Dec 1, 2006, 18:55 GMT
Portsmouth, England - The English Premiership title has fast become a two-horse race, with Manchester United and Chelsea running away from the rest of the field. However, maybe the two biggest turnarounds in England belong to Portsmouth and Aston Villa, who will get together at Fratton Park on Saturday with the third position in the standings on the line.
Portsmouth currently sit in third place and are level on points with Bolton after being held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool midweek. Villa occupy the fifth spot in the standings and are just one point behind their hosts on Saturday. The Villains are coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to Manchester City at Villa Park on Wednesday, their first set back on home soil this season.
Pompey manager Harry Redknapp will get an up close and personal look at two players who he failed to sign this summer, in Villa midfielders Gareth Barry and Stiliyan Petrov.
Redknapp tried to land both players in the offseason but pulled out of the competition when the price tag reached heights that were too great for his liking.
Villa manager Martin O'Neill was able to convince Barry to stay on board and also secured Petrov's signature, further bolstering the middle of the field.
The home side will try to saddle Villa with just its third defeat of the season, as eight-goal scorer Nwankwo Kanu will return to the starting 11 after serving as a substitute against Liverpool, and midfielder Pedro Mendes returns from a knee injury.
The news is not all good for Pompey, however, as defender Glen Johnson is not yet fit after missing the past five games with a thigh injury. The biggest blow to Portsmouth this season came when it was revealed recently that skipper Dejan Stefanovic would miss the next three months after undergoing knee surgery.
The visitors have struggled of late, squandering a chance to hold third place on its own. The Villains have claimed just two points in their last three contests and must return to their winning ways if they are to grab a spot in European competition next season.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Manchester United will try to extend its advantage over Chelsea with a visit to the Riverside to meet up with Middlesbrough, Arsenal tries to turn things around when they welcome Tottenham to the Emirates Stadium, Blackburn and Fulham meet up at Ewood Park, Bolton looks to rebound from its 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Wednesday with a win at Reading, Sheffield United entertains Charlton in another important game concerning relegation and Liverpool looks to get back in the win column with a trip to Wigan.
On Sunday, Everton hosts West Ham in the lone game of the day, and Watford and Manchester City close things out on Monday with their meeting at City of Manchester Stadium.
SATURDAY
Arsenal - Tottenham Hotspur
Blackburn Rovers - Fulham
Chelsea - Newcastle United
Portsmouth - Aston Villa
Reading - Bolton Wanderers
Sheffield United - Charlton Athletic
Wigan Athletic - Liverpool
Middlesbrough - Manchester United
SUNDAY
Everton - West Ham United
MONDAY
Manchester City - Watford
© 2006 The Sports Network
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