Wayne Rooney is chasing both an EPL title and Ronaldo's record of 42 goals in a season.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- Despite being 15 points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race, Liverpool has plenty of motivation to beat the Red Devils on Sunday.

The two northern giants of English football are tied with 18 league titles each. And although Liverpool is virtually out of contention this season, its fans won't want to see United take its long-held record away while becoming the first team to win the title four years in a row.

But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said Friday his team looks at the game at Old Trafford as a spur to winning another title.

"We look at the game Sunday as the road hopefully to another title for us," Ferguson said. "Our form has picked up really well in past few weeks. It's a major boost to be top of the league at this stage of the season."

While Liverpool has not won a league title since 1990, Ferguson has won 11 in 17 seasons.

Liverpool finished runner-up last season but is fifth this term after a poor season by its own standards.

"I think their challenge last year was almost championship form," Ferguson said. "But sometimes a team (falters) -- it happened to me in my second (full) year here.

"You peak with that particular team and sometimes it's difficult to do it again. And in my second full season we ended up middle of the league.

"I think everyone expected Liverpool to be better, but they are not and ... the challenge for them is with quite a few others for that fourth spot, which is a league of its own."

Liverpool's recent results against United have been impressive. Liverpool won this season's meeting 2-0 at Anfield and won both home and away meetings last season including a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford.

United holds a two-point lead atop of the standings although second-place Chelsea, which visits Blackburn on Sunday, has a game in hand which it plays Wednesday at last-placed Portsmouth.

Third-place Arsenal is also two points back having played the same number of games as United and hopes to stay in contention by beating West Ham at home Saturday.

Midfielder Alex Song returns from a two-game suspension which he described as unbearable.

"It is very difficult to watch your friends when you don't play, but I had confidence in my team. We have the players to come in and do well," he said. "Now we are in a strong position and we will fight in the games that are left.

"The mentality has changed for us. Everyone has in their head that we need to do something this year. It is very important for us. The manager trusts us to do the job."

The race for fourth place, which carries a place in next season's Champions League, is also getting hotter.

A point ahead of Liverpool, Tottenham is currently fourth and has a tricky game at Stoke, which boasts strong home form. Sixth-placed Manchester City visits Europa League quarter-finalist Fulham on Sunday and Aston Villa, which is seventh and three points behind Tottenham with a game in hand, should be confident of beating lowly neighbour Wolves.

Down at the bottom of the standings, last-place Portsmouth hosts second-last Hull knowing it is all but relegated. Portsmouth had nine points deducted after going into administration and is now 14 points behind Hull and Burnley and 17 from safety with only nine matches to go.

Burnley bids to improve its survival chances by winning at fellow struggler Wigan while Saturday's other games are Everton versus Bolton and Sunderland versus Birmingham.