London: Manchester United heads to defending Premier League champion Chelsea on Sunday confident that it is about to hit form at exactly the right time.
United has started the season with a club-record 16-game unbeaten run and leads the league despite playing one game fewer than its rivals, but a division-high six draws away from home have denied it a big lead.
It has shown its best form only fitfully and is just three points ahead of fourth-place Chelsea, which drew 1-1 draw at Tottenham last weekend to continue its worst run of form in a decade.
"Personally, I'm not a player who spends a lot of time watching other teams," United defender Nemanja Vidic said. "I prefer to look at what we're doing. We know that we are in a good position and everything is in our hands, and if we produce the kind of performances we know we can, we shouldn't have to worry about any of the other teams.
"From my experience, this is the time when we usually come into good form."
That may have already started.
Having beaten Blackburn 7-1 for its biggest league win for a decade, United earned a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Monday that could have been even bigger had Wayne Rooney not missed a penalty.
Second-place Arsenal hosts Stoke on Saturday, while third-place Manchester City hosts Everton in Monday's match.
While Europe's other major leagues are heading into their winter breaks, Premier League sides will each play four matches by January 5. With such a congested schedule, things can change quickly at the top of the table.
"Things have been very tight up to now, but I think that we'll see two or three teams stepping it up and stretching ahead," Vidic said. "By the middle of January, we'll have much more of an idea who is going to be chasing the title."
Chelsea came within a missed injury-time penalty of beating Tottenham after its best display for several weeks and could start Lampard for the first time since Aug. 28 after he came on as a substitute against Spurs.
That could increase Chelsea's attacking potency, which has waned as Didier Drogba has labored with the aftereffects of malaria and other players' form has dipped.
United manager Alex Ferguson has suggested that Chelsea erred when it allowed Joe Cole and Michael Ballack to leave when their contracts expired at the end of last season.
"Maybe that's why their results have been erratic," Ferguson said. "Their plan was always to start introducing younger players and I think that's a good thing, but it can backfire if you get injuries."
With Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia injured, Arsenal could keep 20-year-old Wojciech Szczesny in goal for a second straight match after he made an assured debut against United.
"Wojciech did well," manager Arsene Wenger said. "People always questioned the goalkeeping position ... (but) we have plenty of quality."
Nicklas Bendtner may sit out the match because he is about to become a father, but Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie may be fit to play. Key defender Thomas Vermaelen should return next month.
City hosts Everton in its first game since announcing that captain Carlos Tevez had demanded a transfer, and manager Roberto Mancini said he may still pick the striker.
"If Carlos is unhappy, and he's scored 10 goals and played very well, then I hope that he's unhappy like that all season," Mancini said. "But I don't think he is really unhappy. He can change his mind.
"I will see him Friday morning. I will say 'good morning,' and then we will talk. It's important that we speak, because we have a game with Everton on Monday and other very important games this month."
Also this weekend, Sunderland hosts Bolton, Birmingham hosts Newcastle, Blackburn hosts West Ham, Wigan hosts Aston Villa, and Liverpool hosts Fulham — all on Saturday.
Fifth-place Tottenham is at Blackpool on Sunday, when Wolverhampton Wanderers heads to local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
League Championship leader Queens Park Rangers goes to fourth-place Leeds, a tough destination for a side aiming to recover from its first league loss of the season. Cardiff, second in the second-tier division, hosts Burnley.
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