Title Race: Seven Games To Go

Despite defeat against Manchester City in Monday night’s Manchester derby, United are still sitting pretty at the summit of the Barclays Premier League, 12 points clear of Roberto Mancini’s men and with seven games to play.

And while the Reds’ momentum may have slowed in recent weeks, the title is still very much in United’s hands. Indeed, 10 points from the remaining seven fixtures will secure a 20th league title, irrespective of Manchester City's results.

Here, we examine the seven sides Sir Alex’s men will encounter before the season’s end and assess the perils, pitfalls and potential for points along the way...

STOKE CITY (A)
Sunday 14 April, 14:05 BST
First it’s a trip to The Britannia, one of the most intimidating grounds in England. And for Stoke fans, United’s visit is the game of the season. Encouragingly, the Reds have never lost against the Potters in the Premier League and not in any competition since 1993. What’s more, the Reds have scored at least two goals against the Potters in eight of the last 10 meetings, with Javier Hernandez particularly fond of finding the net: he has four in five appearances. It won’t be easy, though: Tony Pulis’ side are fighting for top-flight survival and renowned for their physical and aerial approach... something that could test Sir Alex’s men, who are currently without three centre-backs.

WEST HAM (A)
Wednesday 17 April, 19:45 BST
Bar the heavy League Cup defeat in 2010, results at Upton Park have generally been positive in recent years. The Reds have been there already this season, although had to rely on a Robin van Persie injury-time strike to salvage a draw. Wayne Rooney didn't play that day but has netted four times on his last two league visits. The Hammers have been steady of late, picking up three wins and two draws from their last 10 games, but they remain in the relegation fight and still require a few more points to be sure of their Premier League status.

ASTON VILLA (H)
Monday 22 April, 20:00 BST
Paul Lambert’s Aston Villa are in an even bigger relegation fight, although their form has picked up in recent weeks and, having claimed an impressive 3-1 win at Stoke in their last away game, they’re unlikely to surrender meekly against the Reds. United overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 at Villa Park in November and will be determined to avoid another slow start. The Villans are still the last league team to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford (in December 2009) but went down 4-0 in this fixture almost a year ago to the day; a repeat of that scoreline would do nicely.

ARSENAL (A)
Saturday 28 April, 16:00 BST
The Reds have lost just once in the last 10 meetings with Arsenal, scored 24 goals and created a pervading sense of dominance in this fixture. Yet Arsene Wenger’s side have suffered only one league defeat since mid-January as they push for Champions League qualification. And while it’s a long time since the Gunners challenged for the title, Sir Alex pitches Wenger’s men among next season’s potential rivals. “Arsenal are improving,” he says. “There’s some indication they are building a better squad than people think.” United’s 10-point target for a 20th title, coupled with Arsenal’s quest for European football, means this could be a match with a dash of the feistiness of old.

CHELSEA (H)
Saturday 4 May, 15:00 BST (subject to change)
Since United won 3-2 at Stamford Bridge in a stormy and action-packed October affair, the Londoners have held the upper hand. A luckless 4-5 reverse in the Capital One Cup followed for Sir Alex's side and United's FA Cup hopes also ended in the capital after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. The fixture list continues to look daunting for the Europa League hopefuls, yet they appear to be handling the taxing schedule remarkably well. The Blues have long been formidable opponents but Reds will hope this game evokes memories of United's win late in the 2011 season that virtually secured the 19th title.

SWANSEA (H)
Sunday 12 May, 15:00 BST (subject to change)
Sir Alex will want the title race done and dusted by the time the Swans visit Old Trafford. If so, there'll be a party atmosphere in the stands. If not, and United still need points to secure silverware, it could be a nervy occasion. Capital One Cup winners Swansea are an impressive footballing side – Sir Alex recently revealed they'd impressed him most of all the teams in the league – and held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium just before Christmas. This one definitely won't be easy...

WEST BROM (A)
Sunday 19 May, 16:00 BST
After kicking off the 2011/12 season at the Hawthorns, the Reds now end the 2012/13 campaign on the same patch. And it's a place United have always enjoyed going. In fact, the Reds haven't tasted defeat in the league there since March 1984 and have scored 11 goals on the last four visits. Manager Steve Clarke has done an outstanding job in his debut season after taking the reins from Roy Hodgson, and his side certainly made United work for a 2-0 victory when the teams met in December. Clarke has led the Baggies to eighth in the league at the time of writing, although they have only won once in the last month.