Chelsea face United with eyes on a different prize

Chelsea face United with eyes on a different prize

For the first time
in years, Chelsea’s prime concern in Tuesday’s Premier League match
against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge will not be the title.

Already 15 points
behind leaders United and 11 adrift of second-placed Arsenal, Chelsea’s
hopes of retaining the title are long gone and instead they must focus
on fighting it out with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur for the
remaining Champions League berths.

Chelsea have not
finished outside the top four since 2002, the year before Roman
Abramovich took them over, and after subsequently failing to land the
Champions League trophy he so desperately wants, the Russian
billionaire is unlikely to be impressed by the prospect of the Europa
League.

United have 60
points, four clear of Arsenal. City are third on 50, with Spurs on 47.
Chelsea, on 45, have a game in hand on Spurs and the top two and two in
hand over City.

Chelsea’s situation
is still very much in their own hands as they have still to play City
and Spurs at Stamford Bridge, though they also have to travel to Old
Trafford.

Their home record
against United in recent years is strong having not lost since 2002
and, having had the weekend off, captain John Terry said his team were
raring to go.

“We are very confident at home and the way they play might help us,” Terry told the club’s website (www.chelseafc.com).

“I’m not sure how
they are going to come at us but other teams that have come to the
Bridge have sat back and we’ve found it hard to break them down.

“It is a must-win
game for us and the fans are going to be up for it. If we can win, who
knows, it could put a little bit of pressure on them and the teams
around us.” Although Chelsea had the weekend off they were still all
over the newspapers after full back Ashley Cole was reported to have
shot a member of the club’s staff with a .22 air gun.

Rooney’s elbow

The club said they
were treating it as an internal issue and would be taking “appropriate
action” but that might not be the end of the matter as Surrey Police,
who control the area where the incident took place at the club’s Cobham
training ground, said on Monday they would be investigating to see
whether a criminal offence had taken place.

United boss Alex
Ferguson will also be waiting nervously by the phone as the FA studies
the referee’s report from their 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Saturday
with particular attention on Wayne Rooney.

The striker elbowed
James McCarthy in an off-the-ball incident early in the match and
though a free kick was given against him, he escaped any further
punishment.

Wigan manager
Roberto Martinez was furious and a subsequent media storm has ensured
the FA look closely at the incident, which if the referee says he did
not see clearly despite awarding the free kick could lead to a
suspension for Rooney.

Should a ban ensue
Ferguson will be delighted to have a ready-made replacement in the
shape of Javier Hernandez, who scored twice on Saturday after being
preferred in the starting lineup to Dimitar Berbatov.

Ryan Giggs is also likely to be fit for the match after recovering from a hamstring strain.

“It’s always a big game at Chelsea,” Ferguson told MUTV. “We used to
have a great record down there but our record over the last seven years
or so has been poor. We have to do something about that and that’s what
Tuesday is about.”

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