IT is not healthy to see just two clubs dominating the Premier League, but for the time being I’m quite enjoying watching the “Anything you can do, we can do better” spat between the two Manchester clubs.
It is still early days but, even after just four matches, I fear the writing is already on the wall – we’re looking at a two-horse race for the title.
But at least we can look forward to the United-City rivalry spicing things up, judging by the events of the first month.
Okay, it hurt to watch United give Wanderers a good hiding at the weekend, but you couldn’t deny the quality of the performance – accepting, of course, that Wanderers made it so easy for the champions.
City fans, though, must be wondering what they’ve got to do to steal their rivals’ thunder.
Every time they put down a marker, United gazump them.
After scoring seven goals in their first two games – 4-0 at home to Swansea, 3-2 at the Reebok – Roberto Mancini’s Blues put on a stunning show to win 5-1 at Spurs. What do United do? After following up their 2-1 opening day win at West Brom with a 3-0 home victory over Spurs, they wallop Arsenal 8-2.
City rose to the challenge and responded by going top with a 3-0 trouncing of Wigan on Saturday afternoon in which Sergio Aguero – surely one of the signings of the summer – scored an impressive hat-trick. But within an hour Wayne Rooney was scoring his second treble in successive Premier League games as the ruthless Reds left Owen Coyle’s men licking their wounds.
What more could City fans have asked of their team than 15 goals in their first four games? United’s answer – 18.
I’m sure there will be days over the coming months when City fans will be celebrating at United’s expense.
I hope so, otherwise we’re in for one of the most boring Premiership seasons ever, because I can’t for the life of me see any other team capable of challenging Manchester’s dominance.
Even so, you can’t help but feel for the men from Eastlands who for decades have lived in the shadow of their illustrious neighbours and are tortured by past frustrations, like back in 1968 when Joe Mercer’s City just pipped United to the league title on the final day of the season and for a couple of weeks held the bragging rights over their neighbours– until Matt Busby’s Red Devils won the European Cup for the first time in their history.
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