Anyone who witnessed the avalanche of goals that led to a scoreline as jaw dropping as Manchester United 1, Manchester City 6 will not easily forget the emotions that swirled around a momentous derby match earlier this season. Now magnify them. Multiply them. For something very intense is on its way next week as Manchester’s heavyweights rendezvous again. If the contest in October redefined the rivalry, this one looks set to define the outcome of the Premier League title. Sir Alex Ferguson reckons he has never come across such a significant derby situation, describing it as a duel “of amazing proportions.”
That such a scenario exists, just a couple of weeks after Roberto Mancini declared the race “finished” as City’s manager digested a defeat which left his team trailing such experienced trophy hunters by eight points, sums up a season in English football that has been magnificently unpredictable.
Even so, there were not many people who woke up on Sunday morning expecting anything other than another successful season at the summit for Manchester United.
There were certainly plenty of believers around Old Trafford who had already been tempted by the t-shirts embossed with a 20th league title. Many a pundit had already pronounced the Premier League outcome a foregone conclusion. Mancini’s declaration that the race was over not so long ago, metaphorically waving a white flag as City’s form floundered, seemed to back up this notion.
With ten minutes to go at Old Trafford against Everton, and United in a position of apparent comfort with a 4-2 lead and a chance for a fifth that smacked against a post, few imagined the sudden lurch which was about to send a tremor beneath the city of Manchester. All in the United garden seemed rosy. The celebratory songs were being aired. Sir Alex Ferguson could offer regal waves to the crowd and share a joke with the officials.
Ten minutes later Ferguson’s face was a picture of fury. Wayne Rooney marched off the pitch shaking his head in disbelief. The United supporters were flattened. Everton’s two late uppercuts didn’t so much knock United out in terms of the title race - they still have it in their own hands – but they did leave the Red Devils badly bruised and dizzy. Fergie later admitted he was “in a state of shock”.
United have started limping at the worst possible moment and have now dropped five points against Wigan and Everton over the same period that City have regrouped from their own slump. They have recovered from the defeat at Arsenal which prompted Mancini to verbally give the title to United, winning three consecutive matches and rediscovering their penetration.
Of course, it is possible that Mancini was being far cleverer than anyone would have dared to give him credit for, and played the cutest of mind games just as he was being derided for engaging in psychological battles with Ferguson with apparent clumsiness. "You all wrote the title race was finished," he mused pointedly to the assembled journalists in the aftermath of a day that re-ignited City’s ambitions. "Seven days ago, the race was finished. You wrote it."
City’s recovery has coincided with Carlos Tevez returning to bring sharpened focus to their attack. By the time the United game comes around, Mario Balotelli will be back in the fold after serving his suspension. Could it be that the players whose complexities seemed to undermine City’s campaign could yet be the making of it? You couldn’t make it up, could you?
It certainly promises to be a fascinating week as anticipation, pressure and nerves crank up. Mancini played his first hand in an intriguing way, by strolling off the pitch after City had dispatched Wolves and reduced the gap at the top to three points (City also have a better goal difference). We expected a battle cry. The Italian was coolness personified. His delivery was deadpan as he said that United remained favorites.
"I don't think they have pressure," he said, "because they are used to it every year. For us, it's different because it's the first time. At the moment, we don't have any pressure because we are not expected to win. Only one team can win this title. It's not in our hands. We have three points less. After the derby we play Newcastle who are fighting for the Champions League and QPR who are fighting relegation.”
They certainly look like the more challenging fixtures compared to United’s menu of Swansea at home and Sunderland away, who have neither relegation nor Europe on their minds.
The fascinating thing is that both Manchester clubs are currently in control of their own destiny. If either of them can win all their remaining games they will be champions. As Ferguson said: "There has been an expectancy from City that this could be their decider, but it's our decider too."
It is going to be some showdown next Monday.
