The ball is back in Manchester United's court after last night's dramatic victory for Leeds United over Arsenal at Elland Road. The Old Trafford side need four points from their last two games to clinch the Premiership title and are confident three of those will come at Ewood Park tonight against struggling Blackburn Rovers (live on Sky Sports 1, 8.00 p.m).
They are now 1 to 20 favourites to win the title with William Hill, who offer Arsenal at 8 to 1.
Unlike last season, when Alex Ferguson's side were well ahead before faltering to allow the Gunners to lift the Premiership, neither of the teams have ever been able to establish a clear advantage over their rivals.
The duo are still neck and neck as the campaign enters its final phase, and Ferguson - who has experienced several dramatic title climaxes at United - believes this year's run-in ranks among the most gripping.
He said: "There have been a lot of twists and turns. It's amazing it can happen this way, and in the nature of all the things that have happened at this club since I have come it's well in line. We're in a great position to win something, and that is what we intend to do."
Ryan Giggs is set to return, having been sidelined by the ankle injury he sustained after scoring his wonder goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final replay on April 14th.
Nicky Butt will stand in for Roy Keane, who could also be ruled out of Sunday's closing home game against Tottenham after picking up an ankle knock at Middlesbrough two days ago, while former Ewood Park star Henning Berg is a definite absentee.
As well as the possibility of Ferguson sentencing his former righthand man Brian Kidd, now Blackburn boss, to relegation, the Rovers side is likely to include Keith Gillespie, who was in United's 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning side.
Kidd is facing up to his glorious past, knowing Manchester United could hammer home the final nail in Blackburn's Premiership coffin. However, he still wishes United well even though he is on the brink of relegation at Rovers. Five months into his troubled reign, he finds it hard to shake off the love of a club to whom he has devoted the vast majority of his professional life.
He said: "United can still do the Treble, I really hope that United win the European Cup, for the gaffer and all the adversity he has been through there. I still have such admiration for him and for all he has done for me and my family."
Now at Ewood Park, the irony of all ironies could be about to shatter Kidd who is demanding more character from his team who he publicly berated after Saturday's defeat against already-relegated Nottingham Forest.
But in the midst of all this he faces a tough night of reckoning with doubts hanging over the injured pair, Kevin Gallacher and Ashley Ward. Kidd did not mix his words after the 2-1 defeat by Forest, finally losing patience with the big-time stars he has inherited and found sadly short of what he has been used to.
And he does not hesitate to throw United's success in the face of Rovers' stars. He said: "The reason why Manchester United are a great team is their work ethic, how hard they work combined with ability. It's not all about ability, it's about how hard they work too."
Kidd's attack on the integrity, effort and commitment of Rovers players on television shocked many observers. But he refuses to back down. "I can't be any more straight forward than that. I wasn't afraid of saying it, it needed saying and I don't regret it."
But he refuses to accept Rovers have already gone down. "I'm still hopeful that Rovers can stay up, there's six points to play for so there's no reason why we can't survive if the team have the same belief as me."
"I have posing questions for the five months I have been here. Things that are wrong, trying to look at the situation.
"We have an amazing injury list, I'm fed up with saying it. But I do expect that whoever we put out their gives their all."
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