Key clash for Chelsea

London: Cometh the hour, cometh the man. At least that's what Chelsea fans are hoping. Having watched his new team from the stands in the FA Cup last weekend, Guus Hiddink officially takes charge of Chelsea for the first time this weekend - and what a game to start off with.

One of the reasons Chelsea dispensed with the services of Luiz Felipe Scolari after just seven months was the fear of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League. Chelsea lie fourth in the EPL, two points behind Aston Villa, whom they visit today in a fixture that has got the whole nation buzzing.

Win and Chelsea will leapfrog Martin O'Neill's team, representing an immediate coup for the 62-year-old Hiddink, whose managerial career has been full of fighting achievements, albeit mostly at international level.

Hiddink's predecessor might have won the World Cup, but he failed to extract the best out of his forward pairing of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Drogba, irresistible last term, struggled with injuries for much of Scolari's reign and did not appear to react well to Anelka's subsequent emergence as the Blues' No 1 striker.

Now the Ivorian, who had been linked with a move away from the club, insists he is ready to prove his value on the pitch again. Even more significant is Anelka's assertion that the pair can form a workable partnership - something Scolari apparently doubted.

"The important thing for me now is simply to be on the pitch," said Drogba. "I hadn't lost my instincts, I just lacked matches. We are both quite intelligent players who know how to play together and create spaces for one another."

Anelka, who scored a hat-trick in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Watford, added: "Of course we can work as a partnership for Chelsea. The most important thing now is to win games. Aston Villa is massive because they are in front of us. To still be in the chase we have to win the game."

Everyone has high exectations of Hiddink, who is combining moving to Stamford Bridge with coaching Russia - though for how long remains to be seen. Hiddink insisted when he arrived in London that the EPL was not out of Chelsea's reach despite falling far off the pace set by Manchester United. But Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell, who joined Villa from Chelsea last summer, says the Midlands club will not give ground as they chase an unexpected top-four spot for the first time.

"The question is 'can we last the pace?' That is what it boils down to," said Sidwell.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez does not want his players to think about their glamourous tie with Real Madrid next week until after Sunday's game against Manchester City. Benitez has warned his men about the dangers of losing focus because they could find themselves five points behind Manchester United if they lose to City.

This is a fascinating fixture, given how poor City were in losing to Portsmouth last time out, when the Brazilian pair of Robinho and Elano were virtually anonymous and how Mark Hughes will demand an improvement.

"The main thing for us right now is the game against Manchester City - that is very clear," said Benitez. "This game has to be the priority because it is in the Premier League and we are in a good position."

Benitez expects Liverpool to turn in a good performance against City after being refreshed by an international break and then an extra weekend off as a result of their early FA Cup exit.

"Some of the players have been away with their countries since then and we have also had some time off with the break so this should mean that they will return with more energy. Our confidence is high, now we must look to build on what we have done."

With United likely to account for Blackburn at Old Trafford, none of the leading teams can afford to slip up.

Andrew Warshaw is a specialist football writer based in England.