London, Jan 28 (DPA) Chelsea will be looking to capitalise on the fortune of the fixture list this weekend by going clear at the top of the table while their rivals for the title – Manchester United and Arsenal – square off against each other in a blockbuster encounter.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit one point ahead at the top of the standings after their midweek win over Birmingham City and could extend their lead if they win at relegation-threatened Burnley Saturday.
With Arsenal and United facing each other at the Emirates, anything other than a win for either side is likely to see them lose ground, something Ancelotti is well aware of.
“It’s good we are back at the top,” the Italian said. “We have one more point with a game in hand on United and two points more than Arsenal. That’s important because on Sunday United play Arsenal. Maybe we can improve our position on Saturday.”
Ancelotti said he is hoping to have Didier Drogba back in his starting line-up at Burnley after the Ivory Coast striker returned from international duty at the African Cup of Nations.
“We need Drogba back because he is a fantastic player,” he said. “I want to thank my players, but we need Drogba back for the future. I don’t know if he will be ready. We have to do a check and make a decision.
“Our philosophy and aims won’t change – to play good football and win. We won’t change. We’ll maintain the same system. I’m happy Drogba will be here with us because he had a fantastic start to the season.”
Arsenal and United will know what they need to do when they play just over 24 hours later. United should be on a high after their midweek Carling Cup win over Manchester City, while Arsenal drew at Aston Villa in midweek but have a couple of key injury problems.
Defender Thomas Vermaelen, one of their star performers this season, has a suspected broken leg and striker Eduardo has a hamstring problem, with both men out of the United clash.
That means veteran defender Sol Campbell, who rejoined the club earlier this month, is likely to thrust back into the big time, faced with the task of stopping an in-form Wayne Rooney at the Emirates Sunday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is under no illusion about the importance of the match with the champions. “We want to win our next home game against Manchester United,” he said. “We go from game to game. If you look far too ahead it is not too good.”
The Gunners hit the front for the first time this season 10 days ago, but their draw at Aston Villa saw them drop to third. “Does it increase the pressure on us not winning?” Wenger asked. “We have enough pressure, don’t worry. We want to win the home game and hopefully we will not be hit too hard with injuries.
“The draw keeps our run going and we are on a very strong run. If you put all the games together it maintains our positive vibe. But any game you have to win at the moment compared to Chelsea – they win and so we dropped two points.”
Behind the top three the battle for fourth place and the remaining Champions League spot goes on, with Tottenham (4th) and Liverpool (5th) having the chance to open up a gap on the rest of the chasing pack.
Tottenham are away to Birmingham Saturday, while Liverpool will be looking for all three points from their home tie with Bolton Wanderers.
Portsmouth, four points adrift at the bottom of the table, face a very tough task to get anything out of their trip to Manchester City, while second-from-bottom Hull take on Wolves.
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