Manchester City vs. Manchester United: 5 Things to Know About the Biggest Game in English Soccer

Sometimes in sports you get a story so compelling that it seems as if it can only have been scripted. The race for the 2011/12 English Premier League title has been one such story.

For five months it appeared as if Manchester City, with all of their new-money swagger and off field drama, had their first Premier League title in the bag. However, as the season started to reach its climax, City slipped up—a loss to Swansea City on March 11 handing the advantage to bitter crosstown rivals United, who snatched first place with what, according to the media at least, is one of their weakest squads in years.

The Reds took the opportunity, scoring twenty times on their way to winning six of their next eight games, while conceding just five goals (four of those coming in a single game, the 4-4 draw with Tim Howard's Everton).

Monday night sees the small matter of the Manchester Derby. Three points separate the two teams. A win for United would make it all but impossible for their rivals to catch up. A win for City and the two teams are level on points with two games remaining.

For any soccer fan, this is a must see game. Here are the five things you need to know.

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is the king of psyching out opponents, always knowing the perfect time to use the media to sow a seed of doubt or to pile the pressure on his opposite number—just ask former Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan.

Roberto Mancini, the man charged with leading City to their first title, is having to spend as much time dealing with questions about United and Sir Alex as he is about his own team, and the pressure is starting to show.

A couple of weeks ago, after losing to Arsenal, Mancini told reporters that City were still able to catch United. The following week, after a victory, he told the same reporters that the title race was over, and it was impossible to catch United. In a press conference this week, he predicted his team would lose the big game on Monday.

The mixed messages are bound to be having an effect on the confidence of Mancini’s players, and will definitely be bringing a wry smile to the face of Ferguson, but will they make a difference come Monday afternoon? We’ll have to wait and see.

For those who don’t know the story of Carlos Tevez, here’s a brief summary: Argentinian star joins Manchester United in controversial circumstances and becomes cult hero, helping United win two Premier League titles, a League Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2007/8 UEFA Champions League.

After a lengthy contact dispute, Tevez decides to leave United for City, causing uproar among United fans and jubilation among City followers. He quickly becomes a fan favorite and club captain, before asking for a transfer and changing his mind several times over. Some months later, he refuses to come on as a substitute in a key Champions League game, and is suspended by the club and told he’ll never play for City again.

Well, now he’s back for City (after a few months in Argentina perfecting his golf game) and in top form, heading into a crucial game against his former side. Don’t bet against him grabbing the headlines on Monday, one way or the other.

Monday’s game takes place at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, where City are unbeaten this season. Roberto Mancini’s side have won sixteen of their eighteen home games, scoring 51 goals and conceding just 10 along the way. Home advantage then, surely? Against any other team, yes, but United are the EPL’s best away team, losing just twice away from home all season.

Something has to give. Will it be City’s incredible goal scoring form at home? Or will United’s impressive record away from Old Trafford finally end?

Recent form suggests United should be the more confident of the two: They are unbeaten in their last three trips to the Etihad, while City haven’t scored at home against United for 329 minutes.

For all of their headline grabbing, wonder goal scoring strikers, it is the midfield men of both sides that will be key to victory on Monday, and in the race to the title.

City’s potential midfield of David Silva, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, and Gareth Barry would give them a solid balance of controlling ball winners and creative playmakers—with Silva holding the key to unlocking United’s solid defence.

Last week against Everton, United’s midfield duo of Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick were constantly hounded by Phil Neville and Darron Gibson, leaving Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar to go straight at United’s shaky defence. If the same happens on Monday, Silva and Nasri are the perfect players to take advantage and create opportunities for Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.

United are not the kind of team to sit back and let that happen, though. In Antonio Valencia and Nani, they have their own pair of quick, tricky playmakers, and while Scholes and Carrick didn’t have their finest outing against Everton, they are more than capable of playing the killer ball for Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck.

In Rooney, they also have a striker who isn’t afraid of dropping deeper into midfield and taking control of the game, and let us not forget, United also benefit from Ashley Young’s unique ability to earn free kicks and penalties for his side.

The benefit, coming into games like this, of being nineteen time league champions is that you have guys who have been there and done it before, many times. Manchester United benefit from having veterans of several title winning sides (Ryan Giggs has won the EPL twelve times with United, Paul Scholes ten); even younger members of the squad like 26-year-old Wayne Rooney have four winner’s medals in the trophy cabinet.

City won’t benefit from having that group of seasoned, championship hardened veterans. Only Tevez (with United), Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure (both Arsenal) have experienced getting a team across the line.