United v Chelsea

It`s so close you can almost reach out and touch it. After being loaned to Chelsea, the Premier League trophy is heading back to Old Trafford. A win this Sunday, against Chelsea, will make it almost a formality. Bring it on is all I`ll say!

Ahead of the game Sir Alex Ferguson has tried to inject a bit of perspective into proceedings and tried to steer the conversation away from how big a lead Chelsea have eroded, remarking,

"I do not know how many points we were in front of Chelsea at a given time. It doesn`t matter."

"Where we are today is exactly where we are. It doesn`t matter what happened last Sunday, four Sunday`s ago, four months ago, four years ago. We are where we are. We have three games left, three points ahead, same goal difference, playing at home."

"We have two home games and one away. That where we are nothing can change it."

"We have been involved in the championship race for almost the last 19 years. So we know what it is like."

Having made wholesale changes in midweek, with the Champions League tie against Schalke already won, there`s no doubt that Sir Alex Ferguson will be bringing back the big-guns for the fixture tomorrow. There`s also the added bonus of having Paul Scholes available again after suspension. Therefore expect to see the likes of Van der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney and Hernandez all in the starting eleven.

The stage is set Wayne, take your bow and make it a day to remember with the winner.

Chelsea have very few injury worries as they travel to the north-west. Jose Bosingwa isn`t available for selection and Alex and Yuri Zhirkov are not quite 100% fit.

Our spies in West London reckon Chelsea will line up as follows:-

Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Essien (or Ramires), Lampard, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka (or Kalou)

If Carlo Ancelotti leaves this guy on the bench, in favour of preferring to start with Fernando Torres, then I`ll be a relieved man.

Our home form is superb, only West Bromwich Albion have taken points off of us this season. Chelsea were the last team to win here, in the Premier League, in that ill-fated game last season where Drogba scored from an offside position and the title had gone in a flash. Also, the Joe Cole goal that opened the scoring last April, was the last goal we`ve conceded in the first half in a Premier League game at Old Trafford.

Howard Webb is the referee this Sunday and Howard is a little bit of a lucky charm for United. In the last eight, if my recollections are right, fixtures he has officiated in at Old Trafford, we`ve run out winners every time. Also, in three out of the last four, he`s awarded us a penalty.

That 19th title is so close, the vibes are good and our home form has been fantastic this season. Chelsea may arrive at Old Trafford with nothing to lose and everything to gain but I reckon this has a United win written all over it, 2-0 anybody!

Ewood Park awaits us next weekend and an encounter with Blackburn Rovers, could that be the game in which we are officially declared Champions?

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