Sir Alex Ferguson's smile faded after losing at home to Chelsea, a defeat in which Manchester United lost the leadership of the Premier League. United were also eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after Bayern Munich knocked them out on their own turf.
Its surprising that United were unable to keep their lead in both legs against the Germans. First, they lost the 1-0 lead in Munich and then allowed Bayern to progress on away goals even after leading 3-0 at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have dominated the Premier League for three years with three consecutive titles. The fourth one looks very difficult after Chelsea extended their lead to four points. Having dominated the season with performances of Wayne Rooney, United would now want to win the Manchester Derby.
The last meeting between these two Manchester clubs in the Premier League saw United with their noses ahead. It was Michael Owen’s injury time strike that helped them to beat Man City 4-3.
Manchester United now has to win all their remaining matches to at least challenge for the Premier League. One aspect to consider if you're a football gambling fan is that Wayne Rooney has declared himself fit after missing last Sunday's game against Blackburn.So he should play a major role to silence the "noisy neighbours."
Its been a tough season for the Red Devils who have been constantly plagued with injuries to their star players. Be it Ferdinand, Vidic, Giggs, Rooney, Hargreaves or VDS. With the season coming to an end now, I think Sir Alex would try to motivate his players by saying, “Let’s win the Manchester Derby now!”
