Barclays Premier League - Manchester Derby Preview

Though the season is still in its infancy, both the clubs from Manchester know they cannot undermine the importance of getting a result this weekend. Losing the game will not greatly dampen either teams title aspirations but the nature of this derby is one that cannot be ignored by the football watching world. All eyes will be at Old Trafford this weekend to carefully analyze and scrutinize both teams and the result will have many repercussions on their immediate futures. Historically the two teams have met 153 times in competitive fixtures. Manchester United have come out on top 63 times whereas Manchester City have won 41 times. 49 meetings have ended in a draw.

The Contenders
Many a skeptical glance was carefully thrown in the direction of the world's richest club, Manchester City, since the summer transfer window began. Mark Hughes has assembled a talented squad and though the cost of acquiring some players was debatably said to be over the top, the strength and depth that City now have is simply incredible. Their forward line is one of the best in the league with the likes of Robinho, Adebayor, Tevez and Santa Cruz but with the exception of Adebayor none of the others have really got started due to injuries. In spite of this City are sitting pretty with 4 wins out of 4 and this must surely be sending a few nervous tingles down the backs of the so-called big four.

It remains to be seen if they can continue this blistering form but the loss of Adebayor for this weekends game is a massive blow. This is a player that scored over 30 goals the season before last, and is finally looking like he can repeat that level of performance. But the deserved ban that he now faces will surely prove to be a major disruption. It would have been highly settling for a City fan to see him celebrating his goal against Arsenal in front of his own set of fans rather than his farcical show of flamboyance.

City now have to deal with a situation where they head to Old Trafford without the services of a strike team worth more than £100 million. That can't be good. The defense looks solid after conceding only 2 goals in 4 games (against Arsenal), and the performances of Wright-Phillips and Nigel De Jong in the last game were highly encouraging. They would have loved to go into this game with their wealth of talent at their disposal but that is not the case and it will prove to be the difference maker.

Tevez may yet feature, and if he does he will be eager to prove a point in Adebayor-esque fashion but it seems highly unlikely. If they manage to leave Old Trafford with a point and maintain their unbeaten start to the season Hughes will be pleased, but if they can manage to pull off a memorable victory then he will be exulted. To beat Arsenal and Manchester United consecutively will establish them as genuine title contenders.
That situation is not unimaginable as it was only two years ago that City did beat United at Old Trafford 2-1, and being a derby game emotions do tend to spill over and it would be unwise to claim that United could walk all over them.

The Champions
United did not play well against Arsenal, yet they won. They did not play well against Besiktas in midweek European action, yet they won. They went a goal down to an excellent Defoe goal in the first minute at White Hart Lane, yet they won. The pattern is not too hard to spot. United are a winning machine and they like nothing better than proving people wrong when they are written off. Their start to the season has by no means been phenomenal, yet they sit in 2nd place after playing a couple of tough matches. Swatting away Arsenals and Spurs' great start has buoyed the mood at Old Trafford which was beginning to look a bit gloomy after the Burnley defeat.

I think they are still missing that creative general in the middle of the park but if the timeless Scholes continues his good form, then there's no immediate panic. He's banned for this game though and Giggs will take his place in the center of the park. How these two veterans manage to put in such great performances is beyond most people and the latest rumor is that AC Milan are preparing a £50 million bid for 35 year old Giggs in the January window.

Jokes apart United are used to these type of games and know how to get a result. Playing at Old Trafford is an advantage and they will be keen to put City back in their place and reclaim the mantle of Kings of Manchester. Wayne Rooney is firing on all cylinders and despite his mini tantrum on Tuesday night he is predicted to put in a stellar performance yet again.

Hopefully Ferguson will play him with Berbatov and not opt for a negative 4-3-3 again, as he did against Arsenal. Darren Fletcher will again look to boss the midfield but the only downside is that Rio Ferdinand may not play. Jonny Evans is an excellent deputy though and is more than capable of filling in. United will prove too strong at home for City and will come out of an exciting game with maximum points.

Players to Watch
Carlos Tevez, if he plays, will have all eyes on him. He must be very charged up and would absolutely relish the chance of emulating the winning goal he scored at Old Trafford as a West Ham player before he became a Red Devil.
Wayne Rooney again will be at the midst of it all and Nemanja Vidic will have to marshal United's defense.
Another player to keep an eye on is Stephen Ireland of Man City. Ferguson is reportedly interested in bidding for him though the possibility of him making the move is very improbable.

Prediction
It will be an end to end game but City's lack of firepower will prove costly. There could be a red card or two involved but United are not title champions for three successive years for nothing. They will win the game 3-1.