It's the biggest game of the year in England as Manchester United host Chelsea on Sunday (live on FOX Soccer, 11 a.m. ET) in a match that is likely to decide who will wear the crown. Our FOX Soccer crew sat down to break down the key men, the big match-ups, and just what this game means.
Q. Guys, why don't we start off with some general thoughts. How big is this game?
WARREN BARTON: The fact is, it doesn't come any bigger. All due respect to Arsenal and City, this is the biggest one. I think it's a great game. Obviously this game has been on Sir Alex Ferguson's mind for some time, and you saw that Wednesday with so many changes in his lineup against Schalke. I think Ferguson will be quietly confident here. I also think it will be a very tense game, and might be quite a physical game. It will come down to whoever has that little bit of composure in the final third.
KYLE MARTINO: Yeah, when I looked at the fixtures at the beginning, I always felt it would come down to this game as a title decider. I was a little surprised they set it up this way, actually. United are catching Chelsea on a furious upswing: They are in the form they were in earlier this season and are going to be tough. But I still think it is United's game to lose.
KEITH COSTIGAN: Remember that the gap was up to nine points atop the league at one point and we were all thinking that Chelsea were out of it. Now, things are very different and I think this means that the Blues have nothing to lose coming into the game. Last week, United loosened their grip a bit against an Arsenal side lacking in confidence, and for some reason they didn't really attack them. So I think this means that United have everything to lose this weekend, and Chelsea can play with a sense of freedom.
Q. Who's the key man for United on Sunday, the guy who has to step up and really set the tone?
KYLE: I've got to go with Nemanja Vidic. One of the reasons United has been successful is their stinginess in the back, and even in games in which they have struggled, he's really stepped up.
WARREN: I agree. Vidic can handle the back line against Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba, so it's him for me. I think in a real robust game, he could stand up and be a leader. He's been key for them all season.
KEITH: I think he will match up against Chelsea's key man, Drogba. No disrespect to Torres, who I think will be a good Chelsea player in the future, but I think Carlo Ancelotti has to go with what works, and that's Drogba, So Vidic is the key, and he's been good against Drogba in the past. The other obviously is Wayne Rooney, who has been dropped back into midfield, and we'll have to see how Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel react and deal with that.
Q. You guys are all on the same page, there! How about for Chelsea?
KEITH: It has to be Drogba. For me, he's been one of the top two or three forwards in the world over the last five years, and if this is his last season with Chelsea, you want to see him go out with a bang. When Torres first came in, we saw a little of the old Drogba, the head going down, the disillusionment, but over the past few weeks, he's been at his best. Whether he's scoring, or setting up, he's really done it all, and I don't think Chelsea can win without him having a big game on Sunday.
WARREN: I think it's Frank Lampard. He's coming into his own now, and looking at his scoring record, he could be a key man in this game if he can win that midfield battle against Michael Carrick or Ryan Giggs, whoever they put on him. He can change a game and I also think with the form he's in right now that he doesn't want the season to end. He has a lot of pride and character.
KYLE: I have to go with Drogba, too. Whether he starts or not - and I suspect he will - he's the most important guy for them. When Ancelotti's had the confidence to ignore all the money that was spent on Torres and play him in a role he feels comfortable in, is when Chelsea is at their best. If he's the No. 1, he can be extremely dangerous. If he's on the bench, he's still the most important guy in the game, because that would be a real break for United.
Q. We don't usually do this, but would you guys care to venture a prediction?
KYLE: Short and sweet: 1-0 United.
KEITH: I think Chelsea are going to win, in a very tight game and I think they will go for it right from the start. The reality is it doesn't benefit Chelsea to sit back, and teams that try to do that against United usually lose. So, I think they will go for it, and I think it will be a tight 2-1 win, and Drogba will be the match winner. I should add that just because Chelsea wins the game, that I don't think they will win the league. United will pull ahead in the last two weeks and can win on goal difference, and that's what I see happening.
WARREN: I'm going to go with a score draw, which obviously helps United. United don't have to win but they are also not just going to go and see games out. I think we saw some of that last week at the Emirates, but I think this one will be a tie.
Warren Barton, Kyle Martino and Keith Costigan can be seen each weekend reviewing the world's most important results on FOX Super Sunday Plus.
