Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur take centre stage on Sunday afternoon when the League Cup final gets underway at Wembley, but there promises to be plenty of drama in the Premier League before the London rivals compete for the first trophy of the season.
Eight matches across two days will see the picture at both ends of the table change a number of times, and there are a few people under extra pressure to deliver the goods.
Below, Sports Mole singles out three people who need a successful weekend.
1. Radamel Falcao
When isn't Radamel Falcao in the spotlight? It's a fair question. The Colombian is currently playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world and he is looking to find the form to encourage Manchester United to part with £43m to sign him on a permanent basis from Monaco in the summer. When you're lucky enough to make the switch to Old Trafford, you have to accept the pressure that comes with pulling on the famous shirt. Quite simply, Falcao has been unable to handle that pressure since arriving at the club.
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He's only managed to score four goals in 19 appearances, and the forward appears to have lost some pace since being ruled out of last summer's World Cup with a knee injury. The signs have not been good, and it would not come as a surprise if United decided against dipping into their funds to agree a deal with Monaco in a few months. However, Falcao does have the time to prove to his critics and the United hierarchy that he can be a key figure in Louis van Gaal's side.
An injury to Robin van Persie is expected to keep the Dutchman out for a month, and that puts even more pressure on Falcao, who will surely continue to get chances in attack alongside Wayne Rooney. Promising young striker James Wilson is chasing more minutes, too, but it's Falcao who will get more opportunities to shine in the latter stages of the season. Sunderland are the visitors to Old Trafford on Saturday, and Van Gaal's side are firm favourites to pick up their 11th league win of the current campaign. Can Falcao get back to his best against the Black Cats?
2. Graziano Pelle
Much like the man at the top of this list, Graziano Pelle has found life in front of goal difficult in recent weeks. Back in the early stages of the season it appeared that Pelle could do no wrong as he led the Saints on a stunning start to the season with six goals in his first eight games. The Italian had everything. He looked a calm finisher, but he also had the strength and intelligence to lead the line impressively when the Saints were on the back foot, too. His form was a big reason behind Southampton's challenge for a Champions League spot, and his struggles recently go some way to explain why that campaign has hit a stumbling block.
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Pelle hasn't scored since December 20, and his dry run is having a big impact on the Saints, who haven't found the net in any of their last four league games. If Ronald Koeman is going to keep Southampton's top-four dream alive, he needs his side to get back to their best against West Bromwich Albion, and Pelle simply has to find his shooting boots sooner rather than later.
3. Manuel Pellegrini
Chelsea's Wembley commitments mean that Manchester City have a big opportunity to pile the pressure on the Premier League leaders when they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool just a few hours before the League Cup final. City's preparations for the game were not ideal as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Champions League rivals Barcelona, and Manuel Pellegrini must find a way to improve the mood in the squad before another potentially season-defining fixture for his side.
It seems unfair to say, but Pellegrini probably knows that his job is not necessarily safe. The Chilean will almost certainly be in charge for the rest of the season, but possible failures in the Premier League and the Champions League is enough to get the City's owners twitching nervously, just ask Roberto Mancini.
Chelsea will have a game in hand over City after this weekend, and the champions simply have to make sure that the pressure is on Jose Mourinho's side to win that fixture against Leicester City in April. The current gap between the two rivals is five points. It's not safe, but Chelsea are certainly in the driving seat. Make it two points and the title race will be gripping to watch once again. It's a huge test of Pellegrini's experience and tactics. Will he risk more to go for the win against a Liverpool side who have little time to recover following their own efforts in Europe? His critics have often called him too conservative in big games, but last season was proof that this City side can beat anyone in a free-flowing game. There's always pressure in such a big job, but Pellegrini's position could look very different on Sunday depending on the result at Anfield.
Callum Mulvihill
