With 12 games to play, Arsenal are five points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table. Not an insurmountable lead by any stretch of the imagination, but one that could nevertheless prove decisive.

The two teams' schedules are remarkably similar the rest of the way. Both play Liverpool and Aston Villa at home and Chelsea away and on April 12 they meet at Old Trafford in what could be the decisive game of the season. The rest would not appear to present many problems for either team.

For the Gunners, these are (in order): Birmingham (a), Wigan (a), Middlesbrough (h), Bolton (a), Reading (h),  Derby (a), Everton (h) and Sunderland (a).

'March 22 may prove all-important for Arsenal. Chelsea have reason to feel slighted after the first meeting at the Emirates'


For Manchester United they are: Newcastle (a), Fulham (a), Bolton (h), Derby (a), Middlesbrough (a),  Blackburn (a), West Ham (h) and Wigan (a).

The only teams that can reasonably be expected to present problems are Everton and Blackburn, respectively. . Several of the others are, without exception, relegation candidates (or, in the case of Derby, relegated all but mathematically).

I don't expect Villa or Liverpool to present either side with significant problems. For one, both teams host these games. For another, neither Liverpool nor Villa have demonstrated an ability to unseat teams of this class. Yes, Villa have had their moments, and the Boxing Day game at Chelsea was an instant classic (that ended in a 4-4 draw). Liverpool face an existential crisis of confidence and can at best play for a point, as they appeared to do on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

If Arsene Wenger's men can hold their nerve against Liverpool and Villa and get a point at Stamford Bridge on  March 22 they are likely to enter the April 12 Old Trafford summit with at the very least a three or four-point lead. That would put pressure on United to attack from the word go when the teams face off, which would in turn play right into the hands of Wenger's speedy counter-attacking style.

For these reasons, March 22 may prove all-important for Arsenal. Chelsea have reason to feel slighted after the first meeting at the Emirates, when an uncharacteristic howler by Petr Cech gifted the Gunners the decisive goal in a match that Chelsea appeared to dominate for long periods.

With Didier Drogba and John Terry expected to be back in the fold, Michael Ballack finally finding his form and Nicolas Anelka now added to the mix, the Blues should be a lethal foe - especially at the Bridge, where Wenger's team will have less space to exploit than they do at home.

Should the Gunners pass that test, however, it will be extremely difficult for anybody - even Sir Alex - to take the title from them.

Intriguing fixtures ahead, but who will come out on top? Post your comments below or submit an article to Sportingo.