The Importance of the Manchester Derby

Article first published as The Importance of the Manchester Derby on Technorati.
The Red and Blue sides of Manchester Square off this Weekend With Manchester City hoping to gain ground on Manchester United.

by Rhydon Atzenhoffer
February 10, 2011

Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devil's were shocked last weekend in a surprise defeat to bottom table club Wolves. The Manchester club was not the only top four team to get shocked as Arsenal suffered a shocking draw to the hands of Newcastle United after being 0-4 up at halftime at St. James Park. A Red Card to Bacary Sanga saw the Gunners reduced to 10-men and the Magpies took full advantage.

Doyle Gives Wolves the Lead. PA Photos

Chelsea fell to a stalwart of a Liverpool side stifling the debut of former Red Fernando Torres. The only top team to take advantage of the other toppling in shockers was Manchester City. The Citizens cruised to a 3-0 victory over possibly relegation bound West Brom. The Baggies just could stave off the attack.

As the weekend comes into view, the Red Devils face an enemy that has been growing hungrier and hungrier for their success. Carlos Tevez has been on a rampage, David Silva is beginning to adjust to the English Premier League, and new signing Edin Dzeko has looked a fresh face in attack. With most of their dead weight cleared out on loan, the Blue side of Manchester is rising.

Despite their defeat Manchester United still top the table at 54 points from 25 games with a game in hand on the Citizens who sit third with 49 points from 26. Between them stands 50 point Arsenal also on 25 games who face Wolves this weekend, and it is no doubt that they will be on the hunt for a second Premiership scalp in hopes of saving their season from relegation.

If United a victorious it will see them go eight points clear of Man City, and seven points clear of the Gunners in the first games of the weekend setting the tone. However, if Tevez and crew can pull off an upset of the Red Devils at Old Trafford it would make huge waves towards their chance of winning the League with 11 games to go, and only two points to make up.

Tevez Desires Vital Win

Tevez, a former United player, knows all to well that a loss could give the Red Devils all the advantage they need to see out the season and take their 19th Title giving them the most championships of any English Club eclipsing Liverpool whom they are tied with at 18.

"There are still many points left but to give an eight, nine or 10-point advantage to United is to say goodbye to our chances." Tevez said of what a loss could imply if the Citizens were not to emerge victorious.

A Red Devils defeat could signal the beginning of a changing of the guard in Manchester if the Citizens have anything to do with it, and this match will more than likely set the tone for the weekend. If it is to run any chance of being as interesting and as exciting as last weeks match days, we are in for one hell of a ride starting with the Manchester Derby Saturday morning.