Football fans are treated to the best of both worlds this weekend as the Premier League title race continues, while Manchester City and Liverpool meet in the Capital One Cup final.
Whether City actually field a full strength team for this - their third game in seven days - is still a mystery, but it increasingly looks to be their best chance at silverware this year.
Meanwhile, if Jurgen Klopp can deliver a trophy in his first term in charge, it would be a sign that his side are making progress.
We here in Newstalk Sport have been crunching the numbers ahead of another busy weekend in football.
1) Impenetrable Southampton in the firing line of free scoring Chelsea
Ronald Koeman did face pressure before the turn of the year as Southampton slowly slipped down the table after a string of uncharacteristic defeats.
However, since the reintroduction of Fraser Forster to the starting XI, his side have become bullet proof; the Saints have gone six consecutive games without conceding a goal.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are unbeaten in the league in their last 10 league games and have only failed to score in two of those games. While Hiddink's record of making his side hard to beat is clear, they've rediscovered their shooting boots, scoring five goals on three occasions in the last month.
The immovable object meets the unstoppable force.
Forster has been a galvanizing presence in the Southampton defence since his return in January. Image: John Walton / PA Wire/Press Association Images
2) Bournemouth relish life on the road
Their FA Cup dream may have been halted at Dean Court last weekend, but records suggest that it's on the road that Eddie Howe's side find most joy.
With 12 games left to play and just four points clear of the drop-zone, the Cherries are bracing themselves for a tough run-in.
In order to secure their Premier League status they must carefully negotiate a tricky set of fixtures which includes Manchester United, Everton, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Although they travel to Vicarage Road this weekend to face Watford, they have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Eddie Howe's men are unbeaten in eight of their last nine away games in all competitions, which includes victories at Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
Unbowed by the presence of the home support, Bournemouth have been able to play with a certain freedom away from the Vitality Stadium and look to continue their promising form to stay in the top tier.
Eddie Howe has been buoyed by his team's spirit this season. Image: Paul Harding / PA Wire/Press Association Images
3) Tony Pulis can inspire West Brom to build on victory at Everton
Tony Pulis is no stranger to a relegation battle, and while the former Stoke boss has refused to commit his future to the club, he is tasked with keeping West Brom in the Premier League before he sits down in the summer to chat with chairman Jeremy Peace.
He's been here before of course, with both Stoke City and, more recently, Crystal Palace in 2014 when a run of victories earned the Eagles mathematical safety.
Pulis' side host Palace at the Hawthorns this weekend to face a Palace side have struggled for form in the league that haven't won in the league in their last nine attempts.
Both sides are in need of a win, but it's the manager in the home dug-out who may have experience to inspire a purple patch and silence the growing unrest among fans.
Tony Pulis is no stranger to the situation he finds himself in at the Hawthorns. Image: David Davies / PA Wire/Press Association Images
4) Arsenal must prove mettle at depleted Manchester United
A 5-1 victory over Danish champions FC Midtjylland looks good on paper, but Thursday night was anything but comfortable for Manchester United.
The game wasn't secure until the 75th minute of the game, when debutant Marcus Rashford scored his second goal of the night.
Rashford was a late inclusion to the United squad, who are without 13 first team starters due to injury. Anthony Martial was unlucky number 13 as he picked up a hamstring injury during Thursday night's warm-up.
The pressure is now on Arsenal to prove their mettle this Sunday: with Leicester playing the day before, they will either have the chance to capitalise on their mistakes or will be forced to play catch up.
There may not be a better chance for Arsene Wenger to break his rather poor record at Old Trafford, a ground where they have not won in the Premier League since September 2006.
Arsenal dismantled Manchester United in the reverse fixture at the emirates earlier in the season. Image: John Walton / EMPICS Sport
5) Liverpool will need to be ruthless to achieve cup glory
So far, Liverpool have only managed to score more than a solitary goal on one occasion en route to the Capital One Cup final and that came in their 6-1 demolition of Southampton.
That leaves five games where they could only muster one goal. Manchester City on the other hand haven't had the greatest recent form, but have still managed at least one goal in their previous nine games in all competitions.
The feeling is that City's attacking potency outweighs Liverpool's defensive solidity, so it will require a some ruthless finishing in front of goal if Jurgen Klopp is to secure his first trophy in charge of the club.
Fit-again Daniel Sturridge will look to rediscover some form at the tail-end of the season, but all evidence points to Manchester City who out-gunned Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday night.
Sturridge featured in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Augsburg in the Europa League, but failed to get on the scoresheet. Image: PA Wire/Press Association Images
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
