United are still the team to be beaten

United, though, looked far from convincing against bottom-side Derby at the weekend and it took a 76th-minute goal from Ronaldo to beat them.

It may have been a slight wobble, but they still collected three points unlike Arsenal who are currently in danger of losing their nerve.

Four draws in the League in a row and the team that have, without doubt, played the best football at times this season are looking the least likely of the three to win the title. Striker Robin van Persie has told his team-mates they will regret it for ever if they do not win a trophy this year.

His return could not have been better timed after five months out with injury and his goals are going to be vital if Arsene Wenger's team are to get back into the race for the top. Van Persie said: "We have to win at least one trophy this season. If we don't, then we would have played all the fantastic football for nothing. This is our moment and we need to win something.

"I am not a daydreamer. I really think we can win the title and the Champions League this season. Why not? We have the qualities so we just need to stick together and believe in it.

"It is still in our hands to win the double and we have to take these opportunities because we have something special here at Arsenal."

And so to Chelsea. Arguably they are showing the best form of the three teams - they are unbeaten in their last 12 League matches since the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal before Christmas.

Yet Avram Grant's team have the hardest run in to the end of the season. They face a Carling Cup rematch against Tottenham at White Hart Lane tomorrow night and have to play both United and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Their fate could well be settled in the North-West with tricky trips to Everton and Manchester City where anything less than positive results will count against Chelsea.

Joe Cole believes the Blues have timed their run just right after lying in third place for so long this season.

"We're happy in the shadows, lurking there," said Cole. "Now we're ready to build some good form and go on the onslaught. This is a great time for Chelsea. It is very tight at the top and the race is wide open.

"So we need to stay focused because this is the time when you can't afford to throw anything away. It's just a case of making sure we keep performing."

Sadly for Cole and Van Persie, history is on United's side.

For four of the past five seasons, the team that have been on top at this stage of the season have gone on to win the title. Only in 2003 did Arsenal throw away a lead as they handed the League to United.

Chelsea and Arsenal both look a better bet to win the Champions League which may well hand the initiative at home to Ferguson's men.

The only downside is that it is the same three teams chasing the trophies. This is the 16th season of the Premier League and only Blackburn have broken their stranglehold. United (nine), Arsenal (three) and Chelsea (two) have made our top division rather predictable. The 22 seasons that followed the Gunners' Double in 1971 saw eight different teams as diverse as Derby, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest win the League.

The boom that followed Sky's purchase of live football has made longing for that golden era pointless because it will never return.

All fans of the game can do now is sit back, relax and watch three of the best teams in Europe battle it out for the biggest prizes in club football.