Manchester United will win the English Premier League this season.
City have been outstanding at times, they may even boast better individuals and they've certainly spent more money, but United have a better team spirit and, crucially, experience.
Joe Hart said that City are suffering from the pressure after their Boxing Day draw at West Brom.
He's right. City are now the team to beat and sides will do anything to take points off them, even if they play so defensively that they only intend to get a draw.
City will be stressed by the expectations of the media, their own fans, rival supporters and themselves.
Moving clear of the pack after beating the champions 6-1 away will have given them huge confidence, but maybe that game came too early in the season to be crucial.
The City players laughed as they made a Christmas cake with 6-1 etched in the icing on top of it. Sir Alex Ferguson would never have allowed that, and he'll make sure that every United player knows about it.
My old boss turns 70 on Saturday and he is just as motivated as ever.
He never lets up. I remember when we had won the league one season by mid-April and he continued to prepare for every game like it was the European Cup final.
Sometimes circumstances went against him, like in March 1998 when we had an injury list to match United's current one. It was a key month, yet we were missing Schmeichel, Scholes, Pallister, Giggs, both Neville brothers, Butt, Ronny Johnsen and our talisman captain, Keane, at some point in that month.
We just didn't have the squad to deal with that level of injuries and were overtaken by an Arsenal side which sensed their opportunity.
We'd had a 12-point lead over them at one stage, but as the injuries mounted, Arsenal kept chipping away. Closing the gap gave them the momentum we had earlier, and they dealt us the biggest psychological blow by beating us at Old Trafford with a single Marc Overmars goal. We heard the Arsenal players celebrating, as was their right. They had done us and were worthy champions.
We could blame injuries, but United didn't have the squad they have now. And United, despite what some critics say, have a squad to withstand their massive injury problems this season. They have proved that by closing the gap on the City so that the two teams are now equal on points. This is one of United's best starts to the season - despite all the injuries and criticism.
United could currently field a full team of injured players. Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans and Fabio da Silva are all out of the defence. Add to that Darren Fletcher, Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Anderson, missing from midfield, while forwards Ashley Young and Michael Owen are crocked.
The United team against Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day was makeshift, but they won 5-0. Wigan are not Barcelona, but if United can close a gap with so many players out and look so convincing as they have done in December (Champions League aside), what are they going to be like when they all come back?
Only Anderson and Fletcher are long-term injuries, so the manager is likely to get a steady stream of returning players at absolutely key points of the season.
Despite the criticism he has faced this season, Ferguson has enjoyed being the hunter rather than hunted. Once again, he has used the words of doubters as motivation.
His players have been criticised by their own fans and written off in their own city. I live in Manchester, and I heard what people were saying barely two months ago. The result is that United have an unmatched mental toughness which comes into its own at the business end.
So what about City? There is no crisis, as they have more league points than ever at this stage in the season and led the league at Christmas for the first time since 1929. So far, so good then.
They have scored more goals than any other team and hammered their greatest rivals 6-1 away - and yet they've still not been able to shake off United. They have not been arrogant, but perhaps a little too self-assured. When things haven't gone right, like this month, I'm seeing cracks. You know a manager is feeling the pressure when he starts to criticise the fixture list. All of this will play into United's hands.
Then there is the key question of experience. City do not have one player who has been involved in a title race in England, not one to advise them of what is going on during what Fergie calls "squeaky bum time".
It is a wonderful title race, the most intriguing for years and still only at the halfway point. City climbed into the ring with the biggest heavyweight in England. They are holding their own and have recorded one knockdown, but United keep getting back up for more.
This one is going to points.
Andrew Cole's column is written with the assistance of European Football correspondent Andy Mitten.
sports@thenational.ae
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Schedule
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READ MORE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
RESULTS
West Asia Premiership
Thursday
Jebel Ali Dragons 13-34 Dubai Exiles
Friday
Dubai Knights Eagles 16-27 Dubai Tigers
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support