Fergie's only fear is Drogba in drama reserved for titans

The FA Cup final is back where it belongs and so, Manchester United supporters are insisting, is the Premiership title. At Wembley on Saturday Chelsea have the opportunity to make a case for it being merely on loan and to even up the balance a little by taking their second domestic cup to counter the bigger prize that the injured Gary Neville will hold aloft at Old Trafford this afternoon.

United have been in front of Jose Mourinho's team throughout the whole campaign apart from one week in September, and depending on today's results they will finish anything from seven to 10 points ahead. Significantly, they have scored 20 goals more, mostly in a fashion to endear them to those who prefer flair to mere efficiency. Chelsea have had their moments, notably with Joe Cole and Arjen Robben on the ball or Didier Drogba within shooting distance, but to win hearts and minds as well as the Cup, they will need all three on top of their game - not an ideal requirement, as the latter pair have been troubled by injury.

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Style wars aside - and they can often enhance the drama - what is clear is that a magnificent new stadium has been blessed with a meeting of titans; not since Liverpool beat Everton 21 years ago have the clubs finishing first and second in the League disputed the Cup final as well. "I think it's the right two teams to be playing at the new Wembley," Ferguson said on Friday, adding a commitment to try to turn the occasion into a showpiece for millions of viewers around the globe. "We want to see a Cup final that represents the English game in the right way.

"We've talked about providing three teams in the last four of the Champions' League and it's probably the best League in Europe now. So this is an opportunity for the two teams to give a display that shows that."

Even if the spirit is willing, the flesh sometimes takes a bruising. At Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, with only Chelsea's long unbeaten home record to play for, driving rain could not dampen down the hostility between two shadow squads.

"Wednesday's game got a bit feisty in the first half for 10 minutes, after that tackle by the boy [John] Obi Mikel," said Ferguson. "The referee handled it well, although he could have given Mikel a red card. But the game never got out of control. It will be competitive at Wembley, and I think on the day you'll have two teams ready for a battle."

That was one of the few conclusions that could be drawn from Wednesday's anti-climax, when the clubs might easily have lost a player apiece from the final, just as Liverpool and West Ham did with the dismissal of Luis Garcia and Hayden Mullins last year. Otherwise, these rehearsals with understudies tend not to reveal very much. The first League meeting, back in November at Old Trafford, offers a better guide. On that occasion United dominated for 45 minutes and scored through Louis Saha, but lost their way after Mourinho was able to turn to a much stronger substitutes' bench and call on Robben (at half-time) and Cole to turn the flow.

Most neutrals felt a 1-1 draw was the right result, and pencilled in 16 April as the day when the second encounter would decide the title. As Mourinho pointed out, however, the Premier League's fixture computer missed a trick by scheduling that game on FA Cup semi-final day, and so all was decided on the weekend before they finally came together again.

A common view last November was that Chelsea's greater strength in depth would be the decisive factor over the course of the season. As it transpired, they suffered the more critical injuries, United's occurring only later in the campaign and mainly in defence, where they were better covered. Ferguson could field as many as 10 of the team from the November game if Gabriel Heinze and Louis Saha were preferred to Patrice Evra and Alan Smith, though he appears to have lost some faith in the former pair and Saha, like Gary Neville, is struggling for fitness.

Chelsea are expected to make five changes from that side, leaving out Carlo Cudicini, Gérémi and the ill-starred Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko (both now injured) as well as their goalscorer on the day, Ricardo Carvalho, who has a hernia problem. The Portuguese defender is the big miss, and by pulling Michael Essien back alongside John Terry they lose something in midfield too. Those hoping for an open game will want Mourinho to go for Joe Cole and Robben down the flanks, leaving Claude Makelele, Mikel and Frank Lampard to take on Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick.

Ferguson has developed a system that allows four attacking players to interchange, by bringing back Alan Smith down the centre while Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney (23 goals each) start on the flanks and Giggs operates behind Smith. "If they play their best team and we play our best team I'm not worried about what they do," the manager said. "I'm worried about what we do. We go there with confidence having won the League and we've got the players that can win games. I always think you're better having those players than not. We've demonstrated that strongly this season - 82 League goals is good going."

Drogba's 31 in all competitions is equally impressive, and he is the player who worries United most. Whether he finds sufficient support, especially if Chelsea resort at any stage to throwing long balls forward for him, will go a long way to determining the outcome in a stadium fit for heroes.

Route to the Final: The day Jose went for broke

Third Round

Chelsea 6 Macclesfield 1

Frank Lampard enjoyed his first Chelsea hat-trick from the spot before Shaun Wright-Phillips, John Obi Mikel and Ricardo Carvalho added the gloss.

Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 1

On-loan Henrik Larsson marked his debut with a stunning volley. Milan Baros equalised before supersub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hit the stoppage-time winner.

Fourth Round

Chelsea 3 Nottingham Forest 0

Another easy win was kickstarted by Andriy Shevchenko's deflected volley, Didier Drogba and Mikel completing the scoring.

Man Utd 2 Portsmouth 1

United were again made to work hard after Nemanja Vidic's headed goal was not given despite crossing the line. It took until the 77th minute for Wayne Rooney to tap home before securing victory with an inch-perfect chip.

Fifth Round

Chelsea 4 Norwich 0

Wright-Phillips' 39th-minute opener owed much to luck, taking a deflection on its way in. Drogba, Michael Essien and Shevchenko wrapped up the scoring.

Man Utd 1 Reading 1. Replay: Reading 2 Man Utd 3

Both managers fielded weakened sides. Michael Carrick fired United ahead before Brynjar Gunnarsson headed a surprise equaliser. Keeper Adam Federici was the star, so it was ironic his howler sparked a United siege in the replay, Gabriel Heinze's second-minute shot squirming under the keeper's body. Louis Saha and Solskjaer added to the tally within four minutes before Reading staged a desperately unlucky fightback.

Quarter-Finals

Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3. Replay: Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2

A thrilling game saw Dimitar Berbatov smash Spurs ahead, Lampard level, but Essien's own goal and Hossam Ghaly gave the visitors a 3-1 advantage. Jose Mourinho went for broke. Spurs' withdrawal of Berbatov was decisive as Lampard and substitute Salomon Kalou rescued a draw. The replay was surprisingly comfortable for Chelsea, Shevchenko's sublime angled drive and Wright-Phillips' volley setting up victory.

Middlesbrough 2 Man Utd 2. Replay: Man Utd 1 Middlesbrough 0

Controversy reigned at the Riverside as Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty spared United a 2-1 defeat after goal hero George Boateng was adjudged to have deliberately handled Rio Ferdinand's header. An ill-tempered replay was settled by another Ronaldo spot-kick.

Semi-Finals

Blackburn 1 Chelsea 2 (aet)

Lampard broke the offside trap to to score after just 16 minutes at Old Trafford but Shevchenko's air shot inspired a fightback, Jason Roberts deflecting in Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick. It took Michael Ballack to deliver the winner in the 109th minute.

Watford 1 Manchester United 4

An inspired Rooney blasted United in front after six minutes but Watford hit back via Hameur Bouazza. But it took just two minutes for Rooney to set up Ronaldo. The England striker struck again, and Kieran Richardson chipped in.