Man Utd's Fletcher: Beating Chelsea important psychologically

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher admits they would gain a mental edge on Chelsea if they can win in London this weekend.

United are trailing behind Premiership leaders Chelsea in the current standings.

"There's a long way to go yet in the title race, but Sunday's game could be important psychologically," he told MUTV. "We'll just concentrate on ourselves - we know we're capable of going there and winning. It won't be easy, but we'll go there with a game plan and the manager will have a lot of options for the side he wants to pick and we'll try and get a result."

After years of duking it out for top honours at home and abroad, United and Chelsea have few secrets. Nevertheless, Fletcher insists the reigning champions are capable of inflicting a rare home defeat on the Blues.

"They're a top side," he said. "We've both been challenging for the title over the last five or six years and there's great respect between the two sides. We know what to expect, it'll be a great challenge for us at Stamford Bridge. They've got a great record there, but it's up to us to go there and try and get the win."