Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti knows his first Premier League clash with Manchester United will provide the acid test of his title credentials, but he believes the champions have weaknesses that can be exploited in Sunday's summit meeting. Ancelotti's side have become the top pick to win the English crown after an impressive start under the Italian suggested he has recaptured the magic missing from Stamford Bridge since Jose Mourinho's departure.
But Ancelotti is well aware that only when he has emerged unscathed from a head to head duel with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will he truly be able to feel like a major player in the Premier League. The likes of Mourinho and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger earned their stripes - and Ferguson's grudging admiration - by defeating United in individual matches and then the title race.
Now Ancelotti, whose side are two points clear of second placed United, must do the same. While most of Ferguson's managerial opponents will inevitably suffer from an inferiority complex when they compare their achievements with the Scot's, Ancelotti can draw inspiration from his previous battles with United.
He has knocked Ferguson out of the Champions League twice during his time with AC Milan, with the 2007 semi-final rout at the San Siro a particularly fond memory, and has won a Community Shield penalty shoot-out against United in August. The Blues chief believes Sunday's match will go his way as well if Chelsea take advantage of the flaws in Ferguson's defence and midfield. United, who haven't won at the Bridge since 2002, were unusually timid in their 2-0 defeat at Liverpool two weeks ago and their porous defence has conceded 11 goals already in the league this season.