on by their legion of fans, most of whom are just happy to be involved in top flight football for the first time in the club's 104 year history. Fulham's away form may continue to be as woeful as it has been over the past two seasons, but being beaten by a team being driven forward on a heady cocktail of adrenaline and euphoria, doesn't necessarily mean that they will be everyone's cannon fodder.

Speaking of which, they host Arsenal on Saturday at Craven Cottage, so we may not be looking at a significant points haul for Roy Hodgson's team after their first two games of the season.

Tottenham face Sunderland at White Hart Lane, the team who beat them, unexpectedly and incidentally, at the Stadium of Light on the opening day in 2007.

Spurs have spent significant amounts of money in the close season, and Juande Ramos is supposed to be a miracle worker. The two facts should add up to instant success and Tottenham blazing a trail up the table, putting pressure on the Big Four in the race for UEFA Champions League places.

Against Middlesbrough last weekend, Spurs looked like what they are - a team with some new players who've not played a competitive match together before. It's a hoary old cliché in football, but teams do need time to gel, and Spurs are no exception. Having said that, with the weight of expectation on Ramos's shoulders, defeat against Sunderland at The Lane this coming weekend and, even after two games of the season, the pressure will be on.

Manchester United failed to break down Newcastle United at Old Trafford less than a week ago, and the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, along with the recent return to fitness of Wayne Rooney were attributed as factors.

Even Sir Alex Ferguson has made no secret of the fact that his side requires more strike power. The man to provide the necessary ammunition is unlikely to be in a red shirt by Monday - when the Red Devils travel south to face Portsmouth - and Fratton Park isn't an easy place to get a result, except when Portsmouth have recently been successful in an FA Cup semi-final. ‘No Berbatov; No Title', was one headline I read in a publication of dubious repute. Or I may have dreamed it.

As for Chelsea, even my knees were jerking in the general direction of ‘great performance' and ‘if they play like that every week they're going to be tough to beat'.

Importantly perhaps, despite a new manager, the core of the Chelsea team from the last couple of season remained, while the two new faces (Deco and Jose Bosingwa) made superb starts to their Premier League careers. They both looked ‘to the manor born', while Chelsea were almost irresistible going forward. Many eyes will be on their game against Wigan at the JJB on Sunday to see whether they intend to replicate that brand of football away from home.

Liverpool at home to Middlesbrough is another fascinating tie this weekend, with Boro full of confidence after their deserved win against Spurs, and Liverpool less than convincing, but still ultimately successful, in their away day at Sunderland.

By the time the final whistle blows at Fratton Park on Monday night in the game involving Portsmouth and Manchester United, it's fair to say that we won't be much nearer to determining any team's ultimate fate this season. But don't expect those knees to stop jerking.

The European Championships were thrilling.

The transfer sagas were occasionally interesting, but more often than not just plain irritating, as the media filled its boots with gobbets of speculation in protracted attempts to fill column inches and air time. 

Is it my imagination, or has this ‘summer' been longer than most?

Fortunately, the multi-billion-dollar industry that is the Barclays Premier League is back, and while last season was generally regarded as having been the best for years, the 2008-9 campaign promises to be grander and more entertaining than ever. 

One reason for this is that the league continues to attract the bravest, brashest and brightest talent from around the world. With most posturing and manoeuvring out of the way, let's take a look at some of the key ‘done deals' from the close season.

Manchester United begin their defence of the title having splashed the cash on ....no one - at least at the time of going to press. 

It's been reported that Dimitar Berbatov told his Tottenham team-mates last weekend that he would be a United player by the start of the season. Despite his assurances, there remains a blank space on the contract where the signature should be, and the man who has now assumed Nicolas Anelka's nickname of ‘The Incredible Sulk' remains, for the time being, at Spurs.

With both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo missing the early part of the campaign, and Louis Saha continuing his intimate relationship with the treatment table, Sir Alex Ferguson may have one or two problems up front initially. Clearly Sir Alex has set his heart on capturing Berbatov, and with the Bulgarian's inclusion in a fully fit squad, Manchester United will prove very hard to beat. 

Chelsea could be said to have claimed four silver medals last season - they finished second in everything; the Community Shield, the Carling Cup, the UEFA Champions League and, of course, the Barclays Premier League. But as we all know, finishing second in football gets you nothing, and nowhere.

While Deco promises to be an exciting prospect in the Premier League, arguably Chelsea's biggest summer signing was when Frank Lampard put pen to paper on a new five year deal that should keep him at the club until he hangs up his boots. 

Arsenal haven't spent much, but then they don't have much to spend. In Samir Nasri though, they have secured the services of a player who, at 21 years of age, has a bright future. He's been impressive in pre-season, and only time will tell if he can cope with the rigours of the English top flight.

Arsenal have lost established stars such as Lehmann, Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto, and there's the distinct possibility that Wenger may be talking about another ‘season in transition' before he sees the best of what his squad has to offer. 

Liverpool's key summer signing has to be Robbie Keane at a cool US$40 million from Tottenham. The way he teams up and forges an understanding with Fernando Torres could determine the course of the Anfield club's season.

The prospect of seeing England internationals Steven Gerrard and Gareth Barry getting together in Liverpool's midfield this season was a mouth watering one, but it doesn't appear to be happening. It means that a healthy, in-form Gerrard is absolutely vital to Rafa's hopes this campaign, and that situation is not ideal. 

So that's the Big Four dealt with, let's talk about the best of the rest. Once again Tottenham have emerged as the team most likely to threaten the dominance of the elite quartet, and once again, Tottenham have seemingly been linked with every player capable of lacing up a boot or trotting out a post-match interview riddled with clichés.

Juande Ramos will experience his first full season in the Barclays Premier League and must deal with the club's (and its fans') perennial high hopes. In players such as Giovani dos Santos, Luka Modric and David Bentley there is flair and creativity galore, and in Heurelho Gomes there is a safe pair of hands. Ramos needs his players to gel....and fast! 

Martin O'Neill has bought shrewdly in the summer, and significantly bolstered Aston Villa's defensive ranks. If Gareth Barry stays at the club, and the Villa fans forgive him for his perceived traitorous conduct, the midlands men could have a good season, while for Manchester City it's about damage limitation even before the first kick-off.

Thaksin Shinawatra's problems have been well documented, but in Mark Hughes, there's a new man at the management helm who won't stand for any nonsense, even from the club's owner. 

Brazilian striker Jo has been their main summer signing, and unlike most south Americans, he won't be too concerned about the English weather, having survived three brutal winters while at CSKA Moscow.

Harry Redknapp, as ever, has been responsible for more than his fair share of wheeling and dealing. His most significant signing comes in the form of the lanky Peter Crouch, with whom Jermain Defoe hopes to set up a potent strike partnership. If last weekend's Community Shield is anything to go by, there's much work to be done. 

In with 10, and out with 12, that's been Fulham's summer to date in terms of players. It could be another tough campaign for them, along with the three newly promoted sides, two of whom have no Premiership experience whatsoever.

With lip-smacking encounters already lined up for the opening weekend, including Manchester United versus Newcastle, Chelsea versus Portsmouth and Sunderland versus Liverpool, it's time to get the ball rolling in another compelling season. Game On!

On the 2nd of June 1897, Mark Twain read his own obituary in a newspaper.

It could have ruined his day. However, after a fairly perfunctory self-examination, and having ascertained that he was still very much alive in the cosmic scheme of things, he apparently commented, ‘the report of my death was an exaggeration.'

The same could probably be said of the English FA Cup.

Although rattling on a bit at the age of 136 years, the oldest domestic cup competition in football is alive, well and continuing to thrill.

In recent years there have been a number of allegations levelled at it. Some have said that it's too boring since it is almost always won by the same teams - those that have dominated English football, certainly since the inception of the Barclays Premier League in 1992.

Others have accused the elite clubs of not taking it seriously enough, fielding under-strength teams to preserve the first team squad for ‘more important' fixtures.

It would not be inappropriate to say that just a few years ago the competition was at a fairly low ebb. Things have changed. The 2007-8 version has been bigger (no less than 731 teams embarked on the road to glory) and better (there have been a slew of Davids slaying Goliaths - try saying that three times, quickly) and more engaging than ever before.

What has always made the FA Cup compelling is the prospect of the mighty taking on the minnows - the likes of say, Liverpool going head to head against Havant and Waterlooville.

It happened this season - a team made up of plumbers, plasterers, teachers and taxi drivers, going to Anfield to take on the 18 times English league champions. The amateurs, whose entire team earns in a year approximately what Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard earns in a little over two weeks, twice took the lead, and at half time in their 4th round clash, the score was an almost unbelievable 2-2.

Liverpool finally emerged as victors, but were subsequently slain by a lower league side in the form of Barnsley - at that point struggling in the nether regions of English football's second tier. Brian Howard's dramatic injury time winner proved to be the difference between the two sides. It spelt an ignominious exit for Rafa's Reds.

Going on to show that their win was no fluke, Barnsley then eliminated the mighty Chelsea on home soil. Their run was to end in the semi-final against Cardiff City, who performed a giant-killing act of their own in the quarters by beating Barclays Premier League outfit Middlesbrough away from home.

And there was more to come, as Portsmouth went to the Theatre of Dreams and against all the odds defeated Manchester United.

As Cardiff City and Portsmouth take their places in a final that no one would have predicted, we can all look back on a competition that has risen spectacularly to the heights of sporting drama.

What makes the FA Cup so special is its history, and both Cardiff and Portsmouth boast fascinating slices.

In 1927, Cardiff (from Wales) became the first and only team outside England to claim the coveted trophy, after beating Arsenal in the final. The Cardiff team bus was pelted with leaks as it arrived at Wembley (I'm sure it must have seemed amusing at the time) and conspiracy theorists had a field day after Hughie Ferguson's 74th minute winner for the Bluebirds.

The goal was due to a goalkeeping blunder, as the ball slipped under the custodian's body and into the net. That the Arsenal goalkeeper on the day was Dan Lewis, a Welshman, escaped very few people's attention. Lewis claimed that his brand new woollen jersey was too slippery, and since then, Arsenal have washed their keeper's shirts prior to matches.

Portsmouth have the distinction of being the club to hold the trophy for the longest time. They were in possession of the beloved silverware for 7 years, but it wasn't because they won it 7 times.

The men from the south coast of England unexpectedly beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1939 final at Wembley, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The competition was then suspended until 1946, so Portsmouth's back room staff got through a great deal more silver polish than they would have anticipated.

Another fascinating fact about the 1939 final is that Portsmouth's opening goal was scored by Bert Barlow, who two months previously had been discarded by Wolves having been deemed surplus to requirements.

History, drama, passion, intensity and excitement. Quite simply, the FA Cup has everything and has proudly re-emerged to take its place as the greatest domestic cup competition on the planet. What will unfold on Saturday afternoon at Wembley will soon be part of an illustrious history that's still very much in the making.

Whether you’re a fan of horse racing or not, there’s something compelling about a race that’s decided by a photo finish.

Two lusty steeds going full tilt, neck and neck down the finishing straight, separated at the end by little more than a nose or a whisker, is an engaging spectacle.

At race’s end, it becomes all about who wants it the most; who is prepared to put in that extra ounce of effort; who is able to summon up that final, seemingly ungraspable reserve of energy, battling through the lung-bursting pain of exhaustion to claim victory and leave the also-rans trailing.

You can probably see where I’m going with this.

For the first time in many many seasons, the title race in the Barclays Premier League is going down to the last day of the season. While the teams have been in the home straight for some time now, the finishing line is but a glance away, and Manchester United and Chelsea find themselves side by side, and yes, you guessed it, neck and neck.

It’s just what the Doctor of Neutrality ordered, although don’t try telling that to supporters of the two clubs whose finger nails will have been bitten to within inches of their lives, and whose stress levels have probably gone through a series of roofs.

The Barclays Premier League administrators stipulate that for the final round of matches, all games take place on the same day and kick off at the same time. This is so that no team gains an advantage in terms of knowing what they might have to do in order to achieve a certain objective.

So, when the referee blows his whistle to commence proceedings at the JJB Stadium where Wigan Athletic ‘entertain’ Manchester United, another referee will be doing the same at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea enter the fray against Bolton Wanderers.

What would have made the whole situation a great deal more interesting, and once again, almost absurdly entertaining for the neutrals, would have been for Wigan and Bolton to need a point or points for their Premiership survival, as looked likely to be the case. This would have ensured an intensity in the encounter that it might not otherwise have possessed.

Wigan will be enjoying Barclays Premier League football next season – that’s for certain, and although Bolton are not mathematically safe, it’s difficult to see Reading overturning a deficit of 11 when it comes to their comparative goal differences. There is, therefore, nothing much in it for either of the sides that face the ‘Big Two’ this Sunday.

Speaking of goal difference, Manchester United’s is vastly superior to that of Chelsea. Assuming that both sides win, for The Blues to win the title on goal difference, they would have to better Manchester United’s score line against Wigan by no fewer than 18 goals. It’s not going to happen.

Manchester United are very much in the driving seat, and a win will be enough for them to claim their tenth Premier League title and their 17th English league title overall. Sir Alex Ferguson has made little secret of his intention to overhaul Liverpool’s record total of 18 league triumphs before he retires, and Sunday could see him get ever closer to his and Manchester United’s dream.

Chelsea, as a football club, have been through the gamut of emotions this campaign. Avram Grant inherited a team ‘languishing’ in fifth, and almost against everyone’s expectations – possibly even his own – has managed to turn them into genuine title contenders. And is it just me, or have we all begun to see a lot more of his teeth recently?

Indeed, the crown was theirs for the taking, and had Emile Heskey not scored a last minute equaliser for Wigan at Stamford Bridge on April 14, a win for the blue team this Sunday would be all that was required to secure their third title in the space of four years.

The entire season is littered with ‘what ifs?’ and ‘maybes’. There are certainly too many to list here, but while Chelsea supporters will look back on Heskey’s goal as a possible turning point, Manchester United supporters have every right to talk about Carlos Tevez’s 88th minute equaliser against Blackburn. It produced a point to ensure that goal difference could make the world of difference as the whistle is blown on the 2007-8 season.

Interestingly, two sets of winners’ medals have been minted, and while the original Barclays Premier League trophy will be at the JJB in Wigan, there will be a replica standing by at Stamford Bridge.

Come late Sunday afternoon in the UK, as the curtain falls on the most thrilling season in living memory, Champagne corks will be popping somewhere, and elsewhere a furnace will be preparing to render down a bunch of unwanted and unusable medals.

Manchester United and Chelsea have had excellent seasons. Even by their own exalted standards, up to this point, only the harshest critics would aver that they have been anything other than successful.

It’s curious then to be able to point out that either team (definitely not both) could well end up empty-handed.

Neck and neck at the top of the Barclays Premier League table, the midweek European exploits of both Manchester United and Chelsea have ensured that they will be meeting in Moscow in a one-off game to determine the champions of Europe.

The match in Russia will take place a full 10 days after the conclusion of the league season, by which time we will know who rules the roost in English football. I wonder if Avram Grant and Sir Alex Ferguson would be prepared, at this juncture, to sit down together and divvy up the spoils.

Perhaps the conversation would go something like this:

AG: Sir Alex, Sir, Alex…mate. I’m quite into this European thing, so if you wouldn’t mind, we’ll take the Champions League and you can have the league title. How about it big boy?

SAF: It’s not happening Avram, I simply can’t Grant you that (Sir Alex draws a wry smile as he appreciates his own wit). I’ve got nine league titles already; it’s that European trophy I’m after and we won’t be leaving it until stoppage time on this occasion - it’s bad for the heart, and I’m not as young as I used to be.

AG: But Sir Alex, if I can have the Champions League, I may be able to keep my job. And…more importantly...I will have delivered to Chelsea FC what ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ wasn’t able to!

SAF: Lord Voldemort!?

AG: No, Jose Mourinho.

SAF: Granted…tee hee, there I go again…it’s a good argument, but I need another Champions League trophy before I retire.

AG: So you have until 2042, what’s the problem?

SAF: Avram, my grumpy-looking but clearly sensitive friend; may I remind you that I’m doing the humour here. Besides, we’ve been the better team in the league over the course of the season; played the better football; scored more goals. Shall I go on?

AG: And yet here we are, locked together on the same points, cheek by jowl at the top of the table – and I know a thing or two about jowls. And…and… we beat you last weekend.

SAF: Bad refereeing decisions!

AG: And we can beat you in the Champions League Final.

SAF: More bad refereeing decisions.

AG: Let’s toss a coin then.

SAF: No way Jose! Excuse me, no pun intended. I’ve heard that you’re a ‘lucky manager’ – that’s not going to happen. Let’s just settle this like men, mano-a-mano – I think that’s the popular phrase these days.

AG: Three rounds, Queensbury Rules?

SAF: No, let’s see whose owner has the bigger yacht.

So, it’s Chelsea for the UEFA Champions League and Manchester United for the Barclays Premier League title.

In all seriousness, Manchester United could deal a significant psychological blow to Chelsea’s title aspirations this weekend when they play West Ham United on Saturday in the early kick off.

United should be good enough, especially at Old Trafford, for all three points. The pressure will then be on Chelsea on Monday to get a similar result away at Newcastle.

Neither West Ham nor Newcastle has anything to play for – a top 10 position perhaps, but that’s hardly earth-shattering in terms of achievements. Newcastle at St James’ Park, one would speculate, is a much harder proposition than West Ham at home – the Hammers having picked up just one point on their travels in the last five games.

It’s true that Chelsea do have an extra day to get their minds and bodies back into gear for league action, but just how much will Wednesday night’s extra-time victory over Liverpool have taken out of them?

The neutrals will be thrilled by the way this reason is drawing to a climax. Egalitarian-minded neutrals would probably be happy to see domestic and European silverware shared at campaign’s end. But wisdom of the ages dictates that life’s not necessarily like that.

For Sir Alex and Manchester United, and for Avram and Chelsea, anything less than a glorious ‘double’ will be a disappointment. While there’s a great deal of honour in receiving a silver medal at the Olympic Games, in football, coming second is tantamount to failure. We don’t have to wait long to find out who are this season’s golden boys.

Football presenters and pundits are occasionally accused of using too many clichés.

Okay, maybe it’s more frequent than occasional but, in a manner of speaking, to a certain extent and all things being equal, it’s almost unavoidable.

Having said that, the last three examples are more reflective of ‘phatic communion’ – words or phrases that are basically meaningless, but fit into conversation almost as punctuation, possibly giving the speaker a little extra time to think up something more meaningful, or perhaps even vaguely relevant to say. But I digress; already.

So how do we describe the match this Saturday at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester United?

‘The Clash of the Titans’? ‘The Battle of Stamford Bridge’? ‘The Title Decider’.

It matters not, because no term or phrase is sufficient to describe what has to be the game of this current Barclays Premier League season. As pundits (and the occasional presenter) are fond of saying, ‘you couldn’t write this stuff’.

Somehow, the footballing gods, sometimes referred to euphemistically as the ‘administrators’, have contrived to arrange it for the top two clubs in the current title race go head to head with only three games of the campaign remaining.

And speaking of the number three, there are three points between the two teams, and three points up for grabs at Stamford Bridge, a ground where, remarkably, Chelsea haven’t lost a league match in more than four years. It would be so much more poetic if it was three years, but we can’t distort the facts.

A win for Chelsea and they draw level on points with Manchester United at the table’s summit. A win for Manchester United, and the title is theirs for a second successive season, a testament to their consistency and their determination to play attacking football.

Even if Chelsea do manage to beat United, the title is still very much in Sir Alex Ferguson’s hands due to the Red Devils’ vastly superior goal difference - +54, as opposed to Chelsea’s +36.

A 9-0 win for Chelsea would make the remainder of the season very interesting indeed, but flying pigs are pretty rare these days. Based on Manchester United’s sterling defensive display against Barcelona on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg (even in the absence of the outstanding Nemanja Vidic) Chelsea will do well to score.

Offer Avram Grant a 1-0 win right now and he’d (excuse the cliché) bite your hand off. Some clichés are so evocative that it’s not difficult to find justification for using them.

The backdrop for the game couldn’t be more fascinating. Chelsea’s title hopes were written off mid-season and alleged disunity in the camp after the departure of Jose Mourinho, seemed to have left the club in turmoil.

While Avram Grant’s personality and management style will never be to everyone’s taste, he’s proven more than capable of getting results, and has even taken his side to the brink of their first ever Champions League final – John Arne Riise will be high on Grant’s Christmas card list later this year I’m sure.

Chelsea have eked out the results while not playing particularly attractive football, and the troops have, apparently, rallied behind their general. Should they get the right result at Fortress Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the pressure on Manchester United ahead of their remaining two games will be immense, and as shown against Blackburn Rovers in their most recent league encounter, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are capable of dropping points – possibly even against the likes of West Ham United and Wigan.

While it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Sir Alex this season, the good ship Manchester United has remained on an even keel – no boardroom squabbles, not a hint of dissension in the way that Admiral Ferguson has been leading his seamen. I apologise for the mixed military analogies, but it’s better than trotting out the same old hackneyed clichés. Or is it?

On 14 October 1066, King Harold of England’s army was defeated by William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings. It was an event that changed the course of English history, as the all-conquering Normans cut a swathe through the rest of the country.

Harold’s defeat was partly attributed to the fact that his troops were tired and depleted after a hasty march south. The reason for the haste? Harold and the lads had just seen off a potential invasion from the Vikings at the…wait for it…Battle of Stamford Bridge.

To conclude and further strain the series of analogous bellicosity, will the match on Saturday prove to be Nelson’s (Sir Alex’s) Trafalgar and Napoleon’s (Avram Grant’s) Waterloo? Or will we see an even more intriguing end to the best title race in a Barclays Premier League season for years?

One can only imagine the scene. It’s Monday night, and Sir Alex Ferguson is in his front room/lounge/conservatory/whatever, with a decent glass of Claret by his side. He’s tuned in to live coverage of Chelsea versus Wigan from Stamford Bridge.

It’s a nailed on three-pointer for The Blues, with Avram Grant and his occasionally merry and apparently not always united men having gone an astonishing 79 games without tasting defeat at home in the league, and incredible run that dates back more than 4 years. Wigan are struggling this season, and came into the game just three places and five points off the relegation zone.

The game progresses in almost customary fashion for Chelsea these days, as the Stamford Bridge ‘faithful’ (and I use the term loosely, hence the inverted commas) gets to grips with the raft of changes made by the manager in the name of squad rotation.

It was Chelsea’s 55th game of a season that has seen them pursuing honours on four fronts, only to be eliminated in both domestic cup competitions – by Tottenham at the last hurdle in the Carling Cup, and ... no one wants to talk about the FA Cup exit at the hands of Barnsley. It doesn’t seem polite.

The first 45 minutes didn’t make for great viewing. Chelsea lacked cohesion – players appeared to be looking around, trying to identify who was alongside them wearing a blue shirt, before determining the appropriate action.

Too many balls went astray, too much cutting edge was lacking in the final third, and a muted, but still audible, chorus of boos was heard as the referee blew his whistle for half-time. Suffice it to say, it was 0-0 at the break.

My pundit in the studio, the redoubtable Shebby Singh, called for the introduction of Joe Cole for the second half, at the expense of ... absolutely anyone! Anyone, save Petr Cech – a goalkeeper whose determination and commitment to the cause can never be doubted after he started the games wearing a chin guard to protect the 50 stitches he’d had recently installed, to go along with the natty head guard he already sports to protect his previously fractured skull. I digress.

Joe Cole put new life into Chelsea. OK, let’s be honest, he injected some life into Chelsea, and not surprisingly they took a deserved lead through Michael Essien on 55 minutes. Interestingly, and quite in passing, Essien was delegated to play as a right back in Avram Grant’s original starting 11, and only moved to his preferred midfield role after Frank Lampard’s late withdrawal for ‘personal reasons’. I’m digressing again.

The game was surely won. Wigan had offered little going forward up to that point, and whatever occasional forays they did manage were comfortably dealt with. Sir Alex would have been down to his last few drops of fine red wine, not even contemplating a refill.

The rest, as they say, is history, as inexplicably - at least from a tactical point of view - Chelsea found themselves outnumbered in their own penalty area in the game’s dying seconds. Emile Heskey, a former Liverpool player - but even die-hard Manchester United fans would have forgiven him for that - popped in the equaliser. A priceless point went to Wigan; Chelsea dropped two, the value of which would be almost impossible to quantify.

Sir Alex Ferguson would have replenished his glass – he may even have opened up another bottle. Perhaps he toasted Steve Bruce, a Manchester United old boy, and hugged his wife for the first time that day. Already in the driving seat to retain their Barclays Premier League title, Heskey’s late goal at Stamford Bridge means that United can even afford to lose at Stamford Bridge when the two titans clash next weekend.

Chelsea managed to close the gap on Manchester United after their Thursday night victory at Goodison Park. In a hard fought match, Avram Grant’s men showed a level of resilience that they lacked on Monday. Ricardo Carvalho was outstanding in the heart of defence, begging the questions of whether he should have started on Monday, and, if he had, would he have been able to prevent the late Wigan equaliser. What’s done is done; Manchester United now know that the title is theirs.

As a neutral, I hope I’m wrong. It would be nice if the season still had one or two more plot twists to keep us on the edge of our seats until the final day. But I fear not. United should find themselves five points clear at the top after this weekend.

Although Ewood Park is never an easy to place to go and get a result, the Red Devils should have way too much in the locker for Blackburn Rovers – managed, of course, by another Manchester United alumnus. While Mark Hughes will be in no mood to do Sir Alex any favours, Blackburn have little to play for and could well be brushed aside, enabling United to retain a significant lead going into the game against Chelsea.

The red wine could be turning into champagne for Sir Alex Ferguson, any day now.

A mouth-watering home match against Manchester United; a date at the Keepmoat Stadium to face Doncaster Rovers. Believe it or not, this could be the fate of three teams in terms of two league fixtures played in the calendar year of 2008.

It’s a measure of the importance of retaining Barclays Premier League status, and while Derby County have already assured their return to English football’s second tier for next season, the remaining two places have yet to be filled.

This weekend’s ties in the Premier League will go a long way towards determining who will continue to mix it with the good and the great, and who will be expending their energies on emerging from the Coca Cola Championship – one of the most demanding and competitive leagues in the world of football.

Apart from the enormous financial ramifications of the ‘dreaded drop’, there’s the prospect of a series of ‘unglamorous ties’ as three teams previously from the top flight of English football face up to three teams previously from the third tier.

It’s a statement of the meritocracy that is English football, but that will be scant comfort for the likes of Fulham, Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Reading, all of whom are fighting for their very Premiership lives.

Not surprisingly, there is huge focus on Bolton’s game this weekend, as they entertain West Ham United at The Reebok. Bolton have to look back to February 2, 2008 for the last time they picked up three points, and are currently on a run of seven defeats and a draw in their last eight league games – that’s a paltry return of just one point out of a possible 24.

Amazingly, and clearly somewhat anomalously, that period includes a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup, but equally clearly, a decent European run will score low on the satisfaction stakes should Bolton be relegated.

The last two results are telling for Gary Megson’s men. Having been 2-0 up against Arsenal at home, they squandered that lead against opponents who played an hour of the game with only ten men. Worse was to follow as they were thumped 4-0 at Villa Park by an Aston Villa side that hadn’t won in five.

Now 4 points from safety, a win at The Reebok on Saturday is absolutely vital for Bolton, and they make take some confidence from the fact that West Ham have absolutely nothing to play for and are among the more mercurial sides in the Premiership today.

Birmingham City find themselves one off the drop zone, and face Everton at St Andrew’s on Saturday. The game couldn’t come at a worse time for the midlands club. Not only are they scrapping for their Premiership existence, the backdrop to the match sees their co-owner and managing director having been arrested on charges of alleged corruption in football, while the club’s officials have asked for their shares to be temporarily suspended ‘pending an announcement’.

As if all this wasn’t bad enough, Birmingham are up against an Everton side still chasing 4th spot in the table, and inclusion in next season’s UEFA Champions League programme. A win at St Andrew’s will put the Toffees level on points with Liverpool who play on Sunday. David Moyes will no doubt be hoping that the Anfield club will be suffering a hangover after their midweek exertions in European competition.

Another intriguing tie features Reading at home to Fulham. Reading started 2008 in disastrous style losing the first seven Premier League fixtures – they lost their last league game of 2007 as well. Steve Coppell’s men have turned things around to a certain extent with three wins and a draw in their last six games, but they were thumped at St James’ Park last weekend and will be reeling. It’s do or die for Fulham, who could find themselves 9 points from safety after the weekend’s fixtures with only four games remaining.

And let’s not forget Wigan Athletic. Although 8 points clear of the relegation zone, they could find themselves back in the mire on Monday night. If results go against them, they won’t fancy going to Stamford Bridge needing points to secure their safety.

While Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal continue to slug it out at the top, this weekend will provide a measure of who will be continuing their football fantasy at the Theatre of Dreams next season, and who might be getting on the bus for Carlisle.