Manchester United face severe test at Bolton

LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) Manchester United's Premier League title ambitions face a severe test when they travel to nearby Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Chelsea, who are only behind the leaders on goal difference, could well be top of the league by the time United kick off on Saturday if they take all three points as expected from their lunchtime kick off against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

However, if Chelsea were to lose, and Bolton beat United, they would rise from third place to top the table on Saturday night.

The Bolton-United match kicks off after Chelsea's game is over and Bolton have the meanest defence, along with Arsenal, in the league. United will need to become the first side to score at Bolton this season if they are to take all three points.

On the plus side United are the most prolific scorers with 19 goals, four more than Chelsea and Arsenal, and Wayne Rooney is getting better by the match after a stuttering start to the season even though he is still looking for his first goals since the two he scored against Fulham on the opening day of the season.

Alex Ferguson will also restore his first choice team to the starting line-up after a largely reserve side struggled to beat third division Crewe Alexandra 2-1 after extra time in the League Cup yesterday.

It will also be a stern test for Bolton manager Sam Allardyce but Bolton have already seen off Liverpool with a 2-0 home win last month, and will be keen to bounce back in the best possible way after losing 1-0 at Charlton Athletic in the League Cup yesterday.

However Bolton have failed to beat United at home in the eight matches they have played against them at either Burnden Park or the Reebok Stadium in the last 28 years.

IMPRESSIVE GUNNERS Fourth-placed Arsenal, with a game in hand, are at home to sixth-placed Everton and will be looking to maintain the impressive form of their 4-0 win at Reading last weekend.

Arsenal's strength in depth was confirmed when a largely reserve side beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in the League Cup on Tuesday and Everton will do well to pick up three points at Arsenal as they did on their last visit to north London when they beat Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in August. Aston Villa, in seventh place, will defend the only unbeaten record in the league at Liverpool, whose title challenge was dealt a huge blow in a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.

While Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez ponders the consequences of such a defeat, however, a number of his colleagues with teams in the lower reaches of the table must be wondering how much tighter the noose around their necks will get.

IMPROVING SPURS Bottom side Charlton Athletic visit fellow strugglers Newcastle United both looking for only their second win, while Watford entertain vastly-improved Tottenham Hotspur hoping for their first league win of the season.

Spurs though, who made a slow start to the season have won five of their last six matches in all competitions with a goal tally of 8-0 from their last three games, including a 5-0 win over fourth division MK Dons in the League Cup yesterday.

At least Watford, who beat second division Hull City 2-1 in the League Cup, and Spurs both avoided the banana skin that sent West Ham United sliding to their eighth successive defeat on Tuesday.

Alan Pardew's side crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat at third division Chesterfield in the League Cup on Tuesday and face Blackburn Rovers at home on Sunday.

The Hammers, unable to profit in results from the acquisition of Argentine World Cup duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, and beset by takeover rumours, could be bottom of the standings by the time they play on Sunday afternoon.

They beat Blackburn at Upton Park in the League and FA Cup last season -- and desperatly need to re-discover the form they showed last season to stop their season descending into further misery.

REUTERS