The moment Robin Van Persie left Arsenal in the summer, this fixture was immediately circled in red on many Arsenal fans’calendars.

The Dutchman will probably be subjected to a feisty atmosphere upon his return to the Emirates, but the reception shouldn’t daunt him one bit for he’s proved he was right in leaving N5 for M16.

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A Monday night game against Aston Villa wouldn’t normally set the pulse racing, but tonight’s match is an altogether different proposition. Three points against Paul Lambert’s men will clinch United’s 20th league title with four games to go, an impressive achievement despite the critics Sir Alex’s troops have been subject to since August.

After having their wind somewhat knocked out of their sails by City two weeks ago, United produced a professional performance to win at Stoke and laboured to a draw against West Ham on Wednesday night, further proof that the, at times, brilliant performances that had produced 45 goals in the first 18 league meetings are a distant memory.

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For both teams competing tonight, the season has petered out somewhat in recent weeks. West Ham are luxuriating in the comfort of mid table, neither worrying by relegation nor threatening a late assault on the European places. Whilst this winding down has been a massive positive for West Ham fans, it has been anti-climatic for Manchester United’s, after crashing out of two cup competitions and having sewn up the title weeks ago. Now the aim is to create a dazzling title procession, but will this be enough motivation to defeat a solid West Ham side?

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Pre-season, this derby was billed as the season defining game for both teams. The title race would be so close again that only a gnat’s breath would be able to separate them.

However, never have football ‘experts’ been so wrong. City have stumbled whilst United have stepped up and obliterated the rest. But, as with all derbies, this doesn’t mean the fans care less about this edition of the Manchester derby. Both sets of supporters are still desperate for the sweet elixir of victory.

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After becoming the first team in history to win 25 of their first 30 Premier League fixtures on Saturday; United turn their attention to an FA Cup Quarter Final replay at Stamford Bridge.

In 12 meetings between the two sides since 1908 United boast an impressive record against The Blues (Won 8, Drawn 2, Lost 2) and won on their last two trips there in 98 & 99, the latter being a memorable replay after the sides drew at Old Trafford. United went on to win the treble that year and although that feat is now impossible for the Reds to duplicate, it seems there’s a real desire to add another League and Cup double both from the club and the terraces.

Both Benitez and Ferguson need this trophy for differing reasons and Robin van Persie believes the fans shouldn’t expect a classic thanks to both teams playing just 48hrs before kickoff, maybe that’s why the betting is neck-and-neck. Bwin are offering a free bet to all RedRants readers here.

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Football fans may be many things from absurd to zealous but somewhere in between does not sit forgetful.

On the last day of last season as United trudged off the Stadium of Light pitch in the knowledge they’d just been pipped to the title by arch rivals City, Sunderland fans rejoiced and celebrated like it were them who’d just won the title. That hurt the players (Giggs has noted it as the lowest point of his glittering career), the gaffer who remarked at the time that the experience was ‘surreal’ and of course the fans who, quite rightly, were angered and gutted in equal measure.

Noon on Saturday sees United return to the scene as troubled Sunderland face-up to the reality that Martin O’Neil and his fairly expensively assembled Black Cats are well and truly involved in a relegation dog-fight to remain in a league their opponents are walking away with……are you still laughing at us Sunderland?

If you’ve been following our previews over the last few months you’ll know we lend a hand to Betegy (our favourite football predictions website) by highlighting their predictions for all United fixtures. So far the site has achieved a 92% strike rate with just Spurs deterring United from all three points in their last 11 league outings.

You can get 11.50 with Bwin for a 3-0 United win with many more bets available and a free bet.

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United welcome managerless Reading to Old Trafford on Saturday for the second time in four weeks hoping to make it six league wins in a row and take another step toward recapturing the Premier League title.

Reading arrive with, I guarantee it, huge intrepidation knowing United have just suffered a massively disappointing week with the loss to Real Madrid and the hapless capitulation against Chelsea fresh in their minds and an eagerness to start afresh putting those memories behind them. That spells danger for Reading, beware the wounded beast!

Unbeaten in the league since November, United find themselves hot favourites to produce a performance akin to that of ‘Sprinter Sacre’ at Cheltenham this week. He won by 19 lengths and Betegy suggest United could win by an equally large margin.

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United continued their astonishing run of drawing Premier League opposition in the FA Cup when they drew Chelsea in the 6th Round last month. I’m not sure of the facts exactly but I know it’s something like 23 out of the last 28 draws we’ve faced Premier League opposition.

United are currently bwin’s 2nd favourites for this season’s competition which (for us) kicked off with a trip to Upton Park to face West Ham in the 3rd Round which took a last minute pearler from then in-form Robin van Persie to secure a replay at Old Trafford a fortnight later where United progressed comfortably.

In Rounds 4 and 5 United faced Fulham and Reading at home and again progressed comfortably into the next round. Tomorrow however sees a tougher test as a wounded United take on Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea in the final round of ties to be played outside Wembley.

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Ever since Manchester United were drawn against Real Madrid in the first knockout round of the 2013 Champions’ League, the 5^th of March has been on every United and Madrid fan’s mind. It is a match that sets the world alight and inspires a thousand clichés of the highest quality. But no cliché can do this gargantuan game justice (another cliché), as two iconic teams, rich in both history and talent compete in a finely poised tie to advance to the last 16.

Form

“Form goes out the window in games like these.” Of course, this is true to an extent, and United fans will be hoping Real’s two Clasico wins aren’t replicated at Old Trafford.

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United are without Paul Scholes and Phil Jones for tomorrow’s visit from a team that sprung a surprise inflicting United’s last league defeat back in November 2012. Since that 1-0 away defeat at Carrow Road, United have notched up 13 wins, 2 draws but not a single reverse; conceding a mere 14 goals, bagging 30 along the way and keeping a cleansheet in their last 3 fixtures. It could be therefore be said United are in good form!

Historical form points to nothing more than United collecting all three points. Norwich did the unthinkable between 1986 and 1989 and won at Old Trafford 3 out of 4 years at a time when United under Sir Alex were finding their feet. Twenty-plus years on and Sir Alex knows a repeat of one of those results has to be avoided despite the doubtless need to make changes ahead of Tuesday’s…….ssshhhhh, don’t mention Tuesday.

Betegy hit the post last week with their prediction of a United 1-0 win, I was much happier after predicting a United win by 2 two clear goals. This week Betegy go with a 2-1 United win in a repeat of the 2004 scoreline when Alan Smith scored this cracking volley.

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This weekend bwin are offering a free £20 bet to all RedRants readers as United make the journey South to take on struggling QPR at Loftus Road.

It’s a fixture that’s gone predominantly United’s way down the years and, after last years capitulation on the final day of the season away to City, United and their fans I’m sure will be gunning to strike another blow into Rangers’ Premier League survival hopes so you might fancy putting your money on United to win at 1.50.

Let’s take a look at how a few of the prominent United websites preview the game before we take a look at a few of the odds.

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The fixtures are coming thick and fast with United producing result after result at crucial moments and looking sharper by the week. This weekend’s trip to Shepherds Bush in West London to face QPR is yet another chance and yet another crucial moment United need to capitalise on.

Sitting pretty twelve points clear of our closest rivals, United kickoff almost 24hrs ahead of City who face a very tricky looking match at home to Chelsea, by the time they get underway United could be a nerve inducing FIFTEEN points clear.

History and form are on our side and I can’t see us slipping up although it won’t be straightforward. RedRants’ recommended prediction site – Betegy – sees this going United’s way too, predicting a 1-0 win to impound yet more pressure on QPR, Harry Redknapp, Manchester City AND the best manager in England….Roberto ‘he’s definitely cracking up’ Mancini.

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The Manchester derby at the start of April could pack much less of a punch than the derby at a similar time last season.

Manchester United have started to canter off over the horizon as Manchester City have failed to come good on their promises to defend their Premier League crown down to the last day of the season.

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With a trip to Real Madrid looming in midweek I hear people suggesting Everton at home on Sunday afternoon is hardly the ideal preparation and that United would’ve wished for a different fixture.

In my opinion it’s the ideal fixture, it concentrates the mind, releases the players thoughts from wandering to Wednesday thus not allowing any complacency to creep in. Imagine a visit from Reading or Fulham? Imagine the temptation to field a weakened team against one of those? It’s happened before and we’ve come unstuck (I’m thinking back to Bolton at home two seasons running). There’s no doubt Sir Alex will make a few changes but, after what happened last season, he and his troops will surely be looking for some semblance of revenge and strengthening their ever increasing grip on the league title.

With Betegy giving Everton a calculated 36% chance of scoring on Sunday, United may well need to continue their impressive scoring to out-do a physical Everton side determined to challenge for a top four spotcome the end of the season.

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