Manchester United-Chelsea: Premier League's Top Two Teams Chase the Title

This Saturday, two of the Premier League's top teams will face off, with the winner establishing themselves as the top dog in the League.

Manchester United, coming off its 4-0 victory over Bolton, holds a one-point lead. Chelsea just put on an offensive clinic in its 7-1 win against Aston Villa.

So which one will take the match this weekend, and which one will walk away with the silverware in six weeks?

Let's start with the upcoming game and the top three determining factors.

Champions League Effect

Manchester United will be just four days removed from their appearance in the Champions League. A loss could shake their confidence, which would not fare well against the back-on-track Blues, who are chomping at the bit to overtake their rivals.

However, top-ranked striker Didier Drogba of Chelsea was recently slapped with a two-game CL suspension for next year by the UEFA after getting into it with a game official in the Blues' loss to Inter Milan.

It seems that the team as a whole has gotten past its exit to Jose Mourinho's team, though this unneeded complication could bring back the disappointment, especially since it already affects their chances next year.

Wayne Rooney vs. Didier Drogba

These two players are the top goal-scorers in the EPL with 26 and 24 goals, respectively. Both have recently missed some game time with injuries and will be back in the lineups this week.

In the end, it comes down to the opportunities they are presented. Rooney may be one of the best to play the game, but Drogba will give him a run for his money. Their supporting casts are both star-studded, so it could just come down to who lets the pressure get to them; watch to see whose arms are flailing around more in frustration as the game progresses.

Goaltending

Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar have all the goalkeeping ability required to make the big saves, and their defenses are stalwart. The leadership quotient favors Van der Sar, but Cech has the youth and natural abilities to keep him a top 'keeper for years to come.

Despite his age, however, Van der Sar proved he still has the reaction time to make tough saves (just check out the footage from last week's game).

Cech's abilities versus Van der Sar's experience is the storyline for this game's 'keepers.

Of course, this game isn't the end of the road for the teams. They still have five more fixtures to fight out. What will make the difference down the line?

Strength of Schedule

Are there any upsets in the making after the big game? Two weeks after their face-off, both of the top teams will face off against top talent with United taking on Manchester City and Chelsea facing off against Tottenham.

Both teams could upset the top two, though it won't be the only challenge faced by either club. They will see more top 10 teams before the season concludes and will have to take all of them if they want to keep up the competition.

Health

Chelsea's squad has already been dealing with its fair share of recent injuries, and as mentioned above, both teams have had to bench their top talent up front. United has seen its own problems this year with injuries, especially in the backfield. Any furthering of each team's problems could put more strain on already weakened fronts.

If both teams win out, as they likely could, then Saturday's game will be the ultimate determining factor in this year's title. United needs a win or a draw to stay on top, which puts the pressure on the boys in blue to take the crown away from the reigning champs.

Of course, Arsenal technically still has a bid to overthrow both of the dominant squads, but for now, it looks like a battle between red and blue.