Michael Ballack has taunted Manchester United by insisting they are no longer the main threat to Chelsea for the Premiership crown.

The centre midfielder is still bitter at last season's defeat to Manchester United in Champions League Final in Moscow as well as losing the Premiership title by a small margin.

Instead of identifying United as their main threat like previous seasons, he believes Liverpool are their biggest obstacles this season.

The German said: ''A few weeks ago I was sure United were our strongest opponents but now I think Liverpool are the major threat.''

''They have shown in the past few games that they have the character to deal with being top of the league. They have shown they can handle pressure. Liverpool is a team we respect.''

''It’s not like the past few seasons when they were inconsistent. It’s not like it is the middle of October or November—it’s the middle of January and they look like they can sustain a challenge for the title.''

Ballack is currently negotiating a contract extension to prolong his stay at the Stamford Bridge for at least another two years.

Chelsea will go head-to-head with Manchester United at Old Trafford today.