Top dogs could be tripped up

Chelsea, Barcelona and Juventus face tough matches in league 'marathons'

The championship battles in England, Spain and Italy were reignited by last week's results and further fuel could be added to the fire this weekend as all three leaders face daunting opposition.

Chelsea, whose run of eight straight Premiership wins was halted by Manchester City, travel to fourth-placed Everton for tonight's early live match. Then, later tonight, Spanish leaders Barcelona, having suffered their first home defeat of the season, visit Real Zaragoza, where they haven't won in six attempts. And tomorrow night's live action features Juventus, who have seen their Serie A lead cut to two points after two straight defeats, at home to Udinese.

Recent results have lent weight to the old cliche about the championship race being a marathon, not a sprint. Chelsea are nearest the finishing line, holding a nine-point lead with 12 games to go, but they probably won't feel secure until they have negotiated safe passage through their remaining games against Manchester United (away) and Arsenal (home), which are both scheduled over a five-day period in mid-April. With the Champions League also reaching its latter stages at the same time, it promises to be a crunch period for England's big three.

Chelsea, who for the most part have been more fortunate with injuries than United and Arsenal, predictably suffered a loss of creativity last week without Arjen Robben, and they look worth opposing again at Everton without their brilliant winger.

Robben's absence did not stop Chelsea winning six of their opening nine league games this season - including victories over United, Liverpool and Middlesbrough - but their attack certainly stepped up a gear once he entered the fray in October. Their goals-scored average doubles when he is on the pitch, though their rock-solid defence has ensured that there has been only a negligible decrease in the average number of points accumulated when he has been absent.