Manchester United: 8 Reasons Man U Will Stand Atop the Standings at Season's End

Manchester United will be English champions at the end of the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League season.

The Red Devils moved one point ahead of arch-rival Manchester City with a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. On the same day, City lost 1-0 to Swansea and with 10 games remaining, the title race has become an all-Manchester affair.

United's one-point lead over the Blues is not the only advantage Sir Alex Ferguson's men have in the title race.

Here are eight reasons that Man U will win the club's 20th English championship this season.

8. The Youth Movement

A new crop of young players has emerged as productive members of the starting XI this year.

Danny Welbeck highlights the group, and his pace has caused problems for defenses across the Premiership. He has scored six times for his club this season.

On the defensive end of the pitch, Phil Jones has been impressive. The 20-year-old back came to Old Trafford before the season on a £16.5 million transfer fee from Blackburn. He has contributed at multiple positions, and has proved to be worth the price. 

Goalkeeper David De Gea, defender Chris Smalling and midfielder Tom Cleverley have all shown flashes of brilliance, but need time to improve.

Welbeck and Jones will play major parts in providing United with energy and athleticism to complement experienced players such as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand. The mixture of youngsters and veterans on the Man U roster is a championship recipe.  

7. Easy Schedule the Rest of the Way

Manchester United has a favorable schedule going forward in the 2011-12 Premier League season.

Their remaining fixtures are:

Mar 18	9:30 ET	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v	Manchester United	Molineux Stadium
Mar 26	3:00 ET	Manchester United	v	Fulham	Old Trafford
Apr 2	3:00 ET	Blackburn Rovers	v	Manchester United	Ewood Park
Apr 8	8:30 ET	Manchester United	v	Queens Park Rangers	Old Trafford
Apr 11	2:45 ET	Wigan Athletic	v	Manchester United	DW Stadium
Apr 15	11:00 ET	Manchester United	v	Aston Villa	Old Trafford
Apr 22	7:30 ET	Manchester United	v	Everton	Old Trafford
Apr 30	3:00 ET	Manchester City	v	Manchester United	Etihad Stadium
May 6	9:00 ET	Manchester United	v	Swansea City	Old Trafford
May 13	10:00 ET	Sunderland	v	Manchester United	Stadium of Light

The Manchester derby is United's only game against one of England's top seven teams. In addition, three of the five away matches are against teams in the bottom five of the league (Wolves, Wigan, Blackburn).

If the Red Devils can come away with points against Manchester City, the club should coast to the title.

6. City Faces Four Difficult Opponents

While Manchester United will face few quality opponents before the season ends, Manchester City will have to face the Red Devils, in addition to Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle.

Here are the remaining games for City.

Mar 21	3:45 ET	Manchester City	v	Chelsea	Etihad Stadium
Mar 24	1:30 ET	Stoke City	v	Manchester City	Britannia Stadium
Mar 31	10:00 ET	Manchester City	v	Sunderland	Etihad Stadium
Apr 8	11:00 ET	Arsenal	v	Manchester City	Emirates Stadium
Apr 11	2:45 ET	Manchester City	v	West Bromwich Albion	Etihad Stadium
Apr 14	7:45 ET	Norwich City	v	Manchester City	Carrow Road
Apr 22	11:00 ET	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v	Manchester City	Molineux Stadium
Apr 30	3:00 ET	Manchester City	v	Manchester United	Etihad Stadium
May 6	9:00 ET	Newcastle United	v	Manchester City	Sports Direct Arena
May 13	10:00 ET	Manchester City	v	Queens Park Rangers	Etihad Stadium

While three of the four difficult fixtures will be played at Etihad Stadium, the Blues' path to the championship features more obstacles than that of their crosstown rivals. One miscue could doom the team to second-class status in Manchester for yet another year.

5. They Won't Let City Win It

Sir Alex Ferguson and many of the Manchester United players are no strangers to title races, but they have never gone head-to-head with hated neighbor Manchester City.

The Blues' recent rise to prominence has only intensified the rivalry. After City signed Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez in 2009, Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson unleashed scathing comments that are indicative of the two sides' mutual disdain for one another.

"

"It's City isn't it? They're a small club with a small mentality. All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it. They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."

"When someone offers you that kind of money, it is a big attraction. That is the reason they have gone there. At the last minute, from what I can gather, either Emmanuel Adebayor or his agent phoned us after they had agreed a deal with City and then did the same with Chelsea. He was desperate to get to either Chelsea or us."

"

The heated rivalry will be an added source of motivation in the remaining games. United has an opportunity to win its record 20th league championship while also extending City's 44-year title drought.

4. No Champions League Games to Worry About

When Manchester United was shockingly eliminated in the group stages of Champions League, few fans thought that there could any silver lining in the club's blunder.

But now that just one point separates United and Manchester City in the Premiership, the players will be relieved to not have as many important matches on their calendars.

The Red Devils are still competing in Europa League, but an uninspiring performance in a 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao suggests that the players do not take these matches as seriously as UCL fixtures.

United's squad will be fresher than it has been in previous title races, making it even more likely that they will not relinquish their advantage over City.

3. The Return of Paul Scholes

After two consecutive losses in the Premiership, Manchester United brought legendary midfielder Paul Scholes out of retirement. The club has not lost a league match since he returned.

Many United supporters worried after Scholes' initial retirement, believing that no one of the squad could be effective in his role. Tom Cleverley's early form suggested that he could be an adequate replacement, but the youngster suffered an early injury.

The Red Devils midfield was lackluster for most of the season, and Scholes' play has revamped the group. His skills did not diminish during his extended break, and the 37-year-old's vision and touch are as sharp as ever.

He also brings veteran experience to the club, and his reliable play will be one of the major factors in the team's title run.

2. Wayne Rooney's Form

Wayne Rooney is hitting his stride at exactly the right time.

The 26-year-old striker has 29 goals on the season and four in his last two games. But his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has suggested a milestone to keep him motivated.

"

"If Wayne gets to 40 goals I will be absolutely delighted because we will be in business then."

"

Considering Rooney's form in recent matches, 11 goals in the next two months is within reach. 

He is one of the best players in the world, and if he continues playing at such a high level, the Red Devils will not be caught by Manchester City.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson's Tactics

Sir Alex Ferguson has won 12 Premier League titles and has also been named Premier League Manager of the Season 10 times—most in British history.

Ferguson's championships have not always come easy. Heading into April, United held less than a three-point lead, or was outside of first, in five of their 12 Premiership-winning seasons.

A closely contested title race is nothing new to the Scotsman. Decisions such as bringing back Paul Scholes and publicly challenging Wayne Rooney to finish the season with 40 goals are the mark of a great manager.

Ferguson's brilliance will be on display throughout the rest of United's EPL fixtures, and the long-time boss will be the Red Devils' greatest advantage against Manchester City.