English teams race for glory

The scene is set for a massive mid-week battle in the English Premiership. Two teams are chasing the final Champions League place and another has an eye on the league title.

Chelsea travel to Portsmouth tonight with a game in hand over the top two, knowing that a win over the relegation-bound side will put them on 68 points, only a point behind Manchester United and one point ahead of Arsenal in third.

Aston Villa and Manchester City both have good chances of making fourth spot their own by the end of the season.

Both have a game in hand on fourth-placed Tottenham. Villa host Sunderland and City welcome Everton in must-win games for the chasing pair.

Avram Grant insists he will feel little sense of satisfaction if his Pompey side put another dent in Chelsea's title hopes at Fratton Park.

Grant was sacked by Chelsea despite leading them to within John Terry's missed penalty of winning the Champions League two years ago.

The Israeli's former team arrive on the south coast following a nightmare week that saw them dumped out of the Champions League by an Inter Milan side managed by another former Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, and then losing ground in the domestic title race in a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

A fresh setback at bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth could do irreversible damage to their title ambitions this season.

City striker Roque Santa Cruz believes his team's run of home matches can help them into the Champions League.

City are the only Premier League side yet to be beaten at home this season and have won nine of their 13 league matches at Eastlands. Victory over David Moyes's side will put Roberto Mancini's team a point above Spurs and into fourth place.

City's run-in includes away matches against Burnley and Arsenal before they travel to West Ham on the final day of the season.

But after Everton, they entertain Wigan, Birmingham, Manchester United and close rivals Aston Villa and Tottenham at Eastlands.

Villa coach Martin O'Neill's March madness during his time at the club has been well documented - but striker John Carew insists the team's campaign for the FA Cup as well as for a Champions League place is not running out of steam.