Manchester United are ahead of schedule, which is depressing news for the teams still hoping to give them a run for their money in the Premiership. By reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions' League a fortnight early, Alex Ferguson has given himself more time to concentrate on two domestic fixtures which may well find the bookmakers refusing to take any more bets on United winning their fifth title in six seasons.
Tomorrow, Manchester United are at home to Blackburn Rovers, a point behind them in second place and at present, the only team within striking distance. A week today, United visit Liverpool for a morning kick-off which means that by next Saturday lunch-time, they could have extended their lead to seven points.
With their remaining fixture in Group B of the Champions' League solely a matter of pride and prestige - Ferguson is keen to beat Juventus a second time and show Turin that his players are no longer overawed by the Stadio Delle Alpi - United can now concentrate on accumulating enough Premiership points to ensure that whatever happens in Europe this season they will be back in the richest tournament next time around.
The notion that a Manchester United team lacking Eric Cantona would find the Champions' League too much of a distraction to become only the fourth English club to complete a championship hat-trick now seems rather quaint. Last season, having scrambled into the quarter-finals of the Champions' League with somewhat less aplomb than they have shown this time, United were eight points off the lead in the Premiership a week before Christmas. They then won nine league matches out of 11 and drew the other two to break the back of the contest.
A similar run now is very likely, for a year has further strengthened Ferguson's options. Tomorrow, for example, he will be without Paul Scholes, who starts a three-match ban, but has Ole Solskjaer available to join Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole in attack. Or he can move Ronny Johnsen to midfield and recall Henning Berg to centre-back.
Roy Hodgson, while not short of players, is hardly in the same category. The Blackburn manager has lost Colin Hendry and Martin Dahlin to injuries and may be without Kevin Gallacher, who is under treatment for a damaged Achilles tendon. Hodgson, moreover, will not be relying on any reaction from the relaxed 3-0 victory over Kosice on Thursday that put Manchester United beyond the reach of Juventus in the Champions' League qualifiers.
While Old Trafford did its sums, working out that the team's latest appearance in the last eight would earn the club at least £7 million and probably much more, Ferguson pondered his players' chances of going one better than last season's advance to the semi-finals. "If we can keep all the players fit and free from suspension we have a great opportunity to go all the way," he said.
Only the late header from David Platt, which enabled Arsenal to beat United 3-2 at Highbury three weeks ago, has kept Manchester United in sight at the top of the Premier League. But suspensions, injuries and defeats at Derby and Sheffield Wednesday have slowed the momentum of Arsene Wenger's side.
Dennis Bergkamp will be back from a three-match suspension to face Liverpool tomorrow but Arsenal will still be below strength and grateful that the opposition have Robbie Fowler and Paul Ince still suspended. This could be a pivotal week for the Liverpool manager, Roy Evans, who badly needs the right result before facing Manchester United.
Henning Berg will face his old club for the first time since his £5 million move from Ewood Park in the summer.
Ferguson has been delighted with the Norwegian international's form in his three months at Old Trafford.
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