Manchester United's players have a growing belief their club's 17th league title is now within their grasp.
Sunday's emphatic 3-0 victory over Liverpool - and Arsenal's defeat at Chelsea - leaves Sir Alex Ferguson's side five points clear at the top of the Premier League with seven matches to go.
In the aftermath of their win at Old Trafford, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra revealed confidence was high within the camp as United moved a step closer to the title they won last season.
"We are now in a great position - but not just because we have beaten Liverpool," said France defender Evra.
"We are in this position because we have played consistently well - and now we have seven games left. That means seven cup finals, but we have our destiny in our own hands now."
Carrick was equally bullish, saying: "At our best we can beat anyone, and the title is in our own hands.
"We knew a few weeks ago we were three points behind and we needed to get points on the board - and that is what we have done.
"Now the door is open for us. We have a tough run-in, so we are not taking anything for granted - but we are happy to be in this position.
"We have a great chance now, and it is down to us."
Javier Mascherano's dismissal - a second yellow card for dissent - was undoubtedly the talking point of the match. But Evra insists United would have beaten the Merseysiders whether the Argentina midfielder was on the field or not.
"When Mascherano was sent off it became very hard for Liverpool. But we won because we deserved it, not because Mascherano was sent off," he said.
"It went a long time before we finished them, and there was always the chance Liverpool could have got one chance and equalised.
"But our two substitutes, Carlos Tevez and Nani, made the difference. They are quick, attacking players - and when they came on it changed things."
Those goals, added to Wes Brown's first-half header, could prove crucial in the final analysis - because Ferguson believes goal difference could be a deciding factor in the race for the title with Chelsea and Arsenal.
"That could be the key, and three goals against a team like Liverpool is important," the United boss reasons.
"It will give us a few goals advantage on Arsenal.
"We have done our job with the three points but we are not getting carried away - you cannot get carried away in this league.
"The win over Liverpool was a good morale-booster heading into the next few weeks.
"We have seven games left, three at home and four away. It is going to be nip and tuck and will go to the wire.
"But we have got the resources; we have got the players - and the win over Liverpool has given us the confidence."
