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Utd, Chelsea face nervous final
10/05/2008 15:11 - (SA)
London - Manchester United has the superior goal difference. Chelsea has the momentum.
The most thrilling English league title race in nine years comes down to the final day of the campaign on Sunday with both clubs level on 84 points and only 90 minutes of soccer to go.
Leader United, which has a goal differential of 56 compared
with Chelsea's 39, goes to Wigan and the second place Blues host Bolton. If they both win, it will be the first time since 1989 - when Arsenal edged Liverpool on more goals scored - that the top two teams will finish level on points.
With all the games kicking off at the same time, there is a good chance that the outcome won't be known until the final few seconds, which means a nervous 90 minutes for Red Devils fans at the JJB Stadium and Blues followers at Stamford Bridge.
"We all have emotions," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who is in the verge of winning his 10th Premier League title and 21st major trophy since he arrived at Old Trafford in 1986. "Sometimes you get a little nervous. Sometimes you get overconfident. That is the nature of the game."
A United victory at Wigan guarantees yet another league title for the Red Devils, who only have to match Chelsea's result against Bolton. But Wigan captured a point at Chelsea in a surprise 1-1 draw last month and, even though manager Steve Bruce was a standout former centre back and captain for United, he has pledged that his team will give nothing away.
Bookmakers
United hopes to have striker Wayne Rooney on the bench after missing two games with a hip injury. Nemanja Vidic, who has had a standout season alongside Rio Ferdinand in central defence, has recovered from a concussion and will return to the starting lineup.
Despite the thrilling finish to the title race and Chelsea having the stronger momentum coming into the final day of the season, the bookmakers make United a 1-7 favourite to win the title with the Blues a 4-1 shot.
Since Chelsea's last Premier League loss to Arsenal on Dec. 16, the Blues have won 15 and drawn five times while United's record is 14-3-3 with defeats to West Ham, Manchester City and a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.
"There is no doubt about this, in the last month we have played very good games," said Chelsea manager Avram Grant. "The best football at the right times against big teams and big managers.
"Whatever happens on Sunday I will be very proud of what we have done this season. Alex said a few months ago it was the best Manchester United side since he's been coaching. If they take the title, and I'm not sure they will, it will be on goal difference."
The two teams also meet in the Champions League final in Moscow May 21 which means both are chasing a double triumph.
Ferguson achieved that in 1999 when his team also won the FA Cup while Grant could capture both trophies in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge where he took over from Jose Mourinho in September.
'We're friends'
A former Israel national team coach, Grant says he is on friendly terms with Ferguson, who is an enthusiastic wine collector.
"I promised him an Israeli wine and we're going to drink it before the Champions League final," Grant said. "We're friends. I'm friends with other coaches who I've then gone out to try and beat. That's what happens. I wanted to beat him, even if he was angry with me afterward."
The final day of the campaign will also decide the last two relegation spots.
Last-place Derby is already guaranteed to return to the League Championship with the lowest ever points total in the Premier League. The Rams, who host 18th-place Reading, have 11 points and have no chance of beating the previous worst total of 15 set by Sunderland in 2006.
Reading has 33 points, the same as 17th-place Fulham, which visits FA Cup finalist Portsmouth. That could give Fulham a slight advantage because Portsmouth's stars will want to avoid picking up injuries ahead of next Saturday's date with Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium.
The other team in danger of going down is Birmingham City, which was promoted last season and is next to last with 32 points. Alex McLeish's team at least has home advantage against ninth-place Blackburn.
Mathematically, Bolton is also in trouble because it has only 36 points. But it has a superior goal difference to its relegation rivals and would only go down if both Fulham and Reading win their games by huge margins and Bolton loses heavily to Chelsea.
Sunday's other games are Middlesbrough-Manchester City, Sunderland-Arsenal, Tottenham- Liverpool, West Ham-Aston Villa, and Everton-Newcastle.
- AP
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