AVB PLAYS DOWN FERGIE DUEL

Andre Villas-Boas insists that the players and not the managers will be the ones to watch when Chelsea travel to Old Trafford for their Premier League match against Manchester United on Sunday.

The two league contenders will confront each other in Manchester with Sir Alex Ferguson's side two points ahead of the London club in pole position.

Sunday's game will pit one of football's long-serving managers in Ferguson against one of the game's youngest in Villas-Boas, but the Portuguese tactician has played down the significance of their contribution to the final result.

"Our (managers') importance in the game is minimal," he said on Sky Sports News. "It is for the players to feel motivated, enjoy the game and exploit their talent.

United have made a sensational start to the 2011-12 league campaign, winning all of their four games and scoring 18 goals.

"It is for us managers to try to promote that talent, incentivise their motivation and lead them to success. In my opinion, our percentage (of contribution in the game) is always small."

When asked about his opinion on the champions' goalscoring spree, Villas-Boas remarked: "I think it is for all of us to praise when any team in the world starts a league like that because it is impressive and also because fans, who are the most important part of world football, are able to enjoy it. It's good for world football."