AFTER the intoxicating drama of Anfield, the three way race for the Premiership title today runs smack into the six team scramble to avoid the trauma of relegation. For those who come off worse in the collision, the damage will go deeper than mere morale.
Local honour will be a factor in the Manchester derby at Maine Road, although United - three points clear of Newcastle with a game more played, and five ahead of Liverpool - have found visits to 16th placed City less than fraught in recent times. Last season Alex Ferguson's men added a 3-0 romp to the 5-0 rout at Old Trafford.
City, indeed, have not beaten their neighbours since Mel Machin was manager in 1989. The Tshirts which proclaimed "Mel's Marvels 5, Fergie's Wallet 1" have long since turned to tatters. Symbolic, some might say, of their relationship to United, although the signs have been more positive during Alan Ball's reign. In the meetings this season, one in the Premiership and the more recent one in the FA Cup, United won only 1-0 and 2-1. On the latter occasion, they needed an outrageous penalty award to kick start them after Georgi Kinkladze had performed the rare feat of out scheming Eric Cantona.
"The gap in the table is very big, but the gap between the teams is getting closer," Ball said. "They'll certainly take us seriously. We won't roll over like we've done before."
City's best hope may lie in the aerial power of Niall Quinn. Steve Bruce hopes to return for United but, if he is forced to sit out the match with Gary Pallister, the leaders will be short of height in defence. Mikhail Kavetashvili, Kinkladze's fellow Georgian, is set for a momentous debut but, with Steve Lomas suspended and Garry Flitcroft sold, City may find it hard to win enough of the ball to supply their strikers.
As Ball is fond of pointing out, his Southampton side lost all three Easter matches two years ago, yet stayed up. His comments found an echo this week from Ron Atkinson. Coventry, bottom but one, receive Liverpool before going to United on Monday, but their manager asserted: "There's no rule that says we can't take 18 points from the last six games." Indeed not, except that Coventry have so far managed only five wins out of 32.
Queen's Park Rangers, one place above Coventry, may be unsure what to expect at Newcastle. Will it be a backlash - or has the manner of their defeat at Liverpool drained Kevin Keegan's team of their self belief? Darren Peacock deputises for the injured Steve Howey, although the player most likely to push QPR towards the drop is another of their old boys, Les Ferdinand.
It is also reunion day at Southampton, where Blackburn hope to have Alan Shearer fit to join Tim Flowers against his previous club.
