Make a concerted effort to watch for the following during today’s Premiership slate, which obviously revolves around one game this week…

No Comparison
It’s never the greatest idea anyway to look hard into what happened in two teams’ first league meeting and use it to analyze what might happen in the second matchup, but the titanic Chelsea-Manchester United runout ready to go down bears no resemblence to the two teams’ September meeting whatsoever. Remember, that was the eerie match where the Blues took the field for the first time without Jose Mourinho, less than 72 hours after he had been dispatched from the club. Clearly disoriented, they fell to that 2-0 loss at Old Trafford. It left everyone wondering how differently a more complete-looking Chelsea side — they were also missing Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack — could fare against the Red Devils. Here’s the chance to see.

Trophy Case
Both teams are coming off their respective midweek Champions League fixtures — United is 8-1-1 in such instances this year and Chelsea 4-3-2. What’s worth noting about the scenario is that two of those Chelsea losses came in the Carling Cup final against Tottenham and then in the FA Cup upset at the hands of Barnsley; United’s lone loss in this setting was also in the FA Cup quarterfinal setback against Portsmouth. When the two teams come out at Stamford Bridge, it may officially be a league match, but there will clearly be a Cup feel with the year’s title pretty much riding on the game.

Summer Previews
Unquestionably, a huge portion of the through-the-roof viewership for the big Bridge bopper will be neutral. Most in that sect will just want to see a great game or goal fest ensue. There’s also the chance to ease some of the anxiousness for Euro 2008 in June, even with England set to be infamously absent. After all, United dynamo Cristiano Ronaldo faces off against staunch Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech, just as the two will when Portugal and the Czech Republic go at it in a Group A clash on June 11. The same goes for United keeper Edwin Van der Sar, the Dutch star who can get an early read on French threats Claude Makelele, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda of Chelsea. The Netherlands and France, both part of deathly Group E, will meet June 13.

Royal Opportunity
This is the weekend Reading can earn themselves a measure of comfort in the survival scare. Of the trio battling to get out of the third and final relegation slot, they have the most winnable game — at No. 13 Wigan. Meanwhile, Birmingham can expect a mostly uphill battle with Liverpool in town, even if the Reds won’t likely roll out their full complement, and Bolton won’t have it too much easier at White Hart Lane against Tottenham, who have much to prove to their growing number of critics.

That 70s Show
Just as they did so many times as players, the league’s two youngest managers, Gareth Southgate and Roy Keane, go head-to-head with Sunderland heading to Middlesbrough. Southgate (37) and Keane (36) are a dying breed that never quite was a huge presence to begin with. Coming into this season, Fulham’s Chris Coleman was the only other manager born after Jan. 1, 1970, and he’s been sacked long since. Put it this way: Everton’s David Moyes, Derby’s Paul Jewell, Wigan’s Steve Bruce and Blackburn’s Mark Hughes are the only managers born in the 1960s, and Jewell, who is 43, is the youngest of that bunch.

Channel Your Interest
Today’s Prem TV rundown (Pacific time):

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL

*Middlesbrough-Sunderland, 7 a.m.

*Tottenham-Bolton, 9 a.m.

*Wigan-Reading, 11 a.m.

SETANTA SPORTS

*Chelsea-Manchester United, 4:30 a.m. (re-aired at 3 p.m.)

*Birmingham-Liverpool, 7 a.m.

*West Ham-Newcastle, 11:15 a.m.

*Manchester City-Fulham, 1:15 p.m.