Not the most accurate headline ever because, of course, the season started a few months ago and, if you’re a Liverpool supporter, the season ends here… but that’s a different story. I have just been looking through the upcoming fixtures and here are United’s next five Premier League fixtures (which take us up to Christmas) – [...]

Not the most accurate headline ever because, of course, the season started a few months ago and, if you’re a Liverpool supporter, the season ends here… but that’s a different story.

I have just been looking through the upcoming fixtures and here are United’s next five Premier League fixtures (which take us up to Christmas) – Portsmouth, West Ham, Aston Villa, Wolves and Fulham.

It must be said that three of those are away from home but they do look like very winnable games for us. Villa and Fulham look like the toughest on paper but knowing Manchester United, it will be Wolves that give us the toughest game or something equally unpredicatable.

Now look at Chelsea’s next five in the same period: Arsenal, Man City, Everton, Portsmouth and West Ham. Again, they have three away fixtures (Arsenal and Man City the most notable).

A lot is being written about Chelsea losing players to the African Cup of Nations in January and reports coming through at the minute are suggesting that they could be missing for as many as ten games although I doubt that this will happen (basically, although the tournament starts on 10th January, FIFA rules state that countries can ask that players report for training a full two weeks before the start of a tournament which would mean that they have to set off on 26th December – this looks an unlikely scenario to me).

Looking at the games Chelsea have during January, the fixture list appears to have been extremely kind. Games they have during January are: Hull, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burnley.

Conveniently, Chelsea play Arsenal again a week after the African Cup of Nations ends.

Still, we are now entering an extremely hectic phase of the season with games coming thick and fast and the more players the managers have at their disposal for rotation, the better.

Squad-wise, United look in pretty good shape at the moment and even Owen Hargreaves could make his return during the next few weeks which is like an ace up the sleeve for Fergie.

As I say, the season starts here.

(Liverpool, the Europa League starts for you in February, bring the trophy back home boys!)

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