Whenever Chelsea play Arsenal the stakes are high for both sides, but on Sunday it will be the managers who will come under most scrutiny as their sides try to end Sir Alex Ferguson's stranglehold on the Premier League.

One glance at the table would lead to the obvious conclusion that Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is in the box seat with his side on top, but he has yet to prove that he can inspire his side to a win over a big team.

A gluttony of goals from the men in blue has had many pundits backing Scolari's side for the title from their opening day 4-0 win against Portsmouth but beating the likes of West Brom and Middlesbrough has proved easier than the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool.

Sunday represents Chelsea's last chance to defeat one of the other "big four" at Stamford Bridge this season having already scraped a point against United and lost their unbeaten home record to their current closest challengers, Liverpool.

A failure to triumph over Arsenal on Sunday will put Scolari's men under intense pressure in the second half of the campaign where they face daunting trips to Old Trafford, Anfield and the Emirates Stadium.

So far a 2-0 win over top-four wanabees Aston Villa represents Scolari's most notable achievement since taking charge in the summer, however, the positives surrounding that success were countered by the ease in which the genuine quality of United and Liverpool made the blues look ordinary.

The Brazilian faces a similar pressure to that which his predecessor Avram Grant had to cope with last season and the under-fire Israeli eventually responded in the latter stages of the campaign with wins over the other three members of football's elite, although the success against Liverpool came in the Champions League rather than the Premier League.

One would think Scolari will have to secure a hat-trick of his own to take the trophy, which Ferguson has secured at Old Trafford for the past two seasons, back to Stamford Bridge.

The 60-year-old certainly fancies his chances of getting off the mark against Arsenal due to their preference for attacking rather than defensive football.

He said: "It's a different game. They don't play to draw, only to win. It's not easier but they offer us something different than other clubs who have come to Stamford Bridge this season, they don't put 10 players at the back."

A win would provide a welcome boost of confidence for the Stamford Bridge faithful having seen their side stutter in recent weeks but midfielder Michael Ballack insists Chelsea are not feeling the pressure to secure all three points.

He said: "When you are on top of the League it's up to other teams to chase and close the gap.

"When you play against a big team, sometimes a point is enough because you retain the gap between you and them and it's not always the games between the big four which decide the title.

"There are games when all the big clubs lose unexpectedly. You can win five or six games in a row even when you are chasing. But when it comes to facing your big rival, when you're behind, that's when the pressure is there to win, not on the team that is on top already."

Arsenal, and particularly Wenger, are sure to agree with the German international for failure to beat Chelsea will surely mean there is no way back for them in the title race.

They are already trailing Scolari's men by 10 points and while they have proven their quality by beating United this month, they undid all the hard work by then tamely losing to Aston Villa and Manchester City.

It is four years since Wenger last guided Arsenal to the Premier League summit and their recent troubles, which includes William Gallas being stripped of the captaincy, has led some supporters to question whether it is time for the Frenchman to move on.

Three points against Chelsea would certainly end such talk and new captain Cesc Fabregas said: "I know the quality is there. People say we are young, but we are experienced and have character - we are winners. That is why we want to step up and show we are still here."

Sunday's match seems certainly set to give a sign as to which manager is in the best condition to make this season a success or not.