LONDON - It doesn't get any closer than this.
With Manchester United and Chelsea tied on points, the Premier League title will be decided Sunday on the final day of the season.
United only needs to beat Wigan on Sunday (10 a.m. ET) to secure its 17th English title - and 10th in the Premier League - because of its large goal difference of 17 over Chelsea.
"As long as we're controlling our destiny, I don't think we need worry too much," Calgary native and United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said. "We've got 90 minutes to play and it's a great position to be in. We've had no midweek game so we've put in some good training and hopefully we will be ready for the weekend."
The Blues host Bolton (10 a.m. ET) knowing that if they win - and United loses or draws - Chelsea will become English champions for the fourth time.
"It is 90 minutes of emotion. We know we need to win and hope Man United slip," Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said. "It will be exciting for everyone, I am sure people will have pocket radios listening to the other game."
Every Premier League match will start at the same time on Sunday.
The Premier League is one of two titles being contested by United and Chelsea - they will meet in the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21.
Another Premier League triumph would edge United closer to overtaking Liverpool as the club that has won the most English titles. Liverpool, which has the record of', last won the English title in'90 - and has never won the Premier League.
If United winger Ryan Giggs plays Sunday, it will be his 758th game for United - equalling Bobby Charlton's record for the most number of appearances for the club. He can also pick up his 10th Premier League winners' medal.
Chelsea won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and '06, and was also victorious in'55.
Mourinho left in September and was replaced by Avram Grant, who has already surpassed his predecessor by taking Chelsea to its first European Cup final.
Bolton is pretty much safe from relegation in 16th place with 36 points, but Cech is still wary.
"We know it is going to be difficult, if they (Bolton) get beaten 20-0 they can still be relegated, so the other thing is if they lose the game they need to lose with low scores to make sure nothing happens to them - it will still be difficult," Cech said.
If Man United and Chelsea finish level on points, it will only be the sixth time that has happened in England since league soccer began in'88. The race is already the closest since'99, when United won the title from Arsenal by a point.
In the five previous occasions where the top two clubs have finished tied on points, the champion team has been Huddersfield in'23, Portsmouth in'50, Arsenal in'53, Manchester United in'65 and Arsenal in'89.
At the other end of the table, Fulham, Reading and Birmingham are battling to avoid relegation.
Fulham, which has 33 points for 17th place, will be safe if it wins at Portsmouth because it has better goal difference than'th-place Reading.
"I fear we've left it very late but the great thing is we go into the last game with a chance of success," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said. Fulham moved out of the relegation zone for the first time this year with a 2-0 win over Birmingham last Saturday.
Reading is at last-place Derby, which has already been relegated - with the worst-ever points total in the 16-year history of the Premier League.
Reading chairman John Madejski said the pressure is on Fulham.
"We must win against Derby," Madejski said. "Whether that will be enough to avoid relegation is in the lap of the gods, but at least we'd be able to come out of it with some pride and dignity."
Birmingham, which has 32 points for'th place, will have to rely on a win against Blackburn, and for Reading and Fulham to lose to avoid relegation.
Arsenal has already secured third place and plays at Sunderland. Liverpool, which has clinched fourth place and the final Champions League spot, is at Tottenham.
In other matches, it's: Middlesbrough versus Manchester City; West Ham versus Aston Villa; and Everton versus Newcastle.
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