Manchester City visit Old Trafford as United's main title challengers for the first time on Sunday, and Roberto Mancini has an interesting decision to make up front...Manchester CityThis will be the first time since Sheikh Mansour arrived in England that Manchester City face their rather more successful neighbours as not only genuine competitive rivals, but perhaps as the only realistic title challengers. Obviously Chelsea might have a word on that subject, but the two Manchester clubs are the clear favourites.It's also the first truly tough domestic challenge City have faced this season. Everton gave them a good game, and while they have faced Spurs, they did so during the pre-transfer deadline funk that 'Arry's boys have since snapped out of. Other than that, Blackburn, Wigan, Swansea and Aston Villa have all lined up to have their bellies tickled, and only a strong second-half from Fulham has denied them maximum points from their eight games.
In years past, City have travelled to Old Trafford knowing that anything better than a sound spanking would be a respectable outcome. Now, it's become a must-not-lose match.A City fan I know is becoming more and more disillusioned with football, but his club in particular because this doesn't seem right somehow. This isn't what City are supposed to be about.. City are supposed to be tragicomic, collapsing in ever more spectacular fashions and giving their fans something to sit in bars and weep about. Almost guaranteed - or at least assumed or expected - success seems alien.
However, I wonder if a win at Old Trafford and a five-point lead over United at the top of the table will change his mind.Interesting decision up front for Mancini this Sunday. Obviously Carlos Tevez is out of the picture, so he has two choices for the centre-forward role - Edin Dzeko or Mario Balotelli.
Dzeko would appear to be the go-to chap after his early-season barrage of goals, but it should be noted that the big Bosnian hasn't scored in the league since August. Indeed, against Villarreal in midweek he showed the shonky side of his game, and perhaps an indication as to why the officials at ¿eljeznicar, his first club in Bosnia, thought they had 'won the lottery' when they sold him for £25,000.
A hugely frustrating player, he of course can intersperse those long tracts of shambling play with moments of inspiration. Anyone who watched the Euro 2012 qualifier between France and Bosnia will have seen a perfect encapsulation of his game - an often trampoline-like first touch, shanked shots, but then the most perfect turn and beautifully curled shot to put his team in front.
Erratic play is something you might also associate with Balotelli. Well, before this season anyway. However, in recent weeks, perhaps because of the trust placed in him to start in his favoured position, Balotelli has showed a great deal more maturity and consistency. Indeed, he is the man in form - goals in each of his last three appearances, and Dzeko was only in the team against Villarreal because of Balotelli's European suspension.
Logic would point to Balotelli being the chosen man, but the question will be whether Mancini trusts him in such a huge game. He did in the FA Cup semi-final last season, and was rewarded with a responsible and mature performance from Balotelli. Will he get the same result on Sunday? (Football365)
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