Chelsea have a gilt-edged opportunity to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League this weekend and there is nothing their main title rivals can do about it.
With second-placed Liverpool having a week off and Arsenal and Manchester City in FA Cup action, all the chasers can do is hope Tottenham can end one of the longest jinx in English football and upset the odds at Stamford Bridge.
Twenty four years have passed and 15 managers have come and gone at the north London club since Tottenham last won at Chelsea.
Chelsea are gaining momentum in ominous fashion as the home straight to the title race looms and while Manchester City will have three games in hand after the weekend, a nine-point deficit to Jose Mourinho’s side would leave them precious little margin for error.
Perhaps a glimmer of optimism for Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and City’s Manuel Pellegrini is that Tottenham have the best away record in the top flight and are still harbouring top-four hopes themselves.
Despite not playing fluently, they are fifth and victory at Chelsea would leave them just a point behind City and three adrift of arch-rivals Arsenal who they host next week.
Tim Sherwood’s side have picked up 29 points on the road this season, winning nine games out of 14.
Chelsea have been strong at home, though, winning 12 and drawing two as Mourinho’s incredible statistic of never having lost a league game at Stamford Bridge rolls on.
Champions Man. United have the chance to edge a little closer to the top four with a lunch-time kick-off today at West Bromwich Albion who earlier in the season won at Old Trafford for the first time in 35 years.
Albion fans mocked United manager David Moyes that day, suggesting he would be “sacked in the morning” but it was their manager Steve Clarke who was cast aside and West Brom are now hovering just above the relegation zone with new boss Pepe Mel under pressure.
Defeat for United would surely end their remote hopes of finishing in the Champions League places, leaving their best route back into the competition to win it, although with a 2-0 deficit to overturn against Olympiakos in the last 16 that scenario looks unlikely too.
The weekend’s other matches all involve teams battling to avoid the drop.
The bottom two clubs meet with Cardiff City hosting Fulham in a match where for once the description “a six-pointer” is not out of place.
Defeat for either in the Welsh capital would see the trapdoor open a little wider.
“This is now the biggest game for us, Fulham at home,” Cardiff’s Ben Turner told the club’s website.
“We’ve been saying for a few games at home that they are ‘must win’ recently, and this game more than fits that description. There are ten games left and our aim is to try and win 50 per cent or more of them.”
Crystal Palace, three points above the bottom three in 16th place, host Southampton, probably the only side in the top flight to have little to play for this season, they being well clear of danger and too far adrift of the European spots.
Norwich City, who are just a point better off than Palace, take on a Stoke City side who could move into the relative comfort of 10th with three points.