The Hindu : Sport : Man United faces Chelsea in vital clash

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Man United faces Chelsea in vital clash

LONDON: Manchester United heads to defending Premier League champion Chelsea on Sunday confident that it is about to hit form at exactly the right time.

United has started the season with a club-record 16-game unbeaten run and leads the league despite playing one game fewer than its rivals, but a division-high six draws away from home have denied it a big lead.

It has shown its best form only fitfully and is just three points ahead of fourth-place Chelsea.

“Personally, I'm not a player who spends a lot of time watching other teams,” United defender Nemanja Vidic said. “I prefer to look at what we're doing. We know that we are in a good position and everything is in our hands, and if we produce the kind of performances we know we can, we shouldn't have to worry about any of the other teams.”

“From my experience, this is the time when we usually come into good form.”

That may have already started.

Having beaten Blackburn 7-1 for its biggest league win for a decade, United earned a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Monday that could have been even bigger had Wayne Rooney not missed a penalty.

Second-place Arsenal hosts Stoke on Saturday, while third-place Manchester City hosts Everton in Monday's match.

While Europe's other major leagues are heading into their winter breaks, Premier League sides will each play four matches by January 5. With such a congested schedule, things can change quickly at the top of the table.

“Things have been very tight up to now, but I think that we'll see two or three teams stepping it up and stretching ahead,” Vidic said.

“By the middle of January, we'll have much more of an idea (of) who is going to be chasing the title.”

United manager Alex Ferguson has suggested that Chelsea erred when it allowed Joe Cole and Michael Ballack to leave when their contracts expired at the end of last season.

“Maybe that's why their results have been erratic,” Ferguson said.

“Their plan was always to start introducing younger players and I think that's a good thing, but it can backfire if you get injuries.” — AP

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