Edging ever closer

Sir Alex Ferguson says his players are fully focused on regaining their five-point lead over Chelsea and moving a step closer to Premier League glory.

Chelsea's 1-0 win over Everton on Thursday night moved the Blues to within two points of United, after the London club's surprising 1-1 draw with Wigan on Monday.

Victory for the Reds at Ewood Park and another at Stamford Bridge next Saturday would seal a 10th league title and Sir Alex is confident his team can do the business against Mark Hughes' side.

"If we win on Saturday it definitely puts us in a marvellous position," the boss said.

"We want to win this game and get the gap back to five points. We got a bonus on Monday and we can't ask for any more than that. It's in our hands. Hopefully we can make our game in hand [against Blackburn] count.

"We'll have a fantastic support at Ewood. It'll be a great atmosphere and I couldn't be taking my players there at a better time. We're looking for a top performance from them.

"They need to trust in themselves and in each other. We have the players to do that and our form is good. So I expect a good performance."