Even on the day that Manchester’s city planners chose to close the road which links the Etihad Stadium to Old Trafford, not even a roadblock could stop Manchester City overtaking Manchester United at the top of the Premier League ahead of their 161st derby meeting.The closure of the The Mancunian Way for routine maintenance was always more likely to halt City’s pursuit of United than Alex McLeish’s anaemic Aston Villa, but while Roberto Mancini’s players ensured they will look down on Sir Alex Ferguson’s team at Old Trafford in thier next league fixture, there remains a danger of the ‘big one’ taking the focus away from the ‘really important one’ on Tuesday night.
City’s untroubled victory against a previously unbeaten Villa side confirmed the club’s best-ever start to a top-flight season and their most successful in any league since a similarly emphatic beginning to the 1897-98 Second Division campaign.
But while all is well at home, City’s stuttering start to their first crack at the Champions League – a draw and a defeat from two games – has rendered tomorrow’s home game against Villarreal as crucial to their hopes of progression.
A defeat would be disastrous, particularly with the return in Spain two weeks later followed by a trip to Napoli’s intimidating Stadio San Paolo at the end of November. Even a draw would leave City’s hopes hanging by a thread.
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