Sir Alex Ferguson and his players head for Tyneside on Wednesday night having seen title rivals Manchester City fail to make them pay for their shock home defeat by Blackburn on Saturday by themselves slipping up at Sunderland 24 hours later. Pardew knows a United starting line-up which seems certain to be boosted by the return of Wayne Rooney and could also include Rio Ferdinand and Chris Smalling, will present the toughest of tests as his side also looks to bounce back from Friday night's 3-1 reverse at Liverpool. The Magpies have won only one of their last eight league games, a run which has seen them play both Manchester clubs and the Merseysiders away and Chelsea at home, and while they remain in seventh place, their advantage over the teams immediately below them has all but evaporated. Pardew said: "That gap was obviously going to close with the injuries and games we have had, and it has. "But we are still there and after this particular game, we have a decent run of games, so there's again a chance to maybe put some distance between us and the chasing pack. "But we have to prove that." A 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on November 26 was one of the better results during that difficult sequence of fixtures, albeit one which was secured with a highly-contentious Demba Ba penalty. A repeat or even better on Wednesday night would say much for the progress Newcastle have made under Pardew, although he is under no illusions as to the challenge ahead. He said: "It would say a lot, but it's still a tough ask. "We are catching them at a time when they have got something to prove, and they are always dangerous when they are like that. "But so have we, so we will see what the reaction is." The less-than-neighbourly battle for the league title is being fought out tooth and nail with City having closed the gap on their rivals following a breathtaking spending spree which has left manager Roberto Mancini with an enviable array of riches from which to choose. However, Pardew insists that as long as United retain the trophy, they deserve every ounce of the respect he and his players will afford them. He said: "They still hold the medals, and that says a lot for a squad. They are the champions and you have to respect that. "I was there on Saturday for the (Blackburn) game and I know he (Ferguson) is going to be very, very disappointed on the back of that game and he will be bringing that to his dressing room and into our stadium on Wednesday night."
