The Manchester Derby might be the game of the season so far, and it will definitely count as one of this season’s title-deciding fixtures. Manchester United visited Etihad Stadium to play City in a mouthwatering clash between the Premier League’s top two clubs.
The fabulous understanding between Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney highlighted the loss Roberto Mancini suffered in the summer transfer market, as the Dutch striker was originally his prime target. The exchanges between Van Persie and Rooney were seamless, posing a big challenge for the City defense. Mancini made two bold changes in the second half after falling behind as a result of Rooney’s two stunning goals. The substitutions brought hope for City with Yaya Touré and Zabaleta both scoring. A 2-2 final score would have been a fair result, but to make City’s pain even worse than it could have been, Robin Van Persie snatched victory for the Red Devils courtesy of a late free kick. The Dutchman’s injury-time winner sent United six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
United celebrated like they were the champions after the Derby win
The weekend’s games saw a day of revival for most of the traditional Premier League big boys. Chelsea beat Sunderland 3-1 away, which brought a second consecutive win for Rafa Benítez, with Fernando Torres again scoring a pair. Torres has found some form since his former Liverpool manager Benítez has taken charge. The Blues are now in Japan, preparing for the World Club Cup, which is held there this week.
Two controversial penalties helped Arsenal beat dark horse West Bromwich, stopping the Gunners recent worrying slump of form, which had seen them go winless in the League for three games. The media was particularly critical of the first penalty, which was created by a blatant dive from Santi Cazorla.
Reid of West Bromwich points his finger at "fall boy" Santi Cazorla
Liverpool travelled to Upton Park without their leading scorer Luis Suárez, and they coped well. The Reds fought from behind to a 3-2 victory against a physically strong West Ham United side. This was the first time this season that Liverpool managed back-to-back wins in the League. The momentum is there, and they are now only four points off the top four. The race for next season’s Champions League positions is still on.
