Manchester United is out to become the first club in 20 years to
win the League Cup two years in a row when it faces Aston Villa at
Wembley, and also hopes that neighbor Manchester City will do it a
big favor by beating Chelsea in the Premier League.
The worst-case scenario for manager Alex Ferguson and his
team, however, is that they lose the final at Wembley and Man City
loses at Chelsea to leave United four points behind in the league
title race.
United is coming off a 3-0 victory over West Ham in the
league on Tuesday with striker Wayne Rooney taking his goals tally
for the season to 27 including 11 in his last eight games.
But Ferguson has announced two more injury problems with
centerback Rio Ferdinand out of Sunday's game with a recurrence of
his nagging back injury and midfielder Anderson ruled out for six
months with a ruptured cruciate-ligament injury.
Ferguson is likely to make several changes from the lineup
that beat West Ham with experienced goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar
expected to return along with defenders Rafael da Silva, Jonny
Evans and midfielder Michael Carrick.
"The final itself has a great attraction," Ferguson said. "We
recognize very seriously the challenge from Aston Villa. When you
think of the team Martin O'Neill inherited and compare it with the
team he has got now it's completely different in every department.
"He has brought consistency to them. He doesn't make many
changes and it could be a successful season. They are also in the
FA Cup quarterfinal now."
Villa beat second tier Crystal Palace in a fifth-round replay
on Wednesday and faces another League Championship club, Reading,
in the last eight.
O'Neill is likely to start with England strikers Gabriel
Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey against United on Sunday even though
the tall Norwegian forward, John Carew, scored twice against
Palace.
While United will hope that Man City wins on Saturday to stop
Chelsea moving further ahead in the standings, Villa is likely to
be cheering on the Premier League leader.
That is because Villa and Man City are rivals - along with
Tottenham and Liverpool - for a fourth-place finish in the Premier
League which would mean a shot at playing in next season's
Champions League.
A Chelsea victory at Stamford Bridge will give Carlo
Ancelotti's team a four-point cushion. It would also mean Villa
remains only a point behind Man City but with a game in hand.
Going into the weekend's league games, Chelsea has 61 points
from 27 games, Man United has 60 from 28 and third-placed Arsenal,
which goes to Stoke, has 55 from 27.
With games running out, the three appear to be the only
realistic contenders for the title while the four teams behind them
are more concerned with fourth place and are tightly bunched.
Tottenham and Man City have 46 points and Liverpool and Villa
have 45. Tottenham hosts improving Everton on Sunday when Liverpool
welcomes Blackburn.
There should be a few more twists and turns in the struggle
to avoid relegation although that is likely to be virtually
confirmed in the next few days for last-placed Portsmouth.
Deeply in debt and facing a winding-up order on Monday,
Portsmouth seems set to go into financial administration unless it
finds a new owner. Administration would bring a nine-point
deduction.
With only 16 points so far, the loss of nine would make it
only a matter of time before it is mathematically impossible for
Portsmouth to survive even if beats next-to-last Burnley on
Saturday.
Bolton, which is also in the relegation zone, faces Wolves,
which is two places above. Hull lies in between the two, doesn't
have a game this weekend and will slide to next to last if Bolton
and Burnley win.
In 15th place, Wigan is also in danger of being sucked into
the relegation battle and has a difficult game at Birmingham on
Saturday. Likewise, Sunderland, which is only three points above
the relegation zone, has a tough game at home to Fulham on Sunday.
In the race for promotion, Newcastle holds a five-point lead
at the top of the League Championship. It hopes to capture three
more points at Watford on Saturday to maintain momentum toward an
immediate return to the top flight after relegation last season.
Second-placed Nottingham Forest goes to neighbor Leicester
and third-placed West Bromwich Albion, which is six points behind
Newcastle, hosts Derby.
