While May 7th's match between Chelsea and Manchester United will be the season's most influential, Wednesday's edition of the Manchester Derby may be its most anticipated. True, you could argue that a mid-week match can never be a season's most anticipated, but that maxim would underestimate the stakes in the escalating Citizens-Red Devils rivalry.
English Premier League Fixtures, Picks, Match Day No. 12: Eastlands Hosts Season’s First Manchester Derby
Where one club has enjoyed a monopoly on Manchester’s success, the other is using unprecedented financial strength to bring a long suffering fan base much coveted glory. That club is not waiting for the other’s power to wane. They’re not biding their time, pouncing at a moment of weakness. They’re buying their own iron and are going to strike while it’s hot.
As such, you have the rare case in England where territory may be more important than history or trophies. Nobody cares about being Kings of London, and while local sentiment is strong in Liverpool and the North East, it pales compared to the classic local derbies that dot the rest of the globe. But in Manchester, if City could be Kings at United's expense, they might sacrifice England (but would prefer not have to make the choice). Thankfully for a club as ambitious as City, such trade-offs never have to be made, but in order to become the most prominent team in Greater Manchester, you get the feeling they'd trade almost any other glory.
Add in what should be a raucous crowd at Eastlands and you have the formula for an Istanbul, Rio de Janiero, or Sao Paulo derby. That kind of atmosphere won’t be present this year, but with a little patience and some heightened tension, England could have a local derby commensurate with the world’s best.
Amongst the match day's other fixtures, a London derby between Chelsea and Fulham gives the league-leading Blues a chance to bounce back against a relatively non-threatening opponent. Fulham has not beaten Chelsea since 2006 and has not won at Stamford Bridge in 46 years. On Wednesday, the Cottagers get this year's chance to reverse history.
Also on Wednesday, Liverpool looks to build momentum at Wigan, Arsenal will look to pass around Wolves at The Molineux, Big Sam and Blackburn returns to Newcastle, West Brom goes to West Ham, Everton hosts Bolton, while Aston Villa welcomes Blackpool.
But first, two matches will take place on Tuesday. Stoke City, sitting one spot above the drop, takes on 15th place Birmingham City. They'll kick-off 15 minutes before Tottenham hosts a Darren Bent-less Spurs at White Hart Lane.
| Day | Time (EST) | Home | Road | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 2:45 p.m. | Stoke City | Birmingham City | 2-1, Stoke |
| 3:00 p.m. | Tottenham Hotspur | Sunderland | 3-1, Spurs | |
| Wednesday | 2:45 p.m. | West Ham United | West Bromwich Albion | 1-1 |
| Wigan Athletic | Liverpool | 2-1, Liverpool | ||
| Aston Villa | Blackpool | 2-1, Villa | ||
| Chelsea | Fulham | 3-0, Chelsea | ||
| Newcastle United | Blackburn Rovers | 2-0, Newcastle | ||
| 3:00 p.m. | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Arsenal | 2-0, Arsenal | |
| Everton | Bolton Wanderers | 1-1 | ||
| Manchester City | Manchester United | 2-1, United |
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