Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert insists the battle to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League is far more open than a two-horse race.
Reading and QPR are all but down, leaving one space in the npower Championship to be decided over the final four weeks of the season. Wins for Sunderland, Norwich and Stoke last weekend gave them a little bit of breathing space and left Wigan and Villa as the two teams most in danger.
The Latics currently occupy 18th place but have a game in hand on their rivals, while Villa's poor goal difference could also count against them, especially if the situation is the same when the two sides meet each other on the final day of the season.
Still a chance: Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has insisted the relegation battle is still open
Villa have the chance to get themselves out of it before then, starting on Monday with another key clash against Sunderland at Villa Park, when victory would draw them level with the Black Cats.
Lambert said: 'Even above (Sunderland), nobody's out of it. And the way the fixtures have been thrown up this weekend, there's points there to be won and points obviously that people are going to lose.
'I'm pretty sure if you asked the teams above us, there would be a few saying the same.'
Two wins from their remaining matches against Sunderland, Norwich, Chelsea and Wigan would take Villa to the magical 40-point mark, but Lambert is more focused on ensuring his side keep their fate in their own hands.
Preparation: Villa players prepare to face Sunderland on Monday night
Asked if 40 points would be enough, he said: 'I'm not sure because you don't know how other results go. But you won't be far away from it.
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'It's in our own hands, that's the good thing. It would be different if we had to rely on other people but we don't. You look after your own, and if we do that then we'll see what happens.
'I don't think you can (get too caught up in the permutations), then you start to deflect from what you want to do yourself.'
Villa emerged victorious when the two teams met at the Stadium of Light in November, striker Gabriel Agbonlahor netting the only goal, and Lambert expects this clash to have an extra edge because of what is at stake.
He said: 'I think there always will be. When it's this stage of the season and two teams are close against each other, things happen that may not happen when it's midway through the season.
'I won't need to lift the lads that's for sure, they'll know what's at stake on Monday so I won't need to motivate them in that way.
'The way the season has gone there's not much in it (between the teams) at all. We went up there and won a few months ago and we'll have to try to win again.'
Lambert has no fresh injury concerns but two players hoping to force their way into contention will be Karim El Ahmadi and Ciaran Clark.
Midfielder El Ahmadi impressed as a half-time substitute in last Monday's 3-0 defeat by Manchester United while defender Clark was given the last 10 minutes.
Lambert said: 'You need everybody, not just the lads that play and the lads on the bench, you need the lads on the fringe of it.
'Ciaran's been unlucky with his shoulder, so has Karim to be fair. He was away at the African Nations and then he hurt his knee but I thought the two of them did really well when they came on.'
Inspired: Stephane Sessgnon (left) and Adam Johnson (right) have been brilliant in Sunderland's last two matches and are clearly thriving under new manager Paolo Di Canio (above)