Battle comes to a boil in English premier league

Arsenal, Leeds and Liverpool, meanwhile, will have a clearer idea of which of them can look forward to Champion’s League football next season.

The Financial stakes are high for the two groups at opposite ends of the table.

Runaway champions Manchester United have already landed one of the automatic places for the Champions League while Arsenal are favourites to take the second.

Arsenal currently lie second with 69 points, two clear of Leeds with a game in hand on their two rivals. Liverpool was fourth after Wednesday’s 2-0 home defeat by Leicester.

The Reds are one point behind Leeds whose mini-revival continued with a 3-1 win over relegated Watford.

Arsenal, gunning for a 12th straight win, have the toughest match of the three as they host London rivals Chelsea whose own bid for a Champions League place has faltered in recent months.

Arsenal, without injured 23-goal Thierry Henry and defender Martin Keown in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over West Ham, expect both players to have recovered from hamstring strains for this traditionally combustible London Derby.

Arsenal won the meeting between the two sides at Stamford Bridge earlier this season when a brilliant late hat-trick by Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu saw them overturn a 2-0 deficit.

On Sunday Liverpool, who have taken just one point in their last three games after surging up the table to second place in the new year, entertain Southampton who, safe from relegation, have little but their reputations to play for.

Liverpool’s destiny is now no longer in their own hands and coach Gerard Houllier fears that the Champions League place they were so close to securing is slipping away.

Leeds face mid-table Everton at Elland Road 24 hourslater.

At the bottom, Sheffield Wednesday travel to Coventry aware that a loss would almost certainly condemn them to the drop. If they lose or draw and Wimbledon and Bradford both win they will be relegated.

Bradford, whose 3-0 win over Wimbledon last weekend lifted them out of the relegation zone and plunged their opponents into the bottom three, are away to Leicester.

Wimbledon, under new coach Terry Burton last week, are at home to in-form Aston Villa.

The Dons will face first relegation since their promotion to the top flight in 1986 if they lose and Bradford win.

Derby, five points above the danger zone but still have a mathematical chance of going down, are at home to Newcastle.

Manchester United, searching for seven more goals to become the first premier league side to top the 100-mark, play Tottenham at home tomorrow in a morning fixture.