The 2011/12 Premier League title race is set for a decisive showdown on Monday when Manchester City host leaders Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
Last weekend, the Red Devils could only manage a four-all draw against Everton at Old Trafford and City profited from their neighbours’ slip-up to bridge the gap to only three points after a 2-0 win at West Brom.
Although both managers, Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini, have claimed that this would be the biggest derby of their careers, the competition could have further twists and turns in the remaining two matches of the season.
In the PFA Premier League team of the Year, City had four players: Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and David Silva.
Ferguson was furious for the way his side let in Everton when they were leading 4-2 to bring in City with a chance following a shambolic defensive display.
After the loss to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final, Everton hit back to show they were not dead and buried yet. Manager David Moyes hailed his players for going ‘toe-to-toe’ with United at Old Trafford as they avoided defeat despite trailing by two goals on two occasions.
The talk this week has been Chelsea’s incredible passage to the Champions League final at the expense of the mighty Barcelona following a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp for a 3-2 aggregate win.
Back home, Chelsea will continue their fight for a top-four position and a place in next year’s European Cup in case they’ll miss out in the final against Bayern Munich in Germany next month.
Tomorrow, the Blues play QPR where Premier League chiefs acted to avoid a potential flashpoint by abandoning the pre-match hand-shake because of the racism alle-gations involving John Terry and Anton Ferdinand.
Today, third-placed Arsenal are away at Stoke while surprise pack Newcastle travel to spirited Wigan.
Tomorrow, Tottenham face troubled Blackburn at White Hart Lane.
Robin van Persie has just been named Writers Footballer of the Year and PFA Player of the Year after a free-scoring campaign for Arsenal. The Dutchman will be seeking more goals to make sure that the Gunners play in the Champions League again next season.
Alan Pardew’s Newcastle are playing like true champions and won their last six matches on the trot in which they conceded just two goals.
Pardew is hoping the feel-good factor will remain at Newcastle and that it can persuade the team’s stars to stay put.
At Tottenham, Harry Redknapp declared that the lack of a hitman was hitting his team hard. Their player, Kyle Walker, was voted the PFA’s Young Player of the Year.
At the bottom end of the standings, the situation is still touch and go as Aston Villa are not breathing easily following the midweek upset to Bolton 1-2 that left them hanging perilously in the red zone along with QPR, Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn as Wolves are now destined to play lower-grade Championship football next season.
Meanwhile, Southampton and West Ham will both be looking to secure a place in the lucrative Premier League as they aim to clinch automatic promotion on the final day of the regular Championship season today.
Second-tier title winners Reading have already made sure of a return to the top flight by clinching one of the two automatic promotion spots on offer and cannot be caught at the top of the table.
West Ham are two points behind the Saints heading into the weekend.
The London club need to beat Hull City and hope Southampton lose to relegated Coventry.
Fixtures and forecast
Premier League
Everton-Fulham 1
Norwich City-Liverpool 18:30 2
Stoke City-Arsenal 2
Sunderland-Bolton X
Swansea-Wolves 1
West Brom-Aston Villa X
Wigan-Newcastle X
Tomorrow:
Chelsea-QPR 14:30 1
Tottenham-Blackburn 17:00 1
Monday:
Man. City-Man. United 21:00 X
Standings: Man. Utd 83; Man. City 80; Arsenal 65; Newcastle 62; Tottenham 59; Chelsea 58; Everton 48; Liverpool, Fulham 46; WBA 45; Sunderland 44; Swansea, Norwich 43; Stoke 42; Aston Villa 36; QPR, Wigan 34; Bolton 33; Blackburn 31; Wolves 23.
Championship (all 13:30 kick-offs)
Barnsley-Brighton X
Birmingham City-Reading 1
Burnley-Bristol City 1
Crystal Palace-Cardiff City2
Derby-Peterborough 1
Doncaster-Ipswich Town2
Leeds-Leicester CityX
Millwall-Blackpool X
N. Forest-Portsmouth 1
Southampton-Coventry City 1
Watford-Middlesbrough 2
West Ham-Hull City1
League One
Brentford-Sheffield Wed. 2
Bury-Oldham 1
Carlisle-Exeter 1
Colchester-Tranmere X
Hartlepool-Leyton Orient 1
Preston-Charlton 2
Rochdale-MK Dons2
Scunthorpe-Bournemouth 1
Sheffield Utd-Stevenage 18:20 1
Walsall-Huddersfield X
Wycombe-Notts County X
Yeovil-Chesterfield X
League Two
Aldershot-Rotherham 1
Barnet-AFC Wimbledon 1
Bristol Rovers-Accrington 1
Cheltenham-Bradford City 1
Crawley-Hereford 1
Macclesfield-Burton 1
Morecambe-Plymouth X
Northampton-Gillingham X
Oxford-Southend X
Shrewsbury-Dagenham 1
Swindon-Port Vale 1
Torquay-Crewe 1
Hot Four
Burnley, Derby, Carlisle, Shrewsbury.