Hopes of a suspense_filled end to the Premier League title race rest this weekend on Manchester United, who take their six-game winning streak to champions-elect Chelsea on Saturday.
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Chelsea looked set to drop points at Queens Park Rangers last weekend, only for Cesc Fabregas’s 88th-minute goal to earn a 1-0 win that restored their seven-point lead over second-place Arsenal with a game in hand.
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As things stand, Jose Mourinho’s side require only 12 points from their seven remaining matches to secure a first league title since 2010.
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While a collapse seems unlikely, victory for United would present Arsenal with a chance to trim Chelsea’s lead to just four points when Arsene Wenger’s team tackle their London rivals at the Emirates Stadium on April 26.
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With United only a point behind Arsenal, a win might also nourish their own title ambitions, but for Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill, both matches simply represent obstacles that must be checked off.
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“They’re good games, they’re mouth-watering games and everyone is looking forward to them,” said the England international. “We’ve chalked another one off against QPR and we’re taking those steps.
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“We’re playing against an in-form Manchester United team, but we’re playing at Stamford Bridge and they’re playing against a very good team. It should be a great game.”
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Chelsea won their first 10 home games in the league this season, but Stamford Bridge has become less forbidding in 2015, with Manchester City, Burnley and Southampton having all recorded draws there.
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They were also beaten at home by third-tier Bradford City in the FA Cup fourth round and crashed out of the Champions League on away goals after a 2-2 draw at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
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United have won on only two of their last 16 trips to Stamford Bridge, but they approach the game with confidence higher than at any previous point in the post-Alex Ferguson era.
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