Champions League Still Tops English Premier League Agenda

London After a chastening fortnight in the Champions League, the tussle to qualify for next season's tournament takes priority in the Premier League this weekend, with Manchester United's trip to Liverpool topping the bill.
Manchester City's 1-0 loss at Barcelona on Wednesday ended English interest in this season's Champions League and the champions are one of six clubs now apparently vying for three berths in the 2015-16 competition.
Leaders Chelsea, six points clear of second-placed City with a game in hand, already appear guaranteed to qualify, but Manuel Pellegrini's side's place in the top four is no longer as secure.
Consecutive away losses  to Liverpool and Burnley have seen City's lead over third-placed Arsenal eroded to a single point, with United a point further back in fourth place and Liverpool two points further back in fifth.
Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are only six points below the top four, and with home games against strugglers Burnley and bottom club Leicester City, respectively, on their agendas this weekend, will be confident of making up ground on the teams above them.
Three days after a loss at Camp Nou marked by Lionel Messi's brilliance and Joe Hart's heroics in the visitors' goal, City return to league action with a  home game to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
City captain Vincent Kompany is wary about ruling his side out of the title race, but he acknowledges that he and his teammates owe the club's supporters a rousing run of performances.
"Forget about Chelsea. We owe it to ourselves, to our fans to have a good end to this campaign," said the Belgium centre-back.
"It is not in our hands by any means, but we just have to go back and work hard and improve."
Chelsea visit Hull City on Sunday, in need of a spark after following up their Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton last weekend.
Arsenal travel to Newcastle United, where they will be bidding to record a sixth consecutive league victory.
-AFP