The Premier League title race is set for a decider on Monday night, but before then there are other matters of huge importance.
Chelsea play QPR; Wigan host Newcastle; Aston Villa go to West Brom
The Premier League title race is set for a decider on Monday night, but before then there are other matters of huge importance up and down the table.
Chelsea, fresh from their staggering victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, host West London rivals Queens Park Rangers looking to push for a top-four finish and keep the Hoops stuck in the relegation mire.
Newcastle, also hoping to finish in the top four this season, travel to fourth-bottom Wigan while struggling Aston Villa face a crunch Midlands derby against West Bromwich Albion.
Elsewhere, Bolton go to Sunderland, Arsenal take on Stoke City and Tottenham are pitted against Blackburn Rovers.
There will certainly be no love lost when
Chelsea and
QPR renew rivalries on Sunday, but the two teams will be spared the pre-match handshake after the Premier League moved to cancel the usual formalities following the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand clash when these sides last met in the league. Terry is accused of allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand during that match, something he strongly denies, but with the QPR defender taking legal advice on whether a snub would possibly prejudice the Chelsea captain's upcoming trial, the Premier League has acted. This is a huge game not just in the context of the bad feeling that has been accentuated between the two clubs this season, but also because of their respective position in the standings. Rangers sit 16th but remain on the precipice of the relegation zone with three matches remaining, while Chelsea, who produced a heroic display at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, will want to make sure of a place in next year's Champions League by finishing in the top four. Watch this game live on
Sky Sports 1 and
1HD from 1.30pm.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has insisted he will not be too disappointed if his side finish fourth this season but fail to qualify for next year's Champions League, should Chelsea win the competition. The Magpies are currently three points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham going into their game at
Wigan, who still have plenty of work to do if they are to avoid the drop. Roberto Martinez's Latics have been resurgent in recent weeks but despite victories over Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, they squandered a lead at Fulham last time out.
Crunch derby
Alex McLeish faces the very real possibility of taking both Birmingham clubs down from the top-flight in successive seasons. The Scot's tenure at
Aston Villa reached a nadir following Tuesday night's home defeat by Bolton, when the supporters united in anger to protest against McLeish's management. He has three games to preserve Villa's Premier League status but with just three points separating them and the relegation zone, a trip to Midlands rivals
West Brom could not come at a worse time. Albion overcame Liverpool last weekend and would like nothing more than to pile the misery on Villa.
Two teams with plenty to play for at opposite ends of the table are
Tottenham and
Blackburn Rovers, and they meet on Sunday live on
Sky Sports 1 and
1HD from 4pm. It has been a stuttering back end to the campaign for Spurs and from title challengers they have fallen back to fifth, fighting to battle their way back into the top four. If they do not pick up three points at
