MANCHESTER DERBY
Sunday 6th April, 4:30pm
Manchester United @ 23/10
Manchester City @ 21/20
Draw @ 13/5
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So, we find ourselves in the final stretch. But, as simple as those words may seem, they can be read in a number of different ways…
The most obvious interpretation of ‘the final stretch’ is that we are in the home straight – the fraught final furlong of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign. Just a fateful 8 rounds of matches remain and there are no weekends off between now and May 24th; no international breaks; no luxury, spa-filled re-charge trips to Great Yarmouth. It’s time to knuckle down; time to define your season.
Liverpool’s hard-fought midweek win re-established their firm grip on the title. And while Bukayo Saka may have made an impactful return to boost The Gunners, they also bore the brunt of another damaging volley of injury hits to their defence. It is quite hard to see Arsenal winning all their remaining league games, and it is even harder to visualise Liverpool losing enough to give them even a quick glimpse at title glory.
Arsenal’s turn to survive the physical crunch of Everton comes in the weekend’s 12:30pm kick-off on Saturday. Will they have any defenders left in the aftermath? A backline with Subbuteo-levels of mobility could well be lining-up to try and repel Real Madrid on Tuesday night…
The scramble for the final top four places looks set to be the most intriguing and competitive battle in the coming month or so. Chelsea currently have a seat at the Champions League qualification table, but a frantic game of musical chairs is about to ensue, and who knows whose buttocks will possess the power when the sounds of this spin of fixtures suddenly stops…
“A ‘stretch’ is also slang for a prison sentence; and for some managers, players and fans this may feel like an accurate description of what they have been enduring since August.”
The biggest game of the weekend, the Manchester Derby, is a 4:30pm kick-off on Sunday, and will play a big part in determining who else has momentum.
Manchester United managed a remarkable 23 shots and 68% possession without scoring a goal in their Tuesday night defeat against Nottingham Forest. And with Erling Haaland out with injury for a good bulk of the run-in, goals could become an issue for Manchester City too – Omar Marmoush will have the chance to position himself as a viable source of attacking threat.
If we add emphasis to the middle word in the titular phrase, then ‘the final stretch’ could refer specifically to the last stages of a journey towards a cup final. Clubs can become perished and distracted by potential appearances in major cup finals; and, still going strong in two such competitions, as well fighting for a top four league spot, Aston Villa are vulnerable to losing some of their elasticity.
A 5:30pm home tie on Saturday against Nottingham Forest, who are also enjoying a buoyant FA Cup run, will represent a further test to their collective endurance; though three of Villa’s January arrivals – Rashford, Asensio, and Malen – are so far combining to help keep their multiple fires alight.
A ‘stretch’ is also slang for a prison sentence; and for some managers, players, and fans this may feel like an accurate description of what they have been enduring since August – there could even be a sense of relief that we are now entering the season’s final stages.
Southampton are currently part of the relegated-elect. They are down. Their only remaining goal is to avoid posting the lowest ever Premier League tally of 11 points, a dismal marker established by Derby County in 2008. A Sunday trip to a flatlining Spurs could help to nudge them away from historical infamy.
An unexpected midweek win, followed by a 6-pointer against Wolves at 3pm on Saturday, however, will have given belated survival hope to Ipswich Town. A great escape in the final stages is not impossible, obviously, but certainly would also be considered a bit of a stretch…
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