Premier League Match Preview – Manchester United vs Manchester City

We won’t mention last season’s 6-1. We won’t mention this season’s 3-2. We won’t mention the fact that they wanted RVP and we got him. I might, however, drop in the fact that we’re fifteen points clear. A few times. I’m not being arrogant and I’m not foolish enough to talk about ‘number 20’ but going into the derby game, fifteen clear of your nearest rivals, knowing that even after the worst day of days we would still be twelve clear with seven left to play is such a beautiful thought.

A fifteen-point cushion should be enough to see an increasingly laboured-looking United clinch a remarkable 20^th league title. With the side already knocked out of all cup competitions, Monday night’s derby could be the last truly meaningful fixture of the season. With that in mind, hopes will be to see a much-improved performance than those of recent weeks, including last Sunday’s disappointingly lacklustre FA Cup exit to Chelsea. What better way to rediscover some goalscoring (and exciting) form than with the visit of your city and Premier League title(ish) rivals?

 Team News
Wayne Rooney will look forward to returning to action in the biggest game of the season so far whilst Rafael will be looking to take his right back spot back as he returns from fitness. Vidic and Evans remain at 50-50 so Ferdinand who has been quoted as saying ‘We…have to make sure…that they will be disappointed at the end because we have won’ will expect to command at the back with Smalling his likely partner.

Richards and Maicon are definite non-starters for City whilst Jack Rodwell could be ready for action again. David Silva and Samir Nasri (remember when we actually wanted him?) are likely to be fully fit and will likely line up in a City attack desperate to win.

 If a fifteen-point lead is comfortable, a (potential) eighteen-point lead is fatal. While City fans (and Roberto Mancini) will argue that the title race is already over, a win at Old Trafford – and in the process cutting the gap at the top to twelve points – will sow seeds of hope in City minds and of doubt in United’s. A home win kills off all hope, all doubt, and all other nonsensical football-related emotions.

United should welcome back Wayne Rooney into the side. Missing against Sunderland and Chelsea, his inclusion could prove vital. Robin van Persie, who will start, saw his goalless streak stretch to 9 games after his “winner” at the Stadium of Light was credited to the hapless (cliché alert) Titus Bramble. With only two goals scored in the last two games, a return – in both presence and form – for both players would be very handy indeed.

Also back in training is Rafael, whose excellent performances this season leads to great hope he will be fit to play. As promising as Chris Smalling is, he far too limited a right-back to continually play there. (Quick side note: Smalling bought and shared a round of Jagerbombs with a few friends of mine last summer. Apparently “he loves it.”) With the game not until Monday night, Sir Alex will also hope to see Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic overcome niggles and be fit to play.

Otherwise, big question marks come over which, if any, of the ludicrously out-of-form-and/or-fitness wingers will be chosen to play. Contrast: last year at the Etihad we were fuming when Antonio Valencia was left out – this year we’ll be disappointed if he starts. Regardless, hope springs eternal that he still has one big game in him, and it could be Monday. You never know. The same, to a much-lesser extent, can also be said of Ashley Young and Nani, both still struggling for full-fitness and playing-rhythm after injury.

Less of a question mark(s) hangs over the inclusions of David de Gea, Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick, who will all start. Rio Ferdinand’s place in the starting line-up may depend on whether Evans and Vidic are fit, while Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez are available and will hope to be involved. After impressing against Chelsea (one of the few), Welbeck probably most deserves to feature. So I’m obviously predicting that he doesn’t.

Match Prediction
This is City’s final throw at the dice for the title. Win and they know, even though slimmer than an anorexic model, their chances for the title are still there. Come away with anything less than three points and even the most blinkered and confident City fan would surely concede defeat? For that very reason I see City throwing absolutely everything at United. They will want to keep their faint hopes alive but, more importantly, and in the words of Mancini, they want to show that they ‘don’t deserve to stay 15 points behind’. The question that has to be asked, however, is will they leave themselves too open at the back? I said I wouldn’t mention the 6-1 but I’ve got to. I remember it getting to 3-1 thinking ‘shit! We can do this!’ and I fear, with hindsight, that the players felt the same. They kept on pushing forward. Over and over and over. We know what happened next. If City do this tomorrow then I think United could lap it up and sting them on the counter on more than one occasion.

Match Facts
• United have kept six clean sheets in a row in the Premier League.
• United are the first team in English top-flight history to win 25 of their opening 30 fixtures.
• Mancini’s Premier League record against United reads 2W, 3L, 1D
• Van Persie has failed to score in any of his last nine fixtures but…
• Tevez and Aguero have scored the same combined total as RVP has by himself (19)