LEADERS Tivoli Gardens will again have to repel the challenges of an old foe in Arnett Gardens when they meet in another crucial Digicel Premier League (DPL) encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex this evening at 6 o’clock.

In the other games, title-chasing Boys’ Town host Portmore United; Harbour View tackle Benfica; Sporting Central play Reno; Humble Lion travel to Village United and Waterhouse take on St Georges.

With six rounds of game remaining, Tivoli — well on their way to capturing their fifth premiership crown — are ahead on 59 for a seven-point lead.

They drew 0-0 with Harbour View last week and effectively killed off the champions’ chance of retaining their title.

In Arnett Gardens, they face an inconsistent team fighting to secure a top-six spot to play elite football in the fourth round.

Arnett are currently in seventh spot on 39 points, the same as six-placed Reno, and they know a win today will go a far way in achieving that goal.

In two meetings this season, Tivoli first scored a 1-0 away win, while the second ended 1-1.

Tivoli are unbeaten in their last nine games and will be hard to beat. In contrast, Arnett have won just two of their last 11 games, but remain a dangerous team.

Tivoli will be without the enigmatic Navion Boyd who is on a red-card suspenson, and midfielder Raymond Williamson, on an accumulation of yellow cards. Captain Kasai Hinds is still doubtful through injury, along with brother Christopher Jackson.

The onus will be on Roland Dean, Owen Powell, Kemar Flemmings, Jemeel Thompson and Shawn McKoy to deliver the goods.

Second-placed Boys’ Town, on 52 points, will be praying that Tivoli slip, but they have an equally difficult match against fourth-placed Portmore United, on 47, with an outside chance.

Boys’ Town have been playing some good, attacking football, but their profligacy has denied them several victories.

The teams have drawn two games this season, but with the Red Brigade playing at home, where they have won eight of their 16 games, the should start favourites.

Champions Harbour View, in third spot on 47 points, cannot afford to drop points when they host the improving Benfica, in 10th spot on 36 points.

The last time both teams met, Harbour View registered a whopping 4-0 win and avenged an earlier 0-1 defeat to the new boys.

Today’s match-up will be much closer as Benfica seemed to have overcome their internal squabble to register back-to-back wins and have won three of their last six games.

The St Ann outfit has climbed just above the relegation zone and will want to move away to safety.

Harbour View’s chances of victory have been made more difficult with the suspension of Jermaine Hue, Marcelino Blackburn and Christopher Harvey through cards.

Cellar teams Humble Lion and St Georges, on 33 points each, will be hunting crucial wins over Village and Waterhouse, respectively.

Humble Lion who have fallen on hard times and into the drop zone, travel to ninth-placed Village, on 37 points, hunting a win.

The Lenworth Hyde-coached Clarendon team should feel confident of completing the sweep over Trelawny-based Village, having already beaten them twice this season.

The Geoffrey Maxwell-coach St Georges of Portland have a more difficult task against fifth-placed Waterhouse, on 44 points.

St Georges have won two of their last three games and with just six points separating the sixth and 12th placed teams, every point is of the utmost importance.

The faltering Sporting Central (38) and Reno (39) clash in an intriguing encounter for that crucial sixth spot.