Reds In Driving Seat

Gary Neville has ominously warned rivals Chelsea that United are now masters of the Premier League title race.

The champions fired five goals past Portsmouth on Saturday to move a point clear at the top of the table. With the Blues due at Old Trafford in April, the Reds are now technically in control of the title race.

"The fact we’re now a point clear helps," Neville told MUTV. "It’s in our hands now, it hasn’t been for a while because we’ve been four points behind but we’ve got to play Chelsea again and so the title is in our hands.

"We like it to be that way, and we want to be further in front of them before they come here. We have to focus on our next game, and make sure we win our home games."

Midfielder Michael Carrick joined strikers Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov on the scoresheet against Pompey, and Neville is keen for the Reds' all-hands-to-the-pump approach to goalscoring to continue.

"All season there have been goals coming from all over the team," he said. "It’s really important for the team that all the players can contribute. We’ll need all the goals we can get as we’re coming to the most important part of the season."