Although last weekend will largely be remembered for the giant-killing heroics of Barnsley and Cardiff in the FA Cup, it also proved a pretty significant weekend of action for the teams involved in the ever-increasing relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League. Newcastle were thrashed at Liverpool, Sunderland were edged out at home by Everton, Reading took advantage of Manchester City's slipping form at the Madejski and Wigan wrestled a point from Arsenal at the JJB. All of which means that just three points separate the team in eighteenth and the team in thirteenth.
In the upper echelons of this mini-league are Newcastle on 28 points, but that will be cold comfort for the Magpies, whose fall from grace has been swift and brutal. Just two months ago, the United faithful were planning for a brave new world after returning favourite Kevin Keegan replaced the deeply unpopular Sam Allardyce. The former Bolton man's short reign at St James' Park had been marked by his typically defensive tactics, and they had not gone down well with the passionate Newcastle support.
Keegan's arrival was supposed to mark a return to the fast, flowing, attacking football that brought so much success to the club in the mid-90s, and the 4-1 FA Cup Third Round replay win at home to Stoke on the day his return was announced bade well for fans' expectations. However, that has proven their only victory since a brace of last minute wins over Fulham and Birmingham in early December and for their last win before that you've got to go all the way back to a 22nd October triumph at home to Spurs.
Three league wins in the last five months. Only Fulham and Derby can boast worse records and fans of those teams will need no reminding of where they are in the league. United will face the Cottagers on Saturday 22nd of this month in the second vital relegation clash in a week, before which Keegan's side will tackle a difficult task at Birmingham. Defeat at Portsmouth in mid-week has left Alex McCleish's side just a point above the relegation zone and needing to pick up the points to avoid slipping into the bottom three.
The fact they are at home on Monday night is certainly a plus for them, as is the fact that the pressure and media focus is likely to be trained entirely on Newcastle. But most of all, unlike their opponents, the Blues have been playing well even when they have lost, and earned draws against big teams. They lost only narrowly to Chelsea in mid-January, forced two draws, both home and away, against Arsenal and thrashed Spurs 4-1 two weeks ago. If they take that kind of form into Monday night they could well find themselves slowly climbing away from the drop zone and leaving the Magpies dangling just above it.
Indeed, if results go very badly wrong for Newcastle, they could find themselves in the bottom three by the end of the weekend. One of the most important of this round of games for United comes at the JJB where Wigan host Bolton. The Trotters were one of the biggest sufferers at the hands of last week's results. With Manchester United in FA Cup action, their league game at Old Trafford had to be re-arranged for next Wednesday, meaning Gary Megson's men sunk back into trouble and that they go into this local derby as slight underdogs.
The Latics underlined exactly how tight it is at the bottom by climbing up to thirteenth with their stalemate against Arsenal last weekend, and although they are certainly not out of the mire yet, Steve Bruce's side have been on fine form recently. Wins against Derby and West Ham have joined the impressive draws against the Gunners and Liverpool (at the start of the year) to give them some morale boosting results. A 2-0 defeat at Sunderland last month could still prove damaging to their survival hopes, but they were the better side at the Stadium of Light and unlucky to leave with nothing.
The tale of Bolton's 2008 has been a very different one though. Despite a great result against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup, the Trotters have picked up just eight points since the turn of the year and have lost their last three games. Megson is remaining unfazed by his side's poor run, insisting that they have played well despite not picking up any points. However, the time for plucky displays could well be over. The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, United and Tottenham still lie in wait for the Trotters between now and the end of the season and it's difficult to see them getting anything from those games.
Sunday's match, therefore, takes on even greater significance, as, with the mini-league at the bottom beginning to bunch up, a win against their relegation and geographical rivals would take them out of danger at least temporarily and hand them a palpable success to boost morale and build upon.
(All kick-offs are 1500 GMT unless specified)
SATURDAY
Derby County v Manchester United
Straight away you look at this fixture and have to say 'away win'. Derby look shot and even a good manager like Paul Jewell hasn't been able to revive them which tells you just how much they are lacking.
Manchester United will go there, probably rest one or two players and still have a side packed with match-winners, and win this one comfortably.
Verdict: 0-3
Liverpool v Reading
Liverpool are going well, as everyone knows, and I thought they controlled the game from start to finish in gaining a fantastic result against Inter Milan in midweek.
Reading, on the other hand, apart from at Middlesbrough the other week, haven't been at all convincing on the road and although they've had two good wins back-to-back, I can't see them getting much here.
Verdict: 2-0
Portsmouth v Aston Villa
This looks like a draw to me - two teams pretty close to each other in the league, and they are similar in that they have a lot of pace and a good blend of youth and experience.
It'll be a tight game, I fancy, and I can just see them cancelling each other out.
Verdict: 1-1
Sunderland v Chelsea
We all think Sunderland will stay up because of their home form but they lost to Everton recently and this is another tough game for them.
Chelsea are a funny side at the moment in that they keep having the odd blip but then rattle back and crush someone - ie, Derby - so this will be a tight game but one, ultimately, that the Blues will win.
Verdict: 1-2
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
I'm going to go for West Ham - goodness knows they need to stop the rot. They've had injury problems again, of course, but they do have a good squad
This isn't the greatest hunting ground in the world for Blackburn generally and, as I say, the Hammers will be going all out to get something after a run of three straight 4-0 defeats.
Verdict: 2-0
Arsenal v Middlesbrough 1715 GMT
Middlesbrough bounced back well from their FA Cup defeat to Cardiff with the draw at Aston Villa in the week and it sounds like they deserved more, which will have encouraged manager Gareth Southgate.
That said, this is Arsenal they are playing - and in the wide open expanses of the Emirates Stadium they are lethal, unlike Boro - I just can't see who will score for them - so I'll go for a home win.
Verdict: 2-0
SUNDAY
Fulham v Everton (1330 GMT)
I'd have to go for an away win for Everton here - the Toffees did so well in fighting back against Fiorentina in the week only to go out in the worst way possible, on penalties, but they will be full of confidence.
Meanwhile, you just feel with Fulham they are scrambling around for results and the best they seem to be able to get at present is a draw, which is not good enough.
Verdict: 1-2
Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers
I'm going for Wigan to win this narrowly, in a real kind of messy Lancashire derby on an awful pitch, during which the ball might get stretchered off.
Verdict: 1-0
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (1600 GMT)
I think Tottenham will have had a lot taken out of them by the two hours or so they played in Eindhoven in midweek, and this is far from an easy trip.
Meanwhile, although Man City are stuttering to a certain extent their home form still remains fairly good, so I'll go for a narrow home win.
Verdict: 1-0
MONDAY
Birmingham City v Newcastle United (2000 GMT)
I'm going for a draw here, which probably won't really suit either team - although Newcastle will take anything they can get, you feel.
You wonder where Newcastle points will come from, but come they will I think, while Birmingham will also be alright as long as their young players keep putting in the performances they have done lately.
Verdict: 1-1