Super Sunday: Review

Sunday 22nd January 2012 was always going to be a big day in the title race. Four of the top five, including the three teams who are considered to be this season's title challengers. I have a Politics exam on Tuesday, but the importance of this day meant I was given permission take (most of) the day off revision. A mistake it may be in the long-term, but in the short-term I'm very glad I took the precious hours off to watch what will inevitably be a pivotal day in the title race. A day which, for me, eliminated one title challenger in Spurs, and showed that City really do have the credentials to go all the way.

Manchester City v Tottenham was the first game up on this mouth-watering Super Sunday, but the first 45 minutes made me want to return to the towers of notes on my desk. Almost nothing of interest could be reported from a first half where the most exciting moments were those of Chris Coleman repeatdely calling David Silva, "Da Silva". With Ray Wilkins and now Coleman on the Sky team, the factual inaccuracies of Sky Sports are no doubt about to increase even further. At least Gary Neville talks some sense. The seoncd half however, was a whole other story. This was one of the most exciting 45 minutes of football I've watched this season, played at the high intensity and fast pace that the first half lacked. The first goal came after 56 minutes and it was a fantastic goal, with "Da Silva" threading the ball through for a man who Spurs fans will hate the face of even more now, former Arsenal star and current Manchester City flop, Samir Nasri.. The best was yet to come however. The second goal was my favourite of the game. Although it made me feel a little bit sick seeing CIty go 2-0 up, and it was a terribly scrappy goal. it provided one of the highlights of my day, with another Chris Coleman pronunciation error, as he declared a goal for "Julian Lescott". A small mistake yes, but it just summed up the hilarious lack of knowledge pundits have these days, that they can't even pronounce the names correctly of some of the country's most well known footballers. But back to the game, it was 2-0 and at this point I could see a City rout. What unfolded was a lot more dramatic, and ultimately a lot more painful than that.

Up until this point Stefan Savic had been solid in City's defence. A surprise to everyone. Something had to give, and it did. A dreadful attempted headed clearance went the wrong way, found Defoe, who took it past Hart and slotted it in. Game on.

Within 5 minutes, the scores were level, and I was on my knees, bowing down before the second greatest left-footed Welshman to ever grace the Premier League, Gareth Bale. It was a sublime goal, taken first time with a sweep of his magic wand of a left-foot, and past Joe Hart from 25 yards. Stunning. From that moment Spurs seemed more likely to win the game, in a comeback similar to the one they had at the Emirates last year, coming from 2-0 down at half-time to win 3-2. Sadly it was not to be. We all thought it was. For a few moments, we all thought the comeback would be complete. There can't have been many people watching when Savic gave the ball away on the halfway line, leading to a trademark Gareth Bale run and low cross, who thought Jermaine Defoe would miss. He slid towards the ball, he made contact, but agonisingly for him and most of the country, the ball was poked wide. It was a bad miss, and had Emmanuel Adebayor been eligible, or had anyone just an inch or two taller been in Defoe's position at that moment, Spurs would have had all three points and the title race would have very much been one with three horses. As it was, within three minutes, that third horse fell. More specifically, Ledley King's leg fell into the path of Mario Balotelli who went over for what was a stonewall penalty. Mario should not have been on the pitch, and has rightly been charged for his stamp on Scott Parker in the 84th minute which somehow some pundits are claiming was accidental. But Howard Webb did not seem to notice it which meant in the 94th minute, the nation held its breath as Mad Mario stepped up to the plate to take the penalty himself, and as cool as you like, beat Friedel and the points were City's. For any United fan, it was a sucker punch. For years we have watched our team score dramatic late winners and win games through gritted teeth, without playing at full throttle. For the whole season up until last Monday at Wigan, City had either won well, or not at all. Us United fans had said until City learnt to grind out games or keep going till the very last to win, then City could not be champions. Sadly the 1-0 win at Wigan and this win over Spurs, are without doubt the results of a team with title credentials.

City however, are not the champions yet, and although that result will be vital at the end of the season and certainly proves they can truly win this league (let's also not forget they were missing their two best players in Kompany and Yaya Toure), the current champions are going to push them right to the finish line. This is in no small part thanks to a much deserved win against Arsenal in the day's second game.

The game will be remembered mainly for THAT substitution, and yes, Wenger was wrong to take off "The Ox", especially when he was replaced by the "most disinterested player in the Premier League" as Gary Neville rightly said, a man who I like to call "The Meerkat", Andrey Arshavin. What happened to the man who scored 4 against Liverpool in 2009? This is not the same player and Arsenal will be lucky to get £4 for him when they inevitably attempt to offload him, let alone 4 goals. He was at fault for the winner, as was Wenger for putting him on, but the game should have been dead and buried by the end of the first-half, United were completely dominant. As it was, they did not score until added time at the end of the first half, but it was a fine header from my United player of the season, Antonio Valencia, made by our man for all seasons, Ryan Giggs. Valencia would be vital again in making the winner, assisting Keith Lemon sound-a-like Danny Welbeck by forcing the half-hearted challenge from Arshavin, which poked the ball into Welbeck's path for the winner.

Prior to that, Arsenal had improved in the second half, Wenger making a decent substitution and replacing the beyond woeful Johan Djourou with a Toyota Yaris, or Nico Yennaris to give him his proper name. The Premier League debutant proved a lot more apt at dealing with Nani than the man who started the game. But it was a man making his first league start, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was making the biggest impact, working tirelessly for his team, unlike his replacement Arshavin who worked tiredly. Chamberlain was Arsenal's best player and showed this with a fantastic through ball to the world's best striker, Robin Van Persie, who equalised, redeeming for a terrible miss earlier in the half following a rare error from Chris Smalling. Arsenal had momentum, and it was Chamberlain and Van Persie, not Valencia and Welbeck, who looked the more likely to produce a winner. For three minutes anyway. Chamberlain was removed to the sound of boos echoing around the Emirates and from that moment only one team was going to win, and it wasn't Arsenal.

It was a great win and a deserving win for the 19 times Champions, and keeps us within touching distance of City. There were negatives to take away from the game. Phil Jones' injury did not look too good, although apparently it is not as bad as first feared, hopefully the few weeks he is layed off for, should give him time to clear his head, get some rest, and regain the form he had before the New Year's Eve horror show against Blackburn. Nani's injury could also be a damaging blow if that is serious, but we will hope not and wait to hear further informtion on what damage has been done. Rafael's performance at right-back was also a cause for concern. I remember our defeat here in 2008/09 when the young Brazilian came on to score a beautifully taken consolation goal in a 2-1 loss. The player who played yesterday, and was subbed off having already been subbed on, was a long way short of the talent he showed back in his first two seasons at the club.

Overall, however, a successful day for United, we are still very much in the title race and it will surely go to the wire. But let's be mindful of the past, as United have proven over the last 20 years, grinding out results and scoring dramatic late winners is something you need to win the title, and City are getting the hang of that at just the right time.