Manchester Derby: City and United Meet to Decide EPL Title, Sort Of…
Title Decider? Manchester United leads Manchester City by three points, 83 to 80. City holds a six-goal advantage for the goal difference tie breaker, 60 to 54. If City wins they tie United on 83, and hold the lead by virtue of goal difference with two matches remaining. Those two matches left, though, are not equal.
City must travel to Newcastle (fighting for a Champions League place) and play QPR at home (fighting to avoid relegation). United faces Swansea at home and Sunderland away. Safe from relegation, neither has reason for exertion.
Man City could take the lead with a win, but that’s no guarantee they will win the race.
Reverse Fixture: Man City crushed Man U 6-1 at Old Trafford in October. The embarrassing defeat hurt United’s pride. It also may end up costing them the title on goal difference.
Form: Man U has has won just one of its last three matches, falling 1-0 away to Wigan on Apr. 11 and drawing 4-4 with Everton at home on Apr. 22. Since losing 1-0 to the Arsenal, Man City has found its form. The club thumped West Brom, Norwich and Wolves in their last three matches by a combined score of 12-1.
Historical Disparity: Manchester United has won 12 of the last 19 EPL titles. Manchester City last won the title in 1968, and last finished second in the top flight in 1977. Last year’s FA Cup Triumph was the club’s first trophy since 1976.
Numbers: Tickets for this match were going online for more than $3,500, around 40 times the asking price. Six hundred and fifty million globally are expected to watch. The match may account for $357 million in increased revenue for Manchester. The latter figures may be a tad exaggerated.
Prediction: 2-1 Manchester City.
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74 Responses to “Manchester Derby: City and United Meet to Decide EPL Title, Sort Of…”
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April 30th, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Safe from relegation, neither has reason for exertion.
Because fuck winning, that’s why.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:32 PM
I don’t like either team, but I am pulling hard for City for some reason.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Smalling, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Park, Giggs, Rooney.
Subs: Amos, Berbatov, Hernandez, Young, Welbeck, Rafael Da Silva, Valencia.
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, Clichy, Barry, Toure Yaya, Silva, Tevez, Nasri, Aguero.
Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Milner, Dzeko, Kolarov, De Jong, Balotelli.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:33 PM
Die.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Asteroid. Both teams. All that jazz.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
I’m pulling for city. It’s about time someone besides chelsea or Man U won the title.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
Playing smalling and park is quite the gamble. Also, dont know how scholes and giggs will handle City’s midfield
April 30th, 2012 at 2:37 PM
Anyone but Man U, and if that means rooting for Man City, so be it. Fuck Princess Fergie.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:39 PM
I don’t like that Evans and Valenica were left out, but Ferguson has one or two more trophies than I do.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:39 PM
While I can’t stand United at least they do things the right way. Pulling against Citeh is delaying the inevitable but I just can’t support their Football Manager ways when it comes to transfer fees and wages. I’d prefer to think there’s a bit more than buying players to winning titles.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
/fixed
//I think…
///could be wrong
April 30th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
That’s why Park is playing, to help out in the midfield.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Tevez, Nasri, Aguero
Ooof!! That’s a stacked line.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:41 PM
I’m pulling for Freddie Mercury’s corpse to awaken and to storm the field, strut around the field with a microphone stand which he then uses to kill each player on the field. He then eats their brains while taking a zombie dump on Alex Ferguson.
It could happen.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
You can definitely tell that I had to pause several times while writing comment 14….a busy day at work does not make for good comment syntax.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:43 PM
OVER-RATED!!
/Go Cit-eh!
April 30th, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Wow. You think United goes about it the “right way”? They’ve never bought titles? Never poached players from smaller clubs? Are they not in massive debt?
C’mon man, get real. Both clubs are just as evil as the other one. It’s just that Man U has been evil for lot longer so people are more used to them.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:44 PM
It’s really hard to cheer for United. It’s also very hard to cheer for City. Just give me an entertaining game.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Oh come on Kaiser, you know better than that.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Poor guy was doomed the moment the French media decided to call him the next Zidane.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
@cheesus, I get why he was picked but there is also a reason why he hasn’t started a game for United in 6 weeks because he has not been good this year. He usually does good in the big games though
April 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
Death, taxes and Der Kaiser bitching about big boy clubs spending like drunken sailors.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
Manchester United have spent large sums of money they earned through winning titles and gaining worldwide appeal. Sir Alex Ferguson is a tremendous manager. As for the debt, that was brought on by American owners, not the club.
Manchester United and Manchester City are not the same thing. Utd is the lesser of two evils.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
Inform me. What do I not know?
April 30th, 2012 at 2:47 PM
It’s the thought that counts.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:47 PM
Yes rambo, as an Arsenal fan I am fully aware of Park’s efficacy in big games. *needs a shower*
April 30th, 2012 at 2:47 PM
C’mon City, show them that new money does not always cry.
Uh here’s a link to Rosie O’Donnell tongue kissing Nancy Grace.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Poor guy was doomed the minute he was born a chinless lesbian-looking cunt.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:48 PM
I don’t get the hate for City. Weren’t they pretty much bottom feeders up until just a few years ago? Balotelli is a douche but the rest of the team seems ok.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:50 PM
Poor guy was doomed the moment the French media decided to call him the next Zidane.
It was mind boggling as to why Domenech didn’t pick him to be on the French squad for 2010.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:50 PM
People hate Citeh for the same reason they hate Chelsea. They only loathe Citeh less because they actually have long-suffering tremendous fans, whereas Chelsea’s “fanbase” is made up of prepubescent chav d-bags.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:50 PM
People always hate the Nouveau Riche. Their current success isn’t through merit, it was through an influx of insane wealth from the East.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Park will have a Kung-Fu grip on this game!
April 30th, 2012 at 2:51 PM
That is part of the reason why everyone dislikes City as they are the “new rich”.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Probably the $600 million in player salaries since the new ownership group took over four years ago.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Inform me. What do I not know?
It wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor
April 30th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
What is with people stating that City has a good fan base? They can’t even sell out their stadium for some of their games when they are going for a title. Granted they have better fans than Chelsea, but most teams do
April 30th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
For The Black Keys, fans.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Yeah, keep telling yourself that and maybe you will truly start to believe it. How have they “won titles and gained worldwide appeal”? By using solely homegrown players? Never compromising the financial structure? Never poaching talent from poorer clubs?
April 30th, 2012 at 2:54 PM
People always hate the Nouveau Riche. Their current success isn’t through merit, it was through an influx of insane wealth from the East.
Speaking of hating on the Noveau Riche who think their shit don’t stink.
Ahem.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:55 PM
still doesn’t make sense to me. I’m sure their fans are happy to have an owner that is willing to spend some money to win. That fan base had to put up with shit for decades, they deserve a good team.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
still doesn’t make sense to me. I’m sure their fans are happy to have an owner that is willing to spend some money to win. That fan base had to put up with shit for decades, they deserve a good team.
Why do they ‘deserve’ a good team? I was with you right up until that point.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
Anyone else think it’s weird that goal differential has more merit than your head to head record against a club? I get the argument that goal differential may be a better showcase of an entire season; I just don’t think it would be fair to not get 1st place in the event of a tie at season’s end if you have swept the other team, but have a worse goal differential.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
They’ve certainly done it in a much more sporting manner than Manchester City. After all what was it Alan Hansen said many years ago? You must just be looking for an argument if you really disagree that Utd aren’t “the lesser of two evils”.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:58 PM
It’s just like the Yankees vs the Angels.
April 30th, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Head-to-head should always be the first tie breaker. Say Man City wins, yet Man U beats the two shitty teams they play next 12-0 combined. Man U could win on goal differential even though Man City would have beaten them both times, including a 6-1 road win.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Like I said, you think your shit don’t stink because it sat out there for so long that it hardened and basically turned into fertilizer. Whereas, Man City’s dump is fresh and squishy and covered with flies.
Guess what, both are still shit.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:00 PM
I like the goal differential being the title decider personally, but I can see why you think the head to head would be a good decider as well.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:01 PM
Tell that to someone who is a fan of Blackpool, Leeds, or Aston Villa. It’s easy to hate people you compete with when they hit the lottery.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:02 PM
I’ll buy the “compromising financial structure”, but that’s on the Glazers, who have only been around since 2003. Find me a team that uses only home grown players and doesn’t buy from smaller clubs and can still compete in Europe.
Off to the bar for the first half. GGMU.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:02 PM
Sure, but can one shit smell worse than the other? Absolutely, and that’s the point I’m making.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:04 PM
If it’s a season sweep how can you say the other team isn’t the better side if they tie on points?
April 30th, 2012 at 3:05 PM
What better way is there to determine which team is superior? Each team hosts the other at some point during the season. If the record after these games is 1-1, then you go to goal differential.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:06 PM
It really does seem simple, doesn’t it?
April 30th, 2012 at 3:06 PM
I’d make the argument that it’s not about who’s better between the two clubs but who performed better against the league as a whole. A head to head still doesn’t exactly tell you that specific tale as far as goal differential will.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:08 PM
I can’t. That’s my whole point. All these “big clubs” are monopolies trampling on the little guy. I’m just saying it’s hilarious when a United fan has the gall to hold their nose because of what City are doing. Opposite sides of the same coin.
I root for Bayern. We do the exact same thing in Germany that United and City does in England. So, it’s not like I’m passing judgement against City or United. We’re all evil.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:09 PM
If each team has the same amount of season points, then yes, I can say that the team that swept the other team is in fact better, and that should be the first tie breaker.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:10 PM
Lemme just add that because team A beats team B doesn’t necessarily mean Team A is a better team. When given a choice I’ll always go for an indicator with the larger sample size.
I doubt anyone believes Iowa State is better than Oklahoma State to pick a college football upset from last season.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:10 PM
@kazzy- I still think goal differential is better because you have to play every team in order to win the title.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:14 PM
In my assumption, I’m not talking about who is “better” in regards to two teams. We are talking about who was the best team in terms of playing the entire league. A result of two games still doesn’t hold as much weight, imo, as a result, even after a tie in points, as a compilation of goals scored/against does.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:16 PM
Wow, Nasri creates a great chance.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:17 PM
To play off your Team A/Team B hypothetical….imagine you have a sick defensive squad (Team A), who consistently wins games 1-0 or 2-0. Then you have another team (Team B), which can put up goals by the boat-load. Team A swept Team B, but they ended the season with the same number of points. Team B had a better goal differential than Team A, because they put up 9-2 lines against teams like Blackburn and Wolves. You really gonna tell me Team B is the better club, even though Team A swept them in the season series?
Don’t give me that ISU vs. Ok St, or any other garbage CFB upset either. If I remember correctly, they didn’t play more than one game did they?
April 30th, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Typical United. Keep it tight, two banks of four, and counter to the wide areas with pace.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Putting up goals by the boat load is one feature of good teams after all the mission is to score goals. So its not entirely crazy to suggest Team B is better since their defense was also good enough to give them a superior goal diff.
Again your point is that you’d discount the result of one game head-to-head encounter but only if they played one more game that result could then decide the league title
April 30th, 2012 at 3:41 PM
By the way not to get too mathematical here but statistically speaking if Team A is better than Team B such that Team A is expected to win 2 out of 3 games they play you would have to play a mini of a best of 23 game series to determine the winner with statistical significance.
/Not my opinion just the statistical facts.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Not a valid comparison at all. ISU was not in contention for shit, and football doesn’t have anything remotely resembling the setup of the EPL.
No one is saying if Wigan had swept United they should be crowned champs. Now, if they swept United and were tied at the top of the table at the end of the season, then I think that your record against that other team you are tied with should count more than your goal differential.
April 30th, 2012 at 3:46 PM
KOMPANY!
April 30th, 2012 at 3:46 PM
Goal Man City
April 30th, 2012 at 3:46 PM
Chris Smalling with some horrendous marking!
April 30th, 2012 at 10:19 PM
CTID. Fergie finally gets his tactics wrong.
April 30th, 2012 at 10:20 PM
Also, Fergie starting up with Mancini over ‘influencing refs?’ hope he’s being ironic.
April 30th, 2012 at 11:44 PM
Nice pre-game post….but no post-game post? Only 650 million people watched the game? How does that compare to the stupid Redskins Draft post?
May 1st, 2012 at 9:07 AM
Hating on City is the new black. Having cheered City when they were shit, I make no apologies for their current success. Did they spend insane money to buy players? Absolutely. They had to play catchup. There’s no way to compete in EPL (same with other major sports that lack a salary cap) without spending. Those players still have to go out and win games, coaches still gotta coach; just throwing talented players on the pitch doesn’t insure success. To a neutral, City have been one of the more exciting and entertaining teams to watch this year, save for a couple months earlier this year. People hating on a team for spending money to be a legit contender has always struck me as one of the dumber reasons to hate a team.
May 1st, 2012 at 9:09 AM
I wish someone would buy Everton and give Moyes a pile of cash to work with; I’d love to see them in the top 4 someday.