THE headlines left nobody in any doubt about where the power was at the start of the Barclays Premier League season: Manchester 13, London 3.
Last August, Manchester United beat Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford, a couple of hours after Manchester City had franked their championship credentials with a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. In the wake of those monstrous scorelines, it seemed clear the Manchester teams would be contesting the title by the time these fixtures were reversed, as they are tomorrow.
However, few would have identified Spurs as the third party in that race. As Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, admitted yesterday, the scale of the recovery mounted by the London club in five months is incredible.
Mancini said: "There are three clubs – City, United and Tottenham – who can win the title.
"We played five months ago. It was totally different, it was their [Tottenham's] second match. When you start the season anything can happen, because maybe all the squad are not ready to play 100%. Now it is different and I think Tottenham are one of the best teams. They can win the title.
"It is better to lose one time 5-1 than five times 1-0. You can take one bad day when you concede three, four or five goals – it can happen. It happened to United [when City beat them 6-1], to Arsenal."
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, takes his team to Manchester on an 11-match unbeaten run.
"I think we can win. They are not invincible," the 64-year-old said. "We lost that game in August, but we had lots of injuries and the midfield wasn't exactly what you would have expected at that time of the year, but Scott [Parker] has done well since he came here."
Parker arrived after that early loss, as did Emmanuel Adebayor, the striker on loan from City and prohibited from playing tomorrow by the terms of that agreement.
After the rematch between City and Spurs, United will go to Arsenal for a match that Sir Alex Ferguson has guaranteed will not finish 8-2.
"It won't be as open as the last time. There is no chance of that," said Ferguson. "There won't be a lot between the two teams. They have only lost six goals at home this season so we are well aware it is going to be a hard game. I just hope we can get the result we want and need."
Of the four managers preparing for a tantalising double header, only Arsene Wenger of Arsenal cannot tell his players that victory will strengthen a title charge. The Frenchman denied that revenge will be among his motives when United go to London on a day when his team find themselves on the bottom of the bill.
"We cannot wipe it [the 8-2 result] out. That will not be an excuse not to beat them. It is over. You focus on what is in front of you and you try to do as well as you can.
"What is important is that we are ready to give everything to win it."
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