Football: Tension building at top and tail

Alex Ferguson's assertion that the Premiership had become a test of endurance rather than a matter of skill could have used Graeme Souness's face as Exhibit A this week. Strain and relief were carved in his features; and this in a man with a history of heart trouble.

The Southampton manager had navigated emotional extremes during a 1-1 draw with Derby County that had been secured only with a last-minute own goal. He was smiling, but if he had succumbed to the turbulence within, no one would have blamed him. It is hard at the top, as Manchester United proclaim, but it is a damn sight less pleasant at the bottom.

Three home games, Souness explained, would dictate Southampton's future. "Our destiny is in our own hands," he said in a manner that suggested it had been repeated in his own head many times before. Had he gone on he might have placed greatest importance on today's match against West Ham, as defeat will drastically diminish their survival chances. Conversely, success will bring clubs on the outer limits of the relegation zone within range.

"I'm confident we've the players to stay up," Souness added, citing four points from trips to Nottingham Forest and Derby. The echo from Upton Park came from Harry Redknapp. "I'm confident we won't finish in the bottom three," he said. "Southampton have had a great week, but our recent record is good. We've won three and drawn three out of our last seven and that's decent form."

Everton's recent form is atrocious and they are one of the clubs the likes of Southampton are setting their sights on. Dave Watson, their caretaker player-manager, was appalled by second-half displays against Aston Villa and Leicester this week and yesterday called for the spirit that last fully revealed itself in the FA Cup run of 1995 for the game against Tottenham at Goodison.

"Just one win" has been repeated in Everton circles for some weeks now without it arriving and matches are running out to reach the survival target of 40 points. "We need to drag out the best performance of our careers," Watson said. "Whoever we put out, they have to give everything for 90 minutes."

Derby, too, are one win away from presumed safety and have banked on their home games to get them out of trouble. Today they meet fourth-placed Aston Villa and their supporters will hope to put relegation to rest so that they can concentrate on their prime purpose since they got knocked out of the FA Cup: ensuring Nottingham Forest go down in their penultimate match at the Baseball Ground.

This time last week, Manchester United's prime purposes were establishing a six-point lead in the Premiership and avoiding defeat against Borussia Dortmund. They blew both and today go to Blackburn knowing that a repetition of previous post-European sloth will present Arsenal with an opportunity to overhaul them.

United have lost three and drawn two of the eight matches that have followed European fixtures and to compound their problems they returned from Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund with an injury crisis. Peter Schmeichel and David May will definitely be missing while there are doubts about Ryan Giggs, Denis Irwin and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

"We've had injuries all season and handled it," Ferguson said. "The consolation is that we've a good squad with players capable of coming in and doing well." Andy Cole, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville are the likely replacements if required.

Arsenal will go to the top of the Premiership if they defeat Leicester and United lose, which would not exactly ease the current tension between Old Trafford and Highbury. To cap it all, in United's eyes, the Gunners will be able to field a fully rested unchanged team from that which defeated Chelsea last week.