Top 10 crunch games

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Sky Sports counts down ten of the biggest fixtures remaining this season in the Premier League

There are just a couple of months remaining in the Premier League and we are building up to a very tense conclusion.

The title race looks set to go right down to the wire, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are battling it out for UEFA Champions League qualification and the scrap for survival could be just as tight as last season.

Managers throughout the land will at this stage be focusing on each game as it comes and perhaps thinking of a final target rather than identifying individual must-win matches.

However, for neutrals there are always fixtures that jump off the page as having the potential to be decisive, as two teams desperate for three points go head to head.

Here, Sky Sports counts down ten of the remaining games that promise to be well worth following.

Chelsea v Tottenham - 24th March

Any clash between these London rivals is eagerly anticipated but Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge could have a massive bearing on who will qualify for next season's Champions League. Spurs had looked safe for a top-four berth at least just a few weeks ago after spending much of the campaign jostling with Manchester City and Manchester United towards the top of the table, but a recent blip has given hope to both Arsenal and Chelsea that they can be caught. The Blues are so desperate to have another crack at Europe's elite competition that Andre Villas-Boas was sacked just eight months into a three-year deal, and they have appeared rejuvenated under Roberto Di Matteo.

Wolves v Bolton - 31st March

The competition at the bottom of the table has been just as hard-fought as at the other end and there is a key game around the corner as Wolves prepare to welcome Bolton to Molineux before March is out. Both teams have struggled throughout the campaign and Wolves recently took the decision to dismiss Mick McCarthy and place Terry Connor in temporary charge until the end of the season. He has not yet managed to revive their fortunes and will be targeting victory in this clash with relegation rivals Bolton.

Blackburn v Manchester United - 2nd April

Manchester United's fixture list looks much kinder than fellow title contenders Manchester City and they will be aiming for maximum points from their next few games to stay on course for a 20th league crown. With Old Trafford still such a fortress the best chance of an upset comes on the road, and a trip to Ewood Park could prove to be a potential banana skin. Rovers have already beaten the Red Devils once this term and are showing signs of improvement, but they still need to keep pushing on to guarantee survival and may be dangerous customers for Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

Arsenal v Manchester City - 8th April

If a journey to Blackburn represents one of United's trickiest remaining games, then City face a much tougher assignment at Emirates Stadium a few days later. This is surely going to be one of the most crucial dates in the title race as a victory for Roberto Mancini's men would increase belief that they can go on to become champions. A defeat, on the other hand, could allow United to take total control as they also face Queens Park Rangers on the same afternoon. The Gunners will have plenty to play for themselves, of course, and have shown at times this season that they remain very hard to stop when in full flow.

Arsenal v Chelsea - 21st April

Despite Tottenham's recent inconsistency it may be that there is only room for one of these teams in the top four, a prospect that appeared inconceivable a few years ago when they were very much among the dominant forces in English football. Both sides have had ups and downs this term but one thing that has remained the same is their preference for attack rather than defence, a mutual philosophy which contributed to one of the games of the season at Stamford Bridge when Arsenal triumphed 5-3 in October. We can only hope for another capital classic.

Manchester City v Manchester United - 30th April

A Manchester derby that will capture the imagination of not just one city but the entire footballing world, this is very much the big one when it comes to this season's remaining fixtures. There will be just a couple of weeks left when the teams walk out at the Etihad Stadium and all the ingredients should be in place for an absolute thriller, with the title likely to still be up in the air and local rivalry at fever pitch. Roberto Mancini's men famously won 6-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign and will be looking to make it a double on home turf, where they have been irresistible. United will be in no mood to surrender their hold on the trophy, though, especially to their noisy neighbours.

Liverpool v Chelsea - 6th May

The penultimate weekend of the season sees Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield for a match that always produces plenty of drama. The Blues will be looking to finish their campaign with a flourish and seal a place in the top four, but could Liverpool spoil the party? Kenny Dalglish's Reds have enjoyed a strong year in the domestic cups but have disappointed in the Premier League and that is something they can still rectify to some extent over the next couple of months, as they chase a finish higher than their current placing of seventh.

Newcastle v Manchester City - 6th May

Another potentially huge game for Manchester City as they make the difficult trip to the North East to meet a Newcastle side that has defied expectations this season. By this point it will probably be win or bust for City in their bid to become champions, but an already tricky game could be made harder if the Magpies also have something to play for. Alan Pardew's men were tipped by some as relegation candidates but a new-look team has emerged as one of the most resilient in the division and European qualification could still be within reach come May.

Wigan v Wolves - 13th May

The final day of last season was billed as 'Survival Sunday' and it could be the same again this term, with Wigan's game against Wolves promising to be the main feature. Roberto Martinez's Latics have spent most of the season in the bottom three but have always taken confidence from their great escape in 2010/11 and will hope to still be in contention on 13th May. Wolves will be the visitors to DW Stadium and if both teams are fighting for their Premier League lives it is sure to be a nail-biting climax.

Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers - 13th May

While Manchester United conclude their campaign at Sunderland, Manchester City welcome Queens Park Rangers and old boss Mark Hughes to the Etihad Stadium. Both games could be tense affairs if the title is up for grabs but, while United have experience in such situations, City may be looking to make history with a first Premier League crown. QPR, meanwhile, may be in a position where they have to get a result to stay up.

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