Fighting to achieve different things with the Digicel Premier League (DPL) entering a crucial phase, the battle between long-time rivals Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens is expected to live up to expectations as a fiery one, when the teams meet in a 5 p.m. rescheduled game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex today.

For Tivoli, keeping their fading title hopes alive will be the main objective heading into today's match-up.

Inconsistent performances have left the west Kingston team currently 12 points adrift of leaders Portmore United (57 points) and they can ill-afford to lose any more ground in a title race that may have already realistically left them too far off the pace to catch up.

Arnett will have far more modest ambitions going into today's game, as four points adrift of fifth-place easterners, St Georges, they must now be entertaining thoughts of securing a place in the elite six for the league's final round of play.

The achievement would be a monumental one for the Junglists who, although crowned back-to-back champions some time in their not-so-distant history, found themselves fighting to remain in the top flight at this point last season.

Davis' debut

Despite the disparity in position in the league tables, it is Arnett who have held the advantage in meetings this season, seeing off Tivoli 1-0 when player/coach Fabian Davis made his debut back in October, and upstaging the West Kingston men with a last-minute Kevin Wilson strike for a 2-1 win in January.

With Tivoli boasting the alarming statistic of not having won back-to-back games since last November, their assistant coach, Max Straw, believes today's game to be a crucial one.

"As far as the league is concerned our backs are against the wall and this is like a knockout game," he said.

Tivoli will, however, be without the services of in-form striker Navion Boyd, who picked up an injury on the weekend, and winger Orane Simpson, who will be out with an accumulation of cards.

The significance of the game is also not lost on Straw's opposite number, Davis.

"Tomorrow will be a tough battle. We are aiming for the top six and we are not too far off. I think we have been playing well but we haven't been putting away our chances," he said.

Davis and Wilson will have to watch the game from the touchline as they are both carrying injuries.