MANCHESTER United, stung by their first defeat under interim coach Michael Carrick, will look to get their bid for Champions League football next season back on track when Aston Villa visit.
But Old Trafford could be in for a testing time tomorrow.
Villa, in fourth spot on the table and just one place behind the Red Devils, are equal on points with Man United on 51.
And therein lies the tale. These are two sides with little to separate them, and both with a big chance of securing a top-four finish and qualification for Europe’s elite club competition.
Given their home ground advantage, one would be inclined to give Man United the nod. But Unai Emery’s side, as we have seen so often this season, can play just as attractive football and be as difficult to break down as any of the top sides.
Perhaps what really props up a case for the Villans is their squad stability.
They have no fresh or major injuries reported ahead of the trip to Manchester, and that could count for a lot with so much riding on the outcome.
If there is one thing they need to overcome, it is getting past the two defeats they endured prior to the international break.
Even then, Man United will also be aiming to bounce back from defeat themselves.
They panicked and crumbled under pressure when conceding in the 90th minute to a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men.
That result really hurt an outfit that was in dreamland and riding a Carrick-inspired run in which they had not lost in seven matches since he arrived in mid-January.
The triumphs over the top two in the league – Arsenal and Manchester City – only served to heighten their expectations.
Against Villa tomorrow, we will see if they really are the real deal or just an ordinary side that most folks think they are – with or without Carrick.
Chelsea will be aiming to see off Newcastle at Stamford Bridge today and bolster their own efforts to finish in the top four.
They did not do themselves any favours when going down 5-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
But they should have enough resolve to lift themselves off the canvas and consign the Magpies to further suffering in the bottom half of the league standings.
Both this game and Villa at Man United have the potential to be closely fought encounters, brimming with excitement, and that is just what we expect. — By SHAUN ORANGE
