After a turbulent week in English football, domestic matters return to the fore in the Premier League.
United host Liverpool; City go to Villa; Spurs face Newcastle
After a turbulent week in English football, domestic matters return to the fore in the Premier League.
Fabio Capello will certainly not be in attendance at any top-flight ground this weekend, and he could miss out on a cracker at Old Trafford where rivals Manchester United and Liverpool meet once again.
Luis Suarez is sure to receive a hostile reception as the Uruguayan has now served his eight-match suspension for racially abusing United's Patrice Evra back in October.
United currently sit second in the table, two points behind Manchester City who travel to Aston Villa for the final game of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere, Harry Redknapp will finally be able to focus on football matters after being found not guilty of tax evasion on Wednesday - Tottenham have a tricky tie against Newcastle.
Manchester United and
Liverpool have always enjoyed a fierce rivalry, but this season it has taken on a different, and perhaps more sinister, dimension. Luis Suarez's suspension for racially abusing Evra has added to the already tense relationship between the two North-West clubs. Liverpool's steadfast defence of the Uruguayan has drawn criticism from many quarters with manager Kenny Dalglish most recently declaring, on the forward's return, that he should never have been absent in the first place. Dalglish got the better of Sir Alex Ferguson when these sides met in the FA Cup a few weeks ago, but with United looking to gun down Manchester City at the top of the table, revenge could be on the cards. Follow the action live on
Sky Sports HD2 from 12.45pm on Saturday.
Leaders
A two-point lead at the summit is not something to be scoffed at with three months of the campaign left to play. That is the advantage
Manchester City have over United ahead of a potentially tricky trip to
Aston Villa. Roberto Mancini's men bounced back from a minor blip with a comfortable victory over Fulham last time out and will be looking to get a run of results going in the Midlands. Since Villa's impressive victory over Chelsea on New Year's Eve Alex McLeish's side have not been able to find a consistent run of form. A defeat to Newcastle was preceded by a draw against QPR and McLeish will be desperate for a positive result to boost morale. Watch this one live on
Sky Sports HD1 from 4pm on Sunday.
What a week it has been for Harry Redknapp. Facing a charge of tax evasion at Southwark Crown Court, Redknapp and Milan Mandaric were cleared on Wednesday - the same day that Fabio Capello stepped down from his position of England coach following a row with the FA regarding John Terry's captaincy. Redknapp is widely expected to succeed Capello but, for the time being, Stuart Pearce has been placed in caretaker charge of the Three Lions.
Tottenham will not give up their manager without a fight and this weekend they face
Newcastle, who sit fifth in the standings. Alan Pardew, who has ruled himself out of the England running, will be looking for his Senegalese strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse to produce some more magic.
Wigan Athletic are in desperate need of a result with the Latics currently rock bottom of the Premier League and five points adrift of safety. They were held at home by Everton in their last outing and a trip to fellow strugglers
Bolton must be seen as an opportunity
