If the vital games at the top of the Barclays Premier League will be played out on the pitches at Stamford Bridge and the JJB Stadium on Sunday, the mind games are already being played out in the media. Ashley Cole, the Chelsea defender, yesterday offered his ten-penneth as the battle of wits began in earnest.

Manchester United, the leaders, face an away match against Wigan Athletic as Chelsea, in second place on goal difference, meet Bolton Wanderers in West London. Cole believes that Wigan can take points off United and offer Chelsea a window of hope as the Premier League reaches one of its most closely fought climaxes.

The England left back’s theory is based on Wigan forcing a 1-1 draw on their visit to Stamford Bridge last month, when Emile Heskey scored a late equaliser. “Wigan got a draw at our place in the final minute so anything can be done in football,” Cole said. “We just have to stay positive and think that we can get the right result.

“Wigan can give United a tough test. But if we win our game on Sunday and so do United, then we will have to hold our hands up and say that they won the title fair and square. If we win, it is still not in our hands and it is down to what United do. But as a player, you have to have a positive mind about everything.

“We have to win our game because it would be disappointing if United did get a draw and then we got a draw.

We’ll be going out there on Sunday looking to win our game and just hoping that United slip up. We just have to be strong mentally because it would be a killer if United got a draw and we didn’t win. It would really hurt.”

United are favourites to defeat Wigan and, such is their huge advantage on goal difference, retain the championship. At least Avram Grant, the Chelsea first-team coach, will have a second attempt getting the better of United, when the teams meet in the first all-English Champions League final in Moscow on May 21.

The pressure on Grant increased last night when Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach, was dismissed by the Spanish club. The Dutchman has long been touted as a possible successor to Grant, although his reputation has been somewhat tarnished by a miserable season in La Liga.

Barcelona can finish no higher than third in their league and will have to qualify for a place in the group stages of the Champions League next season. In this season’s tournament, United knocked them out in the semi-finals 1-0 on aggregate.

To compound the Catalan club’s misery — and sealing Rijkaard’s fate — they were beaten 4-1 by Real Madrid, the Spanish champions and Barcelona’s bitter rivals, on Wednesday night.

Cole may feel that Wigan can upset United but also accepts that Bolton, who are as good as free of their relegation worries, will provide a stubborn challenge. “They’ll be coming to the Bridge looking for a win,” he said. “We know how they play, it is going to be tough, but we will be so focused and determined to beat them.”

Chelsea’s off-the-pitch sparring with United, over the mass post-match brawl between United players and Chelsea ground staff after the 2-1 home victory at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, moved on another step yesterday. Chelsea submitted their observations on the the incident, as requested, to the FA.

For all Cole’s psychological taunts and bold optimism, Kevin Davies warned him that Bolton will mean business on Sunday, even if it means shutting up shop and forcing a bore draw.

“We’ll go to Chelsea and put ten men behind the ball,” the Bolton striker said. “Hopefully, that’ll be enough for us and we’ll be OK. We have to go there, do a job and then we can focus on next season.”

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