Grant: Stamford Bridge clash with United will be crucial

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United are five points clear with six games remaining, after United comfortable saw off Aston Villa at the weekend and the Blues beat Middlesbrough 1-0, while Arsenal are a point behind Chelsea in third after coming back to win at Bolton.

Still in hunt: Avram Grant insists Chelsea's match against Manchester United at the end of April will still be crucial in the race to win the title

The champions are due to play in west London on April 26, and Grant believes his side will still be hunting down United at that stage.

He said: "I don't think that each of the three teams will take all the points. Since I've been here, we've been chasing after other teams.

"First it was five teams, then four. We've gone past Liverpool and now Arsenal. We have to keep winning and hoping that, when United come here, it will be important."

Chelsea must first overcome a fixture congestion problem brought on by television schedules, with a home clash against Wigan on Monday April 14 followed by a trip to Everton three days later.

Chelsea have vowed to carry on campaigning to have the Everton game moved back to its original slot of April 19.

Grant said: "I don't understand why we need to play on a Thursday. It's unfair.

"When we come to the end of the season, it should be equal for all the teams. We need to fight in any way that we can to make it a fair decision."

Chelsea's main priority before their next League match is to give themselves an advantage in their European Cup quarter-final against Fenerbache, with the first leg in Istanbul on Wednesday night.