Manchester Derby 2012: Pressure on Manchester United to Deliver EPL Title

Manchester United, sitting atop the English Premier League table...again.

At Manchester City, the "noisy neighbors," the expensive upstarts who haven't won a title in England's First Division in more than four decades.

In a match at City's Etihad Stadium that may well decide who hoists the Premiership trophy at season's end.

It's a dream scenario, as much for the Premiership as for United.

Wait...a dream for United? How do you figure?

Of course, United! If there's any club in England that can and knows how to handle the rigors of a title race, it's Sir Alex Ferguson's. After all, they've been crowned kings of the EPL 12 times since Fergie took over in 1986, including last year's and four of the last five.

On the other hand, Roberto Mancini, Fergie's counterpart across town, has spent much of the season downplaying City's title chances, trying to relieve his players of the pressure that comes with competing for silverware.

It's not a poor tactic, of course, considering his side's relative lack of experience. However, Mancini's mind games speak to the well-understood deficit of prestige between the two derby rivals, a gap that Sheikh Mansour has spent lavishly to bridge in much shorter order than what such a project would normally require.

Pressure has clearly been an issue for City, too. Despite sporting the most talented roster from top to bottom in the league, the Sky Blues struggled to stick around in Europe or either of their domestic cup competitions and have encountered rough patches in league play.

None more damaging than a stretch between mid-March and early April during which City won just one fixture in five.

But that's all well in the rear view now. City are the ones on form, having won their last three by a combined score of 12-1. Mancini's squad has appeared reinvigorated, especially since Carlos Tevez returned from his sabbatical to replace the even-more-mercurial Mario Balotelli in City's attack.

Meanwhile, United have had only one satisfactory result in their last three—a 4-0 thrashing of relegation-wary Aston Villa, book-ended by a loss to Wigan and a draw against Everton.

United's forwards are as lethal as ever, but it's their back line which has looked plodding and out of position.

All of which leaves Man U but three points ahead of City in the table, with a six-goal deficit in differential that could pad City's lead if they were to come away with a victory.

You know, like the 6-1 thrashing that City laid on United at Old Trafford back in October.

Seems like forever ago, doesn't it? A simpler, most wistful time, when the season was still young and pressure was hardly a factor.

Times have changed since then, haven't they? And, it would seem, United couldn't be more pleased. It's a script they've played out so many times before and one that they figure to close out again now that the finish line has drawn so tantalizingly close.

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