Predictor players agree - 75.6% of you plumping for a City win with just 9.45% of players believing QPR can pull off a shock that would renew Sir Alex Ferguson's interest in the title.
Here are my predictions for all 10 top flight games.
Play MSN Sport's Football Predictor game to see if you can guess right.Red v blue, top v second, Tevez v Ferguson – however you want to look at it this is the game that everyone has been waiting for.
The 30 April has been pencilled in the diary for a long time now as the title decider and finally the day of destiny has arrived.
In fact, it might not quite dictate where the trophy ends up especially if City come out on top, because they have a potentially difficult trip to Newcastle still to play, but it will have a huge bearing.
In a season of twists and turns, it's almost impossible to predict the outcome of this game. United and City have faced each other three times already this campaign and have produced three magnificent matches full of incident and goals.
The Reds came out on top 3-2 in both the Community Shield and the FA Cup whilst the Blues had that thumping 6-1 win at Old Trafford.
There are also a number of interesting side issues attached to this fixture that only add to the anticipation.
If City don’t win and ultimately finish second in the league, will Roberto Mancini still be at the club next year? Remember Pep Guardiola is now waiting in the wings! If City do win, does this mean a changing of the guard in Manchester and the Premier League?
Both clubs were accused of desperation in bringing back Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez yet have been vindicated in their decisions by their performances. Will one of those two have the final say in the title race?
A cagey affair?
With so much at stake I expect this to be a much cagier affair than we have seen in their previous meetings, and for that reason, albeit with very little conviction, I am going for a 1-1 draw.
The Red Devils don’t need to win the game so I fancy Sir Alex will ask Wayne Rooney to play slightly deeper to make a midfield three, particularly when out of possession, but be given license to join in with Welbeck (with whom he has established a good understanding) when they break.
If United do indeed decide to be a bit more defensive then it is important that they retain a threat going forward. The pace on the flanks and Rooney's ability to link midfield and attack should ensure that.
City have to win and will go top on goal difference if they do. Surely that means Mancini will pick an offensive starting eleven and try and get at the opposition from the off.
I know Balotelli is available after his ban but the best he can hope for is a place on the bench. The partnership of Aguero and Tevez has proved fruitful so there is no need to change that. The big decision I feel Mancini has to make is whether to go with both Nasri and Silva out wide.
The option is to go with the harder working but slightly less creative Milner instead. I think he may go with Milner ahead of Nasri to start and have the guile in reserve if needed.
Individual battles
It is important in any game to win your individual battles and there are some really key match-ups that could help decide the outcome of this fixture. Here are a few I think will could be crucial.
Rooney v Kompany
Wayne Rooney has been United's best player this year. His selfless running and willingness to play in whatever position he has been asked has been impressive as has his tally of goals. His temperament has improved as well - illustrated by the fact he has yet to receive a yellow card in the league this season.
However, he faces the biggest challenge of any forward when he faces Vincent Kompany tonight. He has been outstanding and led City brilliantly this year. Strong and reliable, great reading of the game and a good turn of pace mark him out as the best defender in the division in my book.
Tevez and Aguero v Ferdinand and Evans
The partnership of Tevez and Aguero has clicked immediately and has been the main reason City have got themselves back in the hunt for the title.
Tevez also has the extra motivation of putting one over his former employers.
United have at times been prone to conceding goals in bursts demonstrated by last week's salvo by Everton. That will concern the manager but I think Ferdinand and Evans - if fit - will both start.
Rafael, who was at fault for at least two of those goals, could well be sacrificed at right-back though.
Smalling may come back in to give United extra height at set-pieces.
Scholes v Yaya Toure
Both have a huge influence on how their team plays.
Scholes has been superb since returning to the side and has yet to be on the losing side in the league since his retirement. He is the man United will look at to keep possession and dictate their tempo.
But he will have to keep a close eye on the rampaging runs of Toure. The Ivorian was sorely missed whilst on African Cup of Nations duty and although not at his best since his return he remains a key figure with his strength, energy and natural ability.
I for one can’t wait for the first whistle and the action to get underway. I know I have gone for a draw but, to be honest, anything could happen. I would love to hear your thoughts on what is the most eagerly anticipated match for years. I hope it doesn’t disappoint! Enjoy.
The choice of Roy Hodgson as the likely next England manager has been made firmly with an eye on the long-term. Quite rightly England aren’t among the favourites for the Euros - there are at least three better sides - and Hodgson’s probably not the man you would turn to for a miracle – that’s not his style. Instead he is a safe pair of hands; someone the FA know will work with their School of Excellence; someone who will build a team that has the consistency to compete with the best; and someone who will use the resources available to him to their maximum.
From that perspective, his early squad and team selections will be interesting: will he pair up Rio and John Terry, Lampard and Gerrard or will he bring in some fresh faces? I don’t think he needs to worry about the backing of the players. Of course, when the journalists asked if they’d like to work with Harry, they said ‘yes’, but if they’d been asked the same question about Roy they would have given the same answer, I have no doubt. They’ll just want to play and win with their country.
For me, though, I make no bones that I would have picked Harry: I’ve worked with him a lot and enjoyed it. He’s a brilliant motivator who also works much harder on the training ground than people give him credit for. But most importantly he always plays to win and to win in style.
I think especially with the ‘Golden Generation’ that England have had, which really risks turning into the ‘Lost Generation’, a man-manager who creates unity and a winning attitude just what they needed.
However, Roy has an excellent CV, and a truly top class record. He’s managed in different countries, he speaks a number of languages, he’s managed Inter, one of the world’s biggest clubs and he’s also led international teams, achieving real success with Switzerland in particular.
Then in England he did brilliantly to take Fulham through the Europa League and he saved West Brom from relegation last year.
The one blot on his career was his unfortunate departure from Liverpool. The truth is he didn’t get much of a chance at Anfield where he wasn’t given the time to develop a team. Quite simply, from the fans’ perspective he wasn’t Kenny. So when he didn’t win every game he found himself very quickly isolated.
Hopefully, expectations from the England support won’t be quite as high, given the disastrous build-up to the tournament. But the worry for the FA is that this time he might face the same challenge that confronted him at Liverpool: he’s just not Harry.
As a child dreaming of becoming a footballer, perhaps the most common phrase I heard from coaches was '95% attitude, 5% ability'.
Those words came back to me last night as I witnessed Chelsea reach the Champions League final after beating all the odds to overcome Barcelona.
Coming up to half-time it looked as though all was lost. The captain John Terry had been sent off, his defensive partner Gary Cahill had departed due to injury and they were two goals behind.
At this stage everything that could go wrong had. Then Ramires gave them a lifeline and Torres completed the job with a breakaway goal in the dying moments.
In between those two goals was a heroic defensive performance built on pure determination.
I understand those that say this was a triumph for 'ugly' football. The way Chelsea set up preventing any space behind them meant that Barcelona were basically keeping possession outside the 18-yard box and going from side to side without being able to penetrate the wall of white shirts in front of them.
At times watching the game I was getting frustrated so I can only imagine how the Barca players felt. But you can’t always win playing the beautiful game and this was the way for Chelsea to win.
Barca are technically superior and were always going to have more of the ball but you just have to accept that and keep patient and disciplined.
I never played for one of the so-called top sides and therefore there were many weeks we would come up against teams better than us. That meant that, like Chelsea last night, we had to be organised and everyone had to do their job right for us to get a result.
The game last night reminded me of numerous training sessions I have taken part in over the years of attack v defence. We would line up with a back four and a midfield four and for 45 minutes or so defend against wave after wave of attacks.
The hardest thing to do in football is score a goal and it’s amazing how many times we came off the training field having not conceded.
The key is communication, keeping your shape, making sure the distance between each unit is right and not being dragged out of position.
It is one thing doing it in practice but quite another doing it in the biggest game of your life. The adrenaline that circulates your body and the pressure of the situation make it more difficult to keep your discipline.
You sometimes chase balls that you know you can’t win or go to ground when you should stay on your feet. John Terry allowed that pressure to get the better of him but his team-mates didn’t.
They did all the things needed to be difficult to beat and did them to perfection.
I honestly didn’t expect Chelsea to be celebrating this morning but you have to admire their courageous display in adversity. They say you work a lot harder without the ball and they didn’t have a lot of it!
As well as the physical demands, mentally the game would have drained the players. The level of concentration needed to get that result was huge. You also need a bit of luck and no-one can begrudge them that purely for their work-rate.
As for Barca, you have to feel a degree of sympathy. Defeat shouldn’t detract from the fact that they are quite simply the best club side I have ever seen.
Perhaps over the two games they weren’t at their brilliant best but they still had around 75% of the ball. They also hit the woodwork in both matches and Messi of all people missed a vital penalty.
Barcelona are a team for the purists and I enjoy watching them as much as anybody. I've talked about attitude and ability and I think as a club they have both in abundance.
Over the two legs, the Catalans may have won the ability battle but Chelsea just edged them when it came to having the will to win.
Bill Shankly once famously said – “Football isn’t a matter of life and death – It’s far more important than that.”
With the financial rewards so great at the top level winning has become more important than at any other time. Players will do everything they can to be victorious and will often tread a fine ethical line to come out on top.
Diving has been very much in the spotlight this week with Ashley Young earning spot kicks in consecutive weeks with extravagant falls to the floor, but that isn’t the only form of cheating…
We have seen in recent seasons numerous occasions when players have crossed the boundary and prospered with their actions. Manuel Neuer and Roy Carroll were well aware that shots from Frank Lampard and Pedro Mendes had crossed their goal-line but continued play as if they hadn’t. Thierry Henry handled the ball against the Republic of Ireland which meant his country France progressed to the World Cup at the expense of the Irish. And at that World Cup Luis Suarez saved with his hands on the line against Ghana which ultimately led to Uruguay marching on to the semi-finals. And what of last week when Juan Mata wheeled away celebrating his ‘ghost’ goal against Spurs at Wembley in the FA Cup. Is that not a form of cheating?
I would suggest that, albeit varying degrees, they all fall into the category of breaking the rules to benefit. But how do we clamp down on this behaviour and what can be done to prevent players beating the system?
Well, it looks as though goal-line technology will eventually be introduced to the Premier League, although maybe not for the start of next season. A couple of systems are being trialed and hopefully they will pass the required tests to be considered for immediate use. That is certainly a step in the right direction. It will come too late for Spurs and maybe also for QPR who were the victims of a goal not given when Clint Hill had a header cross the line against Bolton, but incidents such as the goal that never was from Juan Mata should never happen again.
I would certainly be an advocate of retrospective punishment for diving although I realise that it’s a difficult one to judge at times because even minimum contact has the capacity to bring down an opponent. Also players can anticipate contact or try to avoid reckless tackles and go down without necessarily looking for a foul. It is not easy for example to categorically say that the penalty Ashley Young won against Aston Villa was a dive by the player. Was he caught? Yes. Did he go down theatrically? Yes. He made far more of it than he needed to but I still feel it was a foul.
When Andy Carroll went down against Newcastle with no contact whatsoever, that is an easy one to decide on. A panel of ex-professionals should sit every Monday to discuss individual cases and I think a three game ban for a first offence is a good place to start.
I also feel that in the age of technology that we now live in the time has come for a third referee in the stand who the on-field ref can utilise at his call for confirmation or help on certain decisions. It is a system already used in cricket and rugby to good effect and in my opinion wouldn’t impact on the flow of the game. It may not be 100% foolproof but would mean that more decisions are correct than currently is the case.
Perhaps, we shouldn’t be too quick to judge. It’s amazing how as fans we don’t mind so much if one of our own players is guilty of trying to bend the rules to win and yet we are quick to condemn an opposition player if they try to do it. I think we all flout the rules at some time in our lives. Take driving for example. Have you never gone over the speed limit, gone through a red light or used your mobile phone when at the wheel?
These are all difficult things to fully eradicate from everyday life and I think football is the same. Totally stripping the game of cheating is never going to happen and the process of eliminating instances of individuals doing whatever it takes to win will be a slow one. Players will always tread that line between right and wrong but the more we can do to get things right surely the better.
Does anybody seriously think that Chelsea can beat Barcelona and progress to the Champions League final?
I honestly don’t think too many of you will have answered that question in the affirmative. And why would you? This current Barcelona side are the greatest I have ever seen and have the best player in the world in Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid, who are above Barca in La Liga, have tried and failed to beat them on five occasions this season and have only one victory against the Catalans in their last 14 attempts.
Manchester United, who are 25 points ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League, were demolished by Barca in last year's Champions League final.
All of this points to a comfortable victory for Barca and I see no reason to disagree with Jose Mourinho, who suggests they are not only favourites but “super-favourites” to reach the final in Munich.
However, having watched Barcelona in La Liga and in the Champions League, I feel there are six key things Chelsea must do if they are to cause the Catalan giants some serious problems.
Get the job done at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea’s record at home in Europe this season is very impressive. Despite visits from the likes of Valencia, Napoli and Benfica, they have won all five games, scoring 16 goals and conceding just two.
The trip to the Camp Nou is a daunting one at the best of times but when you consider Barca are unbeaten in over 50 games there, you have got to think that Chelsea must take at least a two-goal lead away with them.
Somehow stop Messi
The man is a genius. Pure and simple. Barcelona are a fabulous side anyway but with him in the team they are great. He has scored 61 goals in 52 matches in all competitions this year so he needs special attention.
I would be tempted to man-mark him as he can often be the difference in tight games and I think Ramires would be perfect for the job.
He has got a great engine and is mobile enough to stick with him. I realise there is quality throughout the team but Messi is a match-winner who needs to be shadowed.
Play narrow and compact
Barcelona are brilliant at keeping the ball and waiting for the opposition to switch off. They like to play through teams centrally with short intricate passes so it is important that Chelsea play narrow and compact and keep their shape.
There will be a big onus on the central midfielders to sit in front of the back four and stop balls into the feet of Messi in particular. If they are going to allow anybody to be spare then let that be out wide. With Chelsea’s height they would prefer to deal with crosses into the box rather than deal with balls into feet in the final third.
Make the most of set-pieces
Chelsea have a distinct physical advantage over Barcelona, especially in terms of height, so they must make the most of any set-pieces they are awarded.
Pique and Puyol apart, Barca are a small side so good delivery into the area is important. It may be worth sacrificing whoever Pique and Puyol decide to mark by taking them away from the area you are going to hit allowing that space for the others to attack.
Play with pace on the counter-attack
It is vital that when Chelsea do get a chance to break that they do it with pace.
Because Barca have so much of the ball they over-commit bodies forward and often Dani Alves is the most attacking player. That leaves them short at the back and vulnerable to the counter-attack if they do happen to lose the ball, which admittedly is not often.
So when Chelsea do get the opportunity to go forward they have to do it quickly before their opponents have a chance to retreat and regroup, and because they lack any real speed at the back.
Prioritise the Champions League
Chelsea face a hugely-congested fixture list through to the end of the season so, to give themselves the best opportunity to progress in the Champions League, they will have to put that competition to the top of their list of priorities.
Having come through an FA Cup semi-final three days before the first leg, the Blues then play Arsenal in the race for the top 4 in the Premier League prior to the second leg.
It will be impossible for the same team to play all four games to the maximum level required so the squad will have to be utilised.
It’s no secret that Chelsea will have to be at their very best and Barcelona will have to be well below par for the Blues to have any chance of progressing. However, over 90 minutes at the Bridge, I think they are capable of getting a good result.
The fact that this fixture is over two legs makes life far more difficult and that's why I tip Barca to come out on top. For Chelsea to win they are going to need to play the game of their lives – twice!
Do you think Chelsea can reach the final? Let me know your thoughts.
The destination of the Premier League title took a step towards the red half of Manchester after the latest round of fixtures but it is still all to play for and there are going to be plenty of twists and turns before the season is out.
The race for the Champions League spots continues to intrigue with Newcastle and Chelsea doing their best to hang on to the coat-tails of Arsenal and Spurs although the North London clubs remain favourites to occupy third and fourth come the end of the campaign.
All of this promises to deliver a fantastic conclusion to this year’s Premier League but the most excitement will come from the relegation battle where as many as six clubs are fighting for survival and just a point separates Bolton in 16th and Wigan in 19th.
Sadly I have been in this position a couple of times and I can assure you it is not nice. There is a huge amount of pressure to get results and that can have a detrimental effect. We saw last weekend at Wolves, Wayne Hennessey and Roger Johnson confront each other face to face and that is a sign that the tension is mounting. The most important thing in this situation is that the group stays united and everyone pulls in the same direction. That goes for the supporters as well. This is the time that the team needs help the most and any grumblings from the terraces are certainly felt on the pitch.
Invariably you are at the bottom of the table because performances have not been good enough which means confidence is generally low. It isn’t easy but you have to stand up and be counted, try and be as relaxed as possible and every player has to want the ball. This is a time for fighters – you cannot afford to carry anyone.
Relegation itself has a massive effect on a club. The difference in revenue between the Premier League and the Championship is huge. I know there are the parachute payments that go some way to alleviate that issue but in all honesty not all clubs are prepared for going down.
I was relegated with Ipswich the season after we finished 5th! When you go down your pride takes a hit. You feel as though you have let down the supporters and that can weigh heavily on you. It also leads to the inevitable redundancies amongst the staff and that too is difficult to stomach.
So which of the clubs do I think will go down this year. I’ll start from the bottom and work my way up the table by giving an assessment of each teams chances of survival and then make a prediction at the end. See if you agree…
Wolves look doomed. I mentioned the spat between Johnson and Hennessey earlier and that doesn’t bode well. They have the worst defensive record in the division, are six points from safety and have the worst goal difference as well. The decision to sack Mick McCarthy was ill-judged and it looks to me as though the gap is too difficult to bridge.
Wigan are capable of producing surprise results and have been in good recent form. They have looked tighter at the back which has given them a chance but they have a difficult fixture list and don’t score enough goals. They created an amazing amount of chances against Stoke but didn’t convert them and seem unable to kill teams off.
Conversely, Blackburn do have the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. Yakubu has 14 league goals and Junior Hoilett has looked a real threat as well. It has been a tough year off the pitch but the players do appear to be together and importantly fighting for the manager.
Q
PR have had disciplinary problems and my first thought was that that might cost them. However, it may also help. Because of Cisse’s suspension it has meant Mark Hughes has been able to change his formation allowing Adel Taarabt a free role and in victory against Arsenal he gave his best performance of the season. They have picked up a couple of vital wins at home but still have four of the top five to play.
Bolton seem to have been inspired by the Fabrice Muamba incident at White Hart Lane, demonstrated by the fact they have won three in a row, with boss Owen Coyle picking up the Manager of the Month award. Despite this run of form though they are still in trouble and have work to do.
Aston Villa have been in freefall lately and have missed the presence of Richard Dunne at the back and the goals of Darren Bent up front. They have a buffer of five points between themselves and the relegation zone and that may well be enough with a reasonable looking run-in.
Like the title race there will be twists and turns but at this stage I predict Wolves, Wigan and QPR to be the unfortunate sides to go down.
Do you agree?
After spending close to £115 million in just over a year in charge, the remit for Kenny Dalglish was to finish in the top four and achieve qualification for the Champions League. With that as the guideline - he has failed.
Liverpool finished last season 22 points off the eventual winners Manchester United and after their spending spree in the summer were expected to go much closer this time around. As it stands they are currently 13 points outside the top four and a massive 31 points off the Red Devils. Their form in the league since the turn of the year has been very poor and if it continues they are in danger of slipping further down the table.
The Carling Cup success has bought Dalglish some time but it shouldn’t mask the fact that serious work needs to be done at Anfield. If you compare their squad to the two Manchester clubs for instance, then you have to say they are not good enough to win the title. I would say they are five players short of challenging for a Champions League place, let alone the title. On any given day, they are more than capable of beating the top teams - but not on a consistent basis which you need to win the league.
Because of the huge amount of money spent on players, the signings he has made have come under scrutiny and I think it’s fair to say so far few have delivered the sort of performances expected of them. There have been exceptions. I think Jose Enrique at £6 million has represented real value for money and has been very good but even he in recent weeks has let his standards drop. Craig Bellamy on a free transfer was an astute signing despite his fitness issues and Luis Suarez is undeniably a fantastic talent.
Matt HollandFormer Republic of Ireland midfielder Matt Holland talks all things football from the Premer League to the grass roots.
