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The All-Red Affair
Manchester United fans woke up on the morning of Wednesday the 27th of January at the top of the league and hoping they would put the Manchester City fans back in their place that evening.
All of this was enough to keep their minds off of the financial turmoil that is engulfing the club and threatening to drive a split between the fans and the club. With all of this going on, some of the other English Premier League games would have went un-noticed but the focus is always on at the action at the top.
This is why the preview is looking forward to the massive match at the Emirates on Sunday with United looking to complete a league double over Arsenal this season. Going into this evening’s fixtures, United were top, Arsenal were second and Chelsea were third. However, Chelsea’s 3-0 win at home to Birmingham put them back on top which means that the Emirates clash will not be a match between the top two in the country. In fact, Chelsea play on the Saturday meaning they have the opportunity to extend their current lead at the top but none of this will lessen the importance of the clash between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Chelsea - Back on Top
To be honest, even though Chelsea usurped United at the top of the English Premier League, United fans wouldn’t have cared less. At the same time, Manchester United were booking their place for the first Wembley final of the season. The Carling Cup may not be as illustrious as the League, the Champions League or the FA Cup but it is still a major tournament. Manchester United are the current holders of the League Cup after defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. The Red Devils will be keen to retain this trophy but that won’t be the only reason why their fans are still celebrating their Wednesday win.
Manchester City have suddenly became rivals of United again. Yes, they are local rivals but when it comes to the crunch for United fans, they generally don’t care too much about City. Liverpool, Leeds, Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea have been more troublesome for United with City seen as nothing more than an annoyance. Money changes everything and Manchester City are now mixing with the big boys. This was shown with the taking of Carlos Tevez from United and the ‘Welcome To Manchester’ banner that proclaimed Tevez was a blue.
Almost Extra Time at Old Trafford
United defeated City with an injury time winner in the League clash at Old Trafford and although they were leading 2-1 in this tie, this meant that the tie was level and extra time was looming. As on so many occasions this season, up popped Wayne Rooney and his header gave United a 3-1 victory that booked his sides trip to Wembley. The City fans were left gutted and now need to take the FA Cup if they want the banner which proclaims how long it has been since they won a trophy to be ripped up.
And United managed to cling to second spot with the news that Arsenal were unable to break the deadlock at Villa. Yes, the team who will be facing United in the Carling Cup final at the end of February gave their opponents a boost by preventing Arsenal from taking more than a point. Arsenal were by far the better team at Villa Park but a procession of chances, with Rosicky striking the bar being very notable, were squandered and saw Arsenal drop into third place. This means that Arsenal will be looking to take all three points to leapfrog United.
Arsenal Have Injury Concerns
One thing that will make the task harder for Arsenal is that Vermallen limped off in the first half against Villa with a broken leg. Yes, this is how hard the defender is, he was able to walk off with a broken leg. His absence will be a big loss for Arsenal but absolutely vindicates Arsene Wenger’s signing of Sol Campbell. The United strikers may be looking forward to attacking Campbell and seeing how rusty he is after his time out of the game but his experience may be enough to keep the Arsenal backline secure.The news about Vermallen may be equalled out by the fact that Manchester United may be without Rio Ferdinand for the clash on Sunday. Ferdinand was adjudged to have elbowed Forlan of Hull City at the weekend and was originally meant to miss out on the Carling Cup tie but Manchester United have appealed this. The appeal will be held before the weekend match so Ferdinand will know his fate on Thursday. If the FA deem that the appeal was frivolous and taken to allow Ferdinand to play in the Manchester derby, they can increase the amount of games the defender will miss. With Vidic still struggling with an injury, the United backline may actually be weaker than their Arsenal counterpart.
Fabregas and Rooney are Key Players
All of this means that defences may not be on top at the weekend and both sides have players who can cause serious damage. In fact, both clubs have a key player who is likely to be at the forefront of everything they do.
Cesc Fabregas has become a huge player for Arsenal and pulls the strings for the London club. If Fabregas plays well, Arsenal play well and the Spaniard influence will be needed to turn the game in favour of the home club. That said, Manchester United have the English player of the moment and if Wayne Rooney plays well, there is every chance that all three points will be coming North to Manchester.
It has been a big week for Wayne Rooney with 5 goals and a Wembley trip to look forward to but the expectation on the player continues to grow. Manchester United have struggled since letting Ronaldo move to Real Madrid but the Merseyside lad has done everything within his power to keep United at the top of the English game.
Sunday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium may not be the battle between the top two that it was looking like on Wednesday morning but it will still be a hugely vital match for the destination of the English Premier League.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
