Man United in search of old fire at Chelsea

LONDON, Jan 18 (AFP): Manchester United's trip to Chelsea Sunday represents another opportunity for the woebegone English champions to prove that they still deserve to be considered among the Premier League's leading lights.
With six defeats to their name already this season and leaders Arsenal 11 points above them, United's title defence seems all but over and they face a battle just to secure Champions League qualification.
David Moyes's men trailed fourth-place Liverpool by five points ahead of the weekend and another setback at Stamford Bridge would further compromise their chances of fulfilling the minimum requirement of a top-four finish.
Their form against supposed title rivals does not augur well, as they have amassed only five points from a possible 21 in the seven games that they have played against the six teams above them in the table.
Injuries to strike pair Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie have only compounded matters, but for all United's misfortune, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes it is still too soon to write them off.
"We don't play a team that is 11 points behind the leaders. We play the champions, we play against Manchester United," Mourinho said.
"This is the way I feel. I've been too long in the game, I've played dozens and dozens of derbies and classic matches. This is what experience says.
"On many occasions the team that looks to be in the most difficult situation is the team that appears stronger in that match. That's why I view this game as especially dangerous. I've not written United off."
United can at least draw solace from a run of five wins in six league games, but Chelsea's recent form has been even more impressive.