Weekend Outlook (16 Apr 2011)

   Manchester City vs Manchester United  

Let's face it.

THIS IS THE FA CUP FINAL.

Without too much disrespect to the clubs in the other semi-final namely, Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers, the eventual winner of the FA Cup will come from this end of the semi-final. They are just lucky to draw each other to get in an extra game in this tournament to give their kitty purse a nicer bulge.

It is strange just a couple of months ago, we were lamenting how weak this year's ManUtd is and even comtemplating giving up the various cups in order to pull enough resources together to push for the 19th title.

So how suddenly, we are thrust into the front seat for another Treble season is beyond everybody. We have said time and again, this year's ManUtd pales in comparison to the one in 1999 and if I may add, we captured the Treble with a lot of effort.

This year's squad was supposedly the lesser and yet everything seem so optimistic.

We are 7 points clear at the top in the EPL with Arsenal having an extra game-in-hand. The situation right now in the EPL is that the season is not for ManUtd to take but rather, for Arsenal to give on a silver platter. Every point that Arsenal drops hereon will edge us closer to the title. 2 more losses in their last 7 games and it's a premature end of their title chase right there and then. A draw won't help much either.

Arsenal will be claiming their game-in-hand while we are engaged in Wembley today but it will be against Liverpool, a recently resurging team whom just recently hammered ManCity 3-0 last week. Still, I don't think Liverpool can pull off a win on Arsenal soil, just like they have failed in the past 10 years. A draw, in my opinion, would be a more likely result which is just as good for us.

Looking ahead, Arsenal and ManUtd both have domestic mid-week fixture, with us visiting Tyneside for an away game against Newcastle United while Arsenal will be travelling across town to visit arch-rival Tottenham Hotspur.

Call it good timing for it appears that we are peaking at the right time. Our injuries are healing with Ferdinand and Valencia back on the pitch. Hargreaves and Owen should be out of the door at the end of this season.

While we will be without the services of Wayne "Spectacular Overhead Winner" Rooney, it is offsetted by the absence of Carlos Tevez today due to injury. We have Hernandez and Berbatov to start in front but ManCity Dzeko will certainly not be up to our mark in terms of fire power.

Bookies are giving them ManCity 0.5-ball handicap and a 2.10 decimal odds for us to overcome it. On the 1X2, it looks like it will be a draw but wager is skewed 72% in ManUtd's favour to win in 90 minutes.

This game will be played in Wembley which means neither side will have home advantage over the other. However, given that ManCity has never played in the "New" Wembley, after moving back from Cardiff while the old Wembely was torn down and redeveloped, we are more at home than the Citizens.

I will take ManUtd for the win in 90 minutes as ManCity has not won away from home for the last 6 games.

JayWalk's 2010/2011 Track Record to-date (16 Apr 2011) : P112-W58-L54

Image Credit: http://livesoccer-tv-channels.blogspot.com

- Voxeros