Something’s got to give this weekend as leaders Manchester United, who are shipping goals, take on goal-shy champions Manchester City in a top-of-the-table clash in the Premier League.
United sit three points clear of City at the top despite having conceded 32 goals in 15 matches this season while the champions have scored just three goals in their past three games.
“It’s going to be a massive game and if we defend like we did at Reading, we’ll be in trouble,” United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said, referring to last weekend’s 4-3 win against Reading, a match in which all goals came in the first half.
“I think we’re getting punished when the ball’s going into our box at the moment. But we should be defending far better … If we perform like that on Sunday, then God knows what’s going to happen to us.
“When you see the goals against – we’ve lost 32 already – I can’t remember us losing so many goals before Christmas. It’s a concern, there’s no question about that.
“(But) if we win it will be one of our best ever results because they’re a really good, powerful team with massive players. It won’t be easy.”
City did the double over United last season and though there is still more than half of the season to be played, the top two are beginning to pull away from the pack.
Ferguson, who is still without Nemanja Vidic at the heart of his defence but who hopes to have Shinji Kagawa back from injury for Sunday’s trip to Eastlands, is wary of believing other teams are out of the running, however.
“At this time in the season you can’t really say it’s a two-horse race,” he said.
“If you think back, we were 12 points behind Chelsea at one point, and when Arsenal beat us in the league in 1998 we were 11 points clear.
“The important thing for us is to take lessons from the mistakes we’re making and do something about it. We need to find a solution.”
Since City put five goals past Aston Villa in mid-November, they have struggled to carve open defences.
Three goals in three league games is below the standards they set in winning the title last season and manager Roberto Mancini must also lift his side after their exit from the Champions League in midweek.
Midfielder David Silva is struggling with hamstring-related injuries but Yaya Toure is back after suspension to bolster the midfield.
Mancini said morale would not be a problem but admitted his side needed to be more clinical in front of goal.
“At this moment we have this problem, not scoring,” the Italian said.
“We need to improve this. It’s clear the season is not finished but I think we need to work more to improve this problem we have with the goals. To do what we’ve been doing is not enough, we need to work more.”
Chelsea will also be looking to bounce back from a Champions League exit but the holders at least got their first win under Rafael Benitez in midweek, with Fernando Torres scoring twice in a 6-1 demolition of Nordsjaelland.
The London side are third, 10 points behind United, after no league wins in seven and travel to a Sunderland side in need of points to avoid slipping into a relegation dog-fight.
Tottenham and West Bromwich, behind Chelsea only on goal difference, will hope to capitalise on any slip-up from Chelsea by winning respective away games at Everton and Arsenal.
At the other end of the table, bottom side Queens Park Rangers continue to chase their first win under new manager Harry Redknapp as they travel to Wigan.
Second-bottom Reading are away to the other side in the bottom three, Southampton, while West Ham host Liverpool, Aston Villa play Stoke, Swansea take on Norwich and Fulham take on Newcastle on Monday night.