Manchester United rebound from their first loss of the season by defeating neighbors Manchester City in thrilling fashion, keeping their lead over Arsenal at four points. As things become more defined at the top the middle of the table looks to be even more of a free-for-all than it has previously, with the ten points that separate 7th place Sunderland and 18th place Wigan seeming far less significant now that they might have a month ago.
English Premier League Weekend Review: Wayne Rooney’s Manchester Derby Wonder Goal Gives United Breathing Room At The Top
English Premier League Weekend Review: Wayne Rooney’s Manchester Derby Wonder Goal Gives United Breathing Room At The Top
There seemed little doubt of the outcome at that point, and indeed that was the way things would end. Manchester United have somehow looked completely unconvincing on many occasions so far this season, yet they find themselves the odds-on favorites to win the league with twelve games yet to play. It’s likely too early to make such a definitive statement, but at this point the league seems to be a two horse race, as City were the last team outside of the top two in any real position to make a run and their defeat in this fixture has made such a push seem unlikely.
And so, with twelve games to play for most teams, there’s a bit of distance starting to form towards the top of the table and a whole lot of confusion down below. 1-8 seem relatively safe while the rest are all in a position that must feel less than secure. Despite the fact that there seems to be a clear gulf in quality between the bottom four teams and the rest of those crammed into the middle, that gulf hasn’t manifested itself in terms of points yet and a few very decent teams are a key injury or a run of poor luck away from the unthinkable. We’ve all been expecting things to shake out for months now, but if they haven’t at this point, one wonders if they ever will.
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