A day ago, Manchester United vs Aston Villa was just an English Premier League game involving a side looking to keep their big lead at the top against a team desperate for points as they look to avoid relegation.
However, after Manchester City capitulated spectacularly against Tottenham Sunday, the Monday night fixture has grown into epic proportions.
United are 13 points ahead with five games to go, and if they win against Villa at Old Trafford, the Red Devils will be crowned league champions for the 20th time -- 20 years after Sir Alex Ferguson collected the first of his 13.
"I'm happy for it to happen like that," Ferguson said when asked if he was OK with winning the title courtesy City dropping points. "It has happened a few times.
"When Oldham beat Villa at Villa Park I was on the golf course, and when Liverpool and Newcastle both drew on the same night, I was in the gym at Mottram Hall.
"There was another occasion when Coventry beat Blackburn in a Monday night game and I was watching the snooker. The World Championship final was on."
The Premier League title has been a foregone conclusion for a while now, but nothing will please Ferguson more than winning it on their own home turf at Old Trafford. Once the title is officially sealed, Manchester United will target that record points haul of 95 set by Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in 2004-05 - United need to win all their remaining games to achieve that target, including the one against Villa.
"It's not beyond the team at all," Ferguson said. "If you are asking if Manchester United can win five games in a row, well how many times have we done that?. So it's not beyond us.
"There won't be any slacking off by the players. That's good for the fans to debate what our best team is. I get it all the time: what is my best ever team?
"What may create more awareness of the side we have this year is how many points we get.
'We won it in 1997 with 75 points and have been second to Chelsea with 85 and City with 89 points last season."
United will have to try and create the record without Ashley Young, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, while Paul Scholes remains sidelined.
Villa could welcome back in-form forward Gabriel Agbonlahor, who missed last weekend's game against Fulham because of a groin problem. Chris Herd, Marc Albrighton and Richard Dunne, though, remain ruled out.
Paul Lambert has seen his side win three of their last five Premier League games, but Villa still remain precariously placed in 17th, just three points off third from bottom Wigan Athletic.
Even a point against Manchester United will be seen as a bonus, but nothing will give Villa a bigger impetus to their survival hopes than winning at Old Trafford against the Premier League champions-elect.
Ferguson, though, will have other plans, and with wild celebrations already being envisaged in front of their own fans, the manager will demand a big victory - and as history as shown, he more often than not gets it.
Expected lineups: Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Carrick, Cleverley, Rooney; Valencia, Van Persie, Kagawa.
Aston Villa: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Bennett; Westwood, Delph; Weimann, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor; Benteke.
Prediction: 2-0 to Manchester United
