Huge task to catch Blues, says Fergie

ALEX FERGUSON has admitted Manchester United face a far tougher task overhauling Chelsea in the Premiership title race than they did with their successful pursuit of Arsenal two years ago.

As United famously dragged back the Gunners’ eight-point lead in the final 10 games of that campaign, Ferguson claimed his eighth league championship, which would go down as one of the finest achievements of his managerial career.

But as the games tick by this term, with Chelsea looking increasingly unlikely to suffer the blip both Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have predicted, the Scot acknowledges the 11-point lead Jose Mourinho’s side currently holds over his own will be much more difficult to overturn.

Given the current state of the title picture, Ferguson has not been able to take any solace from knowing victory over Aston Villa today will take United above Arsenal into second spot, their highest position of a season that has improved markedly from what could turn out to be a title-breaking start of just one win from the first five games.

Of far more importance to the Red Devils chief is a run of fixtures over the next 13 days which also includes Wednesday’s Carling Cup return with Chelsea, the FA Cup encounter with Middlesbrough and the much-hyped Highbury clash with Arsenal.

“These are exciting times,” he said. “We have some massive games coming up, the type every player wants to be involved in. We are in championship-winning form at the moment and the momentum that has given us should carry the players into this period with great confidence.”

As opposed to the swashbuckling attacking ways of the past, the bedrock for United’s current impressive run of 16 domestic games without defeat is a superb defensive effort.

Chelsea may be grabbing most of the headlines having conceded just eight times in the Premiership but Ferguson’s side have only been breached on another five occasions and their eighth successive clean sheet in the FA Cup win at Exeter on Wednesday broke an 80-year club record.

The United boss credits much of the impressive statistics to the return of Rio Ferdinand and the arrival of Gabriel Heinze.

Both should be involved against David O’Leary’s men as Ferdinand has now recovered from the hamstring problem he picked up against Tottenham on January 4.

Villa have never won at Old Trafford in the Premiership, losing on six of their last seven visits, including a 4-0 hiding last term, and are not expected to end that run today.

United emerged victorious from the last meeting between the sides on December 28 when Ryan Giggs capped a fine solo performance with the only goal.

Since then David O’Leary’s side have been beaten on their travels by relegation-threatened Crystal Palace and championship outfit Sheffield United in the FA Cup.

The midlanders’ single triumph away from Villa Park this term came at Bolton over two months ago. But while form suggests a comfortable home win, Ferguson is impressed enough about today’s opponents not to be too confident.

The meeting of Manchester United and Aston Villa will be live game on Today FM’s Premiership Live this afternoon.