When Arsène met Alex...
There aren't many teams that can argue with Manchester United's current case for the Premiership title — or even for the Champions League.
If last week's 2-0 away victory over Roma was an emphatic step towards the European title, the scoreline of their domestic demolition of Aston Villa echoed their fifth-round FA Cup result. Arsenal came off worst in that 4-0 thrashing and their fortunes have taken a turn for the worse since then.
Having ceded the top spot to United, Arsenal have since slipped down from the second spot. They have a chance to gain some ground in the six-pointer at Old Trafford on Sunday but judging by United's current form, it'll be a hard task (SS1, 3.30pm).
Portsmouth's chance to strengthen their push to finish in sixth place comes on Saturday, as they host Newcastle United (Setanta1, 5.00pm). Kevin Keegan is urging his side to go for the 40-point mark in the hope of avoiding a relegation battle.
Only a few points behind Pompey, Blackburn's performance at Anfield on Sunday could be crucial (1.00pm, SS1). Rovers had several chances to get ahead in the first half of their encounter last November, but the Reds held on for a 0-0 draw. Any points will be crucial for Liverpool this time around as they try to tighten their grip on the fourth spot.
Steve Bruce can't be looking forward to his Wigan side's visit to Stamford Bridge to face second-placed Chelsea (Monday , 7.00pm, Setanta1).
