It was ominous as it said so much about United. For a long period Tottenham looked the better side but they never looked like scoring. That is what is so good about United’s defence. They are able to absorb pressure and hit teams on the counter attack.
Yesterday they got goals through Rooney, and two brilliant strikes from Ashley Young. It was another win against a major rival. Already in 2011 United have beaten Arsenal and Tottenham away, come back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Chelsea in a game they dominated, and done for Liverpool too. Ironically it was Newcastle who beat them 3-0. But all that is done with. United now have just City left of their major title rivals. And though they lost 6-1 at home earlier this season, they weren’t five goals worse. They were one or two goals worse on the day after getting the tactics wrong; and when behind they decided to go for broke and naively allowed themselves to be hit on the counter attack.
But that happens to United on occasion. They have lost 5-0 to Chelsea and Newcastle in the Premier League era too, but have done for both. You’d bet on them doing the same to City at the end of the season, with their far superior experience and know how.
Up next are West Brom at home, then Wolves, Fulham, Blackburn, QPR, Wigan and Aston Villa. Then comes a home game against Everton and the City clash, and those appear to be their only two really difficult tests left. Everton are at home so you’d expect a United win, and then the last two games are at home to Swansea, who may have nothing to play for, and away to Sunderland, who probably will also have nothing to play for.
By contrast City go to Swansea and a match few have come away with all three points from next week, then face Chelsea, Stoke, Sunderland, Arsenal, West Brom, Norwich, Wolves, United, Newcastle and QPR. A Chelsea team without Villas Boas desperate for the Champions League, as are Arsenal, will make for two exceptionally difficult games as will the visit to Newcastle in May. United have to be overwhelming favourites.
It would be surprising were United not to take 28 points from their 33 remaining at least. By contrast, City would do well to take 25, and there are two points between the sides. Factor in that United have more experience, and they must surely be the favourites. City will run them close, clearly, and Roberto Mancini knows how to see out a title race. But it is hard not to see them becoming more defensive, and signs have shown they may do that already. That is what happened last year when they were trying to close out a Champions League place. But fighting for the title is different and you need to go for all three points and not just go for one to win the league. United know that, and are so good at it. City have much to prove. Ferguson must be feeling unusually relaxed given that United are two points off the top with 11 games to go. He would be right to, a well.
