Originally Posted by SkySports

Premier League Preview

Manchester United play host to Manchester City and Chelsea travel to Arsenal in a double-bill of derby day action on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1.


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With the football world still drawing breath after all the drama of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the Premier League swiftly returns to centre stage.

Manchester United were simply too good for the Gunners at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night and will be eager to dish out a similar footballing lesson to their local rivals Manchester City, who recorded a shock double over the champions last term.

Victory for Sir Alex Ferguson's side would take them a step closer to a hat-trick of Premier League titles, with a maximum of seven points required from their remaining four games to make their pursuers' efforts pointless.

City have been dismal travellers all season, but have hit another purple patch of form in recent weeks with three successive victories combined with a return to goalscoring form for record signing Robinho.

Chelsea will hope to make headlines for the right reasons ahead of their clash with London foes Arsenal, with the unsightly hounding of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo by numerous players and Didier Drogba's foul-mouthed outburst at the final whistle of their defeat by Barcelona detracting from what had been an enthralling clash of the titans.

Perhaps Drogba would be wise to spend some time considering the excellent chances he missed in both legs rather than attempting to place the blame for the Blues' failings solely on the shoulders of the match official.

The Gunners also need to restore pride on the field after being utterly outclassed by United in midweek, and victory over the Blues would restore some faith among supporters growing restless following another barren year.

Enthralling

Liverpool know they simply cannot afford to drop any more points if they are to continue their dogged battle to overhaul United at the summit as they prepare to travel to West Ham.

Rafa Benitez's men have given their all in an enthralling title tussle, but the Anfield outfit's wait for the English crown looks increasingly likely to extend into a 20th year as the leaders have a three-point cushion plus the benefit of a game in hand.

The Hammers remain in pole position to finish in seventh spot and secure a Europa League berth - the new name for next season's Uefa Cup - but there are three clubs just a solitary point behind in the table.

West Brom's Premier League stay could come to an end on Saturday if they are beaten at home by Wigan and Hull City take a point or more from their KC Stadium encounter with Stoke City.

The Baggies can take some hope ahead of Saturday's Hawthorns encounter as Steve Bruce's visitors are suffering a late season slip which has seen them claim just one point from their last four games, with only a solitary goal for their efforts.

Hull City's slump has been much more dramatic and could yet prove to have dire consequences as Phil Brown's men have stumbled horribly to collect just eight points from their last 19 games.

Stoke are on the brink of being assured of a second season of top-flight football, defying the many critics - myself included - who dismissed their chances out of hand in the summer, yet boss Tony Pulis insists he will not relax until the 40-point mark is reached.

Sunderland are yet another club on the slide, with five defeats from their last six games meaning they are just four points above the bottom three ahead of their trip to Bolton.

With North East rivals Newcastle and Middlesbrough, who currently occupy 18th and 19th spots in the table respectively, meeting at St James' Park on Monday, it is an opportunity the Black Cats need to grasp.

The Trotters enjoyed a 4-1 success at the Stadium of Light earlier this season in what proved to be Roy Keane's final match at the helm, with replacement Ricky Sbragia gaining a measure of revenge with a 2-1 FA Cup victory in January.

Focus

Blackburn and Portsmouth already look to have done enough to be assured of top-flight survival ahead of their meeting at Ewood Park, but Sam Allardyce and Paul Hart will not allow complacency to creep into their respective squads.

Both men were brought in to replace struggling rookie managers Paul Ince and Tony Adams, and with the initial goal of avoiding relegation almost achieved, attention will now turn to improving fortunes further for next season, with Hart hinting he is keen to earn an extension to his current deal which expires in the summer.

Everton manager David Moyes will not allow his players to lose focus over the closing weeks of the campaign despite their impending FA Cup final appearance, with Tottenham the next visitors to Goodison Park.

Spurs' remarkable recovery under Harry Redknapp has taken them to the brink of European qualification again, although their form away from White Hart Lane still requires attention, with 10 defeats in 17 games.

Aston Villa's hopes of gatecrashing the top four were ended with a miserable run through March and April and they now face a battle to hold off Everton in the fight for fifth prior to their trip to Fulham.

Martin O'Neill's men, who are showing signs of fatigue after an early start to the season in the Intertoto Cup, at least secured their first victory in 10 attempts last time out with a 1-0 success over Hull City to remain two points above the Toffees.

The Cottagers are among the clutch of clubs challenging for seventh place, with their success this season built on a solid defence and impressive home form, although they have come unstuck in three of their last five outings on the banks of the Thames.

Originally Posted by Tommy Red
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Yeah some good games all around Europe this weekend.

Here, West Ham/Liverpool, United/City, Arsenal/Chelsea and Newcastle/Middlesbrough are all televised. I'll watch them all.