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John Peters/Man Utd/Getty ImagesAshley Young celebrates his United's third goal -- and his second -- against Spurs at White Hart Lane to help give his side the win and keep pressure on league-leader Man City.

Maybe Alex Ferguson is cribbing notes from Arsene Wenger's playbook these days. Just as Arsenal held on against a more dominant Liverpool side yesterday, only to steal a 2-1 win in stoppage time at Anfield, United was outclassed by Tottenham Hotspur for the entire first half on Sunday, only to sneak into halftime up 1-0 and then finish the match 3-1 in what turned out to be a big win for the Red Devils at White Hart Lane.

This fixture hasn't been kind to Spurs: Winless against United since 2001 in all competitions -- and where their last victory was a rather meaningless match on the final day of the season, this game was anything but. United was trying to keep pace with league-leader City, which defeated abject Bolton on Saturday, while Spurs were looking uneasily over their shoulder at a resurgent Arsenal, which not only sucker punched Liverpool but came from behind to defeat Spurs last weekend in a match Harry Redknapp & Co. would like to erase from their minds.

Funny thing, tension. As we enter the business end of the season, in which title contenders rise to the pressure, the top of the table has become tense and complex. The start of the United-Spurs match demonstrated exactly that, with a cautious, often turgid first-half affair. It was never going to be as explosive as neutrals would have hoped, of course, as Tottenham was missing Scott Parker (suspended) and Gareth Bale (injured), which forced Redknapp to move Luka Modric from his preferred spot to the left of midfield, and use Sandro and Jake Livermore in the middle of the park.

The duo did have their way with United's counterparts in the center of the pitch, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, as Tottenham saw virtually all the meaningful possession in the first half. At times, Spurs were all too content to past the ball laterally around their defensive third, but were creating half chances here and there as well. United, on the other hand, rarely got into Spurs' half and, indeed, didn't even earn its first corner until the 36th minute.

United keeper David de Gea wasn't called on for a meaningful save until the 19th minute, when Emmanuel Adebayor side-footed the ball to the right, with the keeper diving to see away the danger. Fine save, though Scholes, Carrick and the United defense were caught out -- and it wouldn't be the first time, either.

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Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesEmmanuel Adebayor falls to his knees, upset, after his back-heel goal is disallowed for handball.

The big talking point came right after United's first corner. Receiving the ball from Livermore, Benoit Assou-Ekotto fed the ball to Lennon down the left. The speeding winger all too easily rounded Phil Jones, whose challenge was poor, and continued his run along the byline before whipping a low cross into the box. De Gea palmed out the ball straight to Louis Saha. With a gaping opening to his right, the striker instead shot directly at Adebayor. And while the Togolese striker was able to then back heel the ball into the net, referee Martin Atkinson disallowed the goal for a hand ball. On replay, the ball clearly bounced off Adebayor's hand. The striker didn't seem to know much about it (only he knows whether there was intent) but his arm helped him control the ball, and as such Atkinson probably made the correct call. (It was further bad luck for Spurs; in their 0-0 draw against Stevenage in the FA Cup a couple of weeks ago, the linesman flagged Parker for offside after the ball touched him on the goal line on what would have been the game winner.)

Still, it was all Tottenham until United struck against the run of play -- a sucker punch on the verge of halftime. On a nice pacy corner from Young, Wayne Rooney, back after a two-week rest due to illness, dashed through the crowd and ahead of his marker, Kyle Walker, to head the ball into the back of the net. Brad Friedel could do little, as Jones was blocking him from being able to come out and make a play. The crowd, in turn, began to sing, "One nil to the referee," in reference to the disallowed goal. But the home fans should have been equally upset at Saha for his poor attempt.

In all, one goal in a half that Tottenham dominated. But if we've learned anything from this season, it was that there would be more goals. Coming into this game between the current top-five teams, there were 68 goals in 14 games, an average of almost five per game. What's more, there have been only two clean sheets from a possible 28 in their Premier League meetings.

As the second half kicked off, Spurs started on the front foot and looked the side that would add to the tally. In the 52nd minute, Livermore blasted a worm-burner between Rio Ferdinand's legs that then deflected off Saha. But a wrong-footed De Gea still managed to dive to his right to make an excellent reflex save. More luck for United, too, because the ball could have bounced anywhere, including toward an on-rushing Adebayor; instead, it fell to Jonny Evans, who cleared the danger. Credit, once again, though, to De Gea. Since Anders Lindegaard went down to injury, the Spanish keeper has put in a string of strong performances, though you could see that his teammates still know he has the wobbles on set pieces and on balls flung into the box -- evidenced by the way Rooney and Danny Welbeck each took turns all but taking the ball out of the keeper's hands.

In the 58th minute, after Patrice Evra conceded a free kick for fouling Modric, Assou-Ekotto's curving free kick hit off the crossbar, though De Gea appeared to have it covered as well.

In the ensuing United attack, Carrick hit a ball over the top to Welbeck, who did a superb job beating Assou-Ekotto to his right and Younes Kaboul to his left. Kaboul gamely forced Welbeck into the right corner, but the striker earned a throw-in. From there, Tottenham's defense hit the snooze button, as Jones' throw-in bounced between Assou-Ekotto and Modric and found Nani lurking. Not one of his most explosive games, but the Portuguese winger had his best moment of the game when he whizzed the ball across the face of goal, and three other Spurs defenders failed to stop the danger. The ball went through the legs of Kaboul. In an attempt to clear the ball, King deflected it right toward Young, who returned the ball across the face to goal for United's second tally.

Atrocious defending, but a great finish from Young, leading one of the announcers to term the spectacle a "daylight burglary."

Sucked of their usual spirit, Spurs were punished again when they failed to close down Young atop the 18-yard box, and the winger beautifully curved his shot past a diving Friedel and into the upper right corner of the net. The shot was much like Seydou Keita's for Barcelona yesterday, albeit from the opposite side. At 3-0, United could afford to play some keep ball while Spurs were left to rue poor defending in a game they had otherwise dominated in large swaths.

Jermain Defoe, who came on in the 80th minute for Saha, earned his side a consolation goal, intercepting a slack pass from Ryan Giggs (on for Scholes in the 61st minute) to easily thump the ball from about 25 yards out past a stranded Ferdinand, though by then hordes of Spurs fans had already filed out of the Lane in disgust.

Bottom line: United was outplayed for large bits, but Young's two brilliant goals and corner kick -- along with scrappy defending, especially from Ferdinand and Evans -- was enough for Ferguson's side to bag all three points.

Tottenham, meanwhile, has conceded three-plus goals in five league matches this season -- twice to Man City, twice to Manchester United and once to Arsenal. And ever since the talk of Redknapp for England manager has cropped up, Spurs have had a bit of a bobble, with the disaster against Arsenal and now this. Indeed, Redknapp's side is now only four points clear of the Gunners, meaning that Tottenham finishing in third is by no means a forgone conclusion.

And neither, for that matter, is City winning the league. This match against Spurs ended what was considered the Red Devils' most difficult stretch of fixtures after the New Year in which they defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates, won 2-0 at home against Stoke, earned a come from behind 3-3 tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that felt like a win, won 2-1 over Liverpool at Old Trafford and captured this victory over Spurs. United's next bunch of matches are, on paper, all eminently winnable: West Brom, Wolves, Fulham, Blackburn, QPR, Wigan, Aston Villa and Everton before facing Manchester City at the Etihad.

On the flip side, City now begins a more difficult run of games which includes hosting Chelsea, albeit a side in turmoil, before travelling to the Britannia to face Stoke and the Emirates to challenge Arsenal. Two points now stand between City and United.

Which is all to say, mark your calendars for April 30, when United travels to Etihad Stadium. Who knows what the table will look like then, but it's shaping up to be the one fixture that could justify the hype and even decide the Premier League title.

Stop me if you've heard this before: A young, talented team high on promise but low on proven results races out to a commanding 2-0 lead against its most bitter rival. Victory, it seems, is within reach, but then one wheel falls off. Then another. Before you can say "Sack Arsene Wenger," the opposition hits back with a couple of quick goals. Game on. Then another goal. And another. And another. The rout is on, and the side that started so brightly collapses in a fog of defensive blunders and flagging spirit.

But before Arsenal and Tottenham took to the pitch at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, the football gods obviously decided to flip the script. The Gunners were the team on the ropes -- nary a day passes without someone piling on their misery -- after a pathetic and embarrassing display in Milan a couple of weeks ago and a flaccid loss in the FA Cup against Sunderland last weekend. Spurs, on the other hand, were all about the feel-good factor. Harry Redkanpp has had the midas touch, and pretty much the only worry at White Hart Lane these days is whether their manager would leave to manage the Three Lions.

And while the surprising result, a 5-2 win for Wenger's men, might not change much in terms of each team's ultimate fate this season -- Spurs should hang on to a top-four finish and Arsenal will have to scrap to qualify for the Champions League -- it should go a long way in raising the hopes of Arsenal's manager, players and supporters. At least for a day.

The match started out according to plan, with Spurs striking first. In the fourth minute, Emmanuel Adebayor passed to Louis Saha, who found himself just outside the box in all kinds of space. Where was the Arsenal defense? Thomas Vermaelen and Kieran Gibbs tried to close him down, but Saha got his shot off, which deflected off Vermaelen and looped over keeper Wojciech Szczesny. Bit of luck for Spurs, but atrocious play for the Gunners. They were set up playing a high line and got burned -- and it wouldn't be the first time, either, as their back line often had no shape at all, other than to suggest chaos and panic.

In the 34th minute, Luka Modric hit a sweet through ball past a pedestrian Alex Song that cut right through the heart of Arsenal's defense to release Gareth Bale. Again, Arsenal was left to chase, with Vermaelen and Gibbs trying to close the Welshman down. He burst into the box, and with Szczesny coming out, Bale rounded the keeper. There didn't appear to be much contact, but Bale went down. After consulting with the linesman, referee Mike Dean awarded the penalty, and former Gunner Adebayor buried the kick into the net. (Thankfully, no crowd-baiting knee-slide celebration like the time he scored for City.)

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Clive Mason/Getty ImagesAfter going 2-0 up, Gareth Bale & Co. collapsed, and Tottenham have now lost more games, seven, after being two-plus goals up than any other team in EPL history.

Up to this point, the scoreline flattered Spurs a bit. The run of play had settled into a pattern that was ultimately being dominated more by Arsenal. At the same time, with Wenger's men playing such a high line, Tottenham always threatened to score on the counter every time they touched the ball. Moreover, you could say that Spurs were a bit fortunate on the first goal (deflection) and perhaps even more on the second (on replay, Bale's penalty did look like a dive).

Still, only the most degenerate gambler looking for a ridiculous long shot would have put any pounds down at this juncture on Arsenal staging a comeback. After all, just this week former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit came out and said Wenger had lost the dressing room -- that his players' body language betrayed a team that didn't care to put in a shift for the gaffer anymore. "There is obviously a crisis and I am deeply sad for Arsene," Petit told France Football. "I watch their body language and I see players who have become disillusioned. Year after year, they have always struggled with the last step. I feel they are unmotivated. I even fear that some have lost their trust in Arsene."

While one win can't paper over fundamental problems, it was exactly this same band of beleaguered players -- sans Aaron Ramsey, the young midfielder who is injured, and who, it must also be said, has been pushed too hard this season in Jack Wilshere's absence -- that made the improbable possible. It was about a year ago, in April 2011, that Wenger's players raced out to a 2-0 lead against Tottenham, only to lose 3-2. So imagine how incredible this win must feel.

The comeback started in the 40th minute. After Robin van Persie just missed a goal, with the ball careening off the post, Mikel Arteta lofted a ball into the box. With Bale not doing enough to break up the play, Bacary Sagna -- one of Arsenal's best players on the day -- powered a header past a stranded Brad Friedel.

Three minutes later, Song lofted a Stoke-esque pass into Tottenham's box. Younes Kaboul headed the ball toward Niko Kranjcar, who attempted to clear the danger. Instead, RvP made the interception, did a 180 to get the ball on his left foot, and then curled a shot past the diving Friedel. It was a magic moment from a player who's been pulling eye-catching tricks all season. (The team is currently in talks for a new RvP contract, and it better hope the Dutchman puts pen to paper.)

The third goal came in the 51st minute, and this time credit goes to Tomas Rosicky, who along with Sagna, had a brilliant match. Van Persie found Rosicky in space in the middle of the field. The Czech ran upfield and found Sagna on the overlapping run on the right. Both players kept running, with Rosicky surging into the box where he got his foot on the ball to direct it past Friedel for what ended up being the winning goal.

There you have it: three goals in 13½ minutes. And if Spurs held any hope of tying things back up, Arsenal squashed them in the 65th and 68th minute, when Theo Walcott scored a brace. The first was also set up by Rosicky, who made a nice volley pass to Van Persie on the left, and with Kaboul and King giving chase after being caught too high up again, the Dutchman wriggled free to get the ball to Walcott on the right. The finish over a lunging Friedel was superb. So was Walcott's second finish. Song, who was pinned on the right-side touchline, launched the ball to Walcott. King tried -- and again failed -- to play the offside trap, but there was no doing. Walcott was off, and this time he hit the ball across goal into the net at the far post.

The victory is a boon for the statisticians. It was only the fifth time that Arsenal has come back from two goals down in the Premier League era to win a game (only United and Spurs, at six, have better records). Here's another Opta gem: Tottenham has lost more games (seven) after being two-plus goals up than any other team in Premier League history. And the Spurs have conceded five-plus goals in two separate Premier League games in the same season for the first time since 1992-93.

Parse the numbers all you want -- this result will have people rubbing their eyes, no doubt, as to whether this actually happened. Fact is, in one of the most horrible of Arsenal seasons, Wenger & Co. humiliated their biggest rival. Walcott and Rosicky, two of their most criticized and inconsistent players, had outstanding performances, as did Sagna and, of course, RvP.

Wenger, for one, was especially bullish after the victory. "People will see now that Arsenal are alive more than anyone thought before the game," he said. "The performance today showed spirit. From the technical side, and with the drive of the whole team and style that we want to play, everything was perfect despite a very bad start. Spurs started well in the first five minutes, but it was all us for the next 85 minutes. We were 2-0 down but refused to lose the game and kept going."

The manager also didn't rule out the idea, as far fetched as it may seem to many, of catching Spurs. "It is still possible, if we keep our run going. Why not?" Wenger said.

Spurs, on the other hand, have been a revelation for most of this season -- an exciting, well-balanced team that offers pace on the flanks, creativity in the middle and a bit more cutting edge up top. Adebayor has played (mostly) inspired football for Redknapp, and since arriving on loan, Saha, too, looks to be reborn. None of which was on display Sunday.

But one question many might have is why Redknapp didn't play Aaron Lennon on the right. Together with Bale, the two combine to create the most threating wingers this side of Antonio Valencia and Nani. But for whatever reason, he was left on the bench, and after Tottenham went up 2-0, their play went down considerably.

At the same time, as rousing as Arsenal's fightback was for the Emirates faithful, Arsenal benefited from ref Dean handing out first-half yellow cards to Scott Parker and Luka Modric -- two players who love to get stuck into the tackle -- which in effect muzzled Tottenham's entire midfield and gave Rosicky & Co. room to work.

Adding spice to this result is what awaits both teams next weekend in the league: Arsenal plays Liverpool, Tottenham faces Manchester United. For neutrals, it doesn't get much better. For Arsenal and Spurs, well, we'll have to wait and see.

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Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty ImagesNapoli left Chelsea in its dust, but at 3-1 down the Blues are still well in the tie for the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

The sharks will continue to circle Andre Villas-Boas after Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League tie at the Stadio San Paolo. More questions, more criticism. Sitting Ashley Cole in favor of playing Jose Bosingwa out of position at left back? Leaving the experience of Frank Lampard, the team's co-leading scorer with nine league goals, on the bench when another veteran, John Terry, is out injured? About the only move most would agree with is leaving Fernando Torres out of the starting XI.

But no formation, lineup or tactic can atone for the players' lack of basic application. Take issue with AVB's team selection if you must, but there are certain expectations many of his players are not meeting.

Consider Napoli's three goals. In the 38th minute, the Italian side's best player, Ezequiel Lavezzi, found himself in open space about 20 yards away from goal. Instead of closing him down, Raul Meireles looked helpless as Lavezzi strolled past him to fire the ball with his right foot to the far post, past Petr Cech (who had, up until then, made a couple of brilliant saves). Ramires also failed to cover himself in glory on the sequence.

In first-half stoppage time, the second head of Napoli's three-headed attack, Edinson Cavani, made it 2-1. Gokhan Inler lofted a cross into the box, the ball bouncing between Branislav Ivanovic -- a player clearly shorn of confidence -- and Gary Cahill. On replay, it appeared that when the ball bounced up, Cavani helped it along with his arm, though there were no complaints from the Blues. There was also no captain Terry to help marshal the troops or plead their case. Either way, Ivanovic failed miserably to defend.

The third Napoli goal came from an even more nothing ball. David Luiz, no stranger to defensive blunders, was unable to deal with a Hugo Armando Campagnaro through-ball; commentator Gary Neville speculated that Luiz was trying to pass to Cole, but regardless of his intentions, Luiz should have just put his boot through it. You'd think, after so many shaky moments at the back, that he'd show more signs of learning his trade in crunch moments. Instead, as Cech came way off his line into no man's land, Cavani passed to Lavezzi, who fired the ball into the back of the net.

If not for an excellent clearance off the line by Cole in the 80th minute to deny Christian Maggio and Lavezzi missing a one-on-one with Cech in the 54th minute, Napoli could have had five. Then again, Chelsea should have ended the match with more than one goal, which came in the 38th minute on Napoli's biggest defensive blunder of the match. With AVB's men flooding forward, Daniel Sturridge's pass was sent toward Paolo Cannavaro. Instead of clearing the danger, he miskicked the ball, which fell to the feet of Chelsea's most consistent player, Juan Mata, who won't miss many of those chances.

Chelsea also dominated large portions of the second half and created plenty of chances, as the match was played with an open, attacking spirit. Hearing commentator Neville call it, you'd think he was misty-eyed for the typically more cagey, tactical, first-leg European affairs. Catenaccio this was not. Instead, we got an entertaining match with shockingly poor defending -- perhaps the worst you'll see in Europe, certainly for the Champions League knockout stage. Chelsea, for all their woes at the back, are still well in this tie when they return to Stamford Bridge as they have the critical away goal. And so is Napoli.

But if the match is played in the same open fashion, the Italian side clearly has more attacking threat at the moment. Even early in the match, Napoli was able to get in behind the defense with ease as Ivanovic and Cole (who came on for the injured Bosingwa in the 12th minute) got forward but failed to track back quickly enough and tuck inside. Cole also looked out of shape, it must be said, when Maggio ran inside him in the 28th minute and took a shot on goal that Cech saved. Maybe it wasn't a simple matter of player politics that kept Cole out to begin with. Who knows?

For Chelsea, what is needed is an old-fashioned, Jose Mourinho-style approach, but whether AVB has the will -- or the willing players -- at this juncture remains to be seen.

Cech & Co. must improve the most basic of things -- like keeping a clean sheet. Based on today's performance, the Blues won't be able to do that. Based on today's performance, can you really blame the manager for that?

In these days of Financial Fair Play, we're accustomed to reading about the threat of administration for small, struggling clubs such as Portsmouth -- the one Harry Redknapp, your future king of England football, left in financial disrepair. (It's been so bad at Fratton Park that Pompey is set to go into administration for the second time in the past two years.) Then there are those institutions you reckon are "too big to fail," immune to the basic economic laws of revenue and expenditure. Yet one of the most legendary teams in the world, Rangers Football Club, has gone into financial administration -- the British form of bankruptcy -- triggering a 10-point deduction that will leave rival Celtic 14 points ahead in the Scottish Premier League title race.

One half of the "Old Firm," with Celtic, Rangers are the most successful club in Scotland, with a record 54 titles. Now they teeter on the brink.

According to most experts and, indeed, Rangers supporters, this doesn't come as a surprise. Chairman Craig Whyte bought the club from then-chairman and owner David Murray for one pound in 2011, a telltale sign if ever there was one that all is not right in Glasgow. If anything, it suggests there's something very rotten at the core. Irony of ironies, the Old Firm -- a backhanded term that suggests two teams reaping the profits of their rivalry -- is close to being one-half bankrupt.

On Monday, we chatted with our resident expert on the Scottish Premier League, Derek Rae, who announces SPL matches for ESPN in the U.K., to get his views on what this all means for Rangers, the Old Firm and the health of the league overall. Here's what he had to say.

What's your overall take on Rangers' financial debacle?

Derek Rae: It's not a massive surprise because when Craig Whyte moved into the ownership position at the start of the season, he moved in under difficult circumstances. Heavily in debt, and with this tax case hanging over the club -- it's been hanging over them for a while -- it's a legacy of payments made to players done back over a number of years and the way these players were paid, using offshore entities. So Rangers have been waiting for a verdict in this case. We reckon that ruling will be any day now. It could be that Rangers got wind of what the tax tribunal will say and have decided this is the time to go into administration.

There are many people who feel that this was Whyte's plan all along -- that upon buying the club, he thought going into administration was inevitable. He's not said this publically, but he's not denied it, either. It's going to be a tense few days.

The interesting thing is, once you go into administration, there is a moratorium on the debt to give the club a chance to continue. So, I'll give you an example: Dundee United, who played Rangers in the Scottish Cup last week, have come out and said they are owed 100,000 pounds by Rangers as part of their fee that the visiting team gets in the Scottish Cup. And they're probably not going to get that because there would be a moratorium on the debt.

So it's up to the administrator at that point to sort out, "Right, here's what you can afford and here's what you can't afford." Players might be asked to take a cut in wages. Some might be offered a settlement to leave. All these options are open to the administrator, but it's very uncertain what will happen when a team goes into administration.

Rangers could re-form under a different name potentially.

DR: We've seen it before. Some teams will re-emerge under a different guise. At the moment, Rangers Football Club is the name of the team. But there's no official team called Glasgow Rangers Football Club, so theoretically they could go into administration, come out of it -- the old entity of Rangers Football Club would cease to exist -- and could re-form. And it would be up to the SPL and Scottish Football Association in this case to decide if they could move into the old Rangers' place with a 10-point penalty and try to operate on that basis. Obviously, they would be a very different entity, and there are all sorts of ramifications in terms of European football as well. If they were to get into Europe, which would still be a possibility with a 10-point deduction, the question of the license to get into European football would need to be sorted. It's not simple.

How does this potentially affect the Old Firm?

DR: The old argument has always been that the one needs the other -- that Celtic need Rangers. And while they are rivals, in a sense one has lifted the other. What really happened, if you go back a few years when David Murray was the chairman at Rangers, he famously said that "for every five pounds Celtic spend, I'll spend 10." That's really what got Rangers into this financial mess. If you go back 10, 11 years, they were paying players the sort of money that really ought to get you to the quarterfinal or semifinals of the Champions League.

"

Without Rangers, what are Celtic going to do? Win the league by 40 points every year? Their fans might enjoy that, but I'm not sure that would be a formula for success.

" -- Derek Rae

In terms of SPL, obviously Rangers and Celtic are the big selling points. And Celtic supporters might think, "Well, it would be nice to say goodbye to Rangers." But if they think it through, they'll realize that in many respects, their identity changes if they don't have Rangers around. You've got to go back to 1985 for the last time a non-Old Firm team won the top flight in Scotland. Losing Rangers would have profound ramifications for the Scottish game.

Both Celtic and Rangers need to address the competition element within the SPL. Not necessarily to the point of empowering teams that can actually beat them in the SPL, but I think without Rangers, what are Celtic going to do? Win the league by 40 points every year? Their fans might enjoy that, but I'm not sure that would be a formula for success.

Is this case a reflection of a deeper problem in the SPL?

DR: If you look at what's happened south of the border and the silly money that's floating around in English football, the SPL suffers in comparison. It's not that these EPL football clubs are inherently better or financially superior or better-run. There was an active decision made 20 years ago to invest money in English football, with television companies bankrolling the game, and the same thing didn't quite happen north of the border even though Rangers and Celtic as football clubs are as big as the biggest clubs in England. There's no doubt about that.

And the other thing I'd say about the Scottish game is that, again, it has been a two-team league historically, but if you look at the percentage of the population that goes to matches, then more people in Scotland go to watch football than just about any country in Europe, and that includes England by the way. So it's not like the people are turning their backs on Scottish football. I think the SPL have made quite positive moves in the past few years, great strides in terms of bringing young players through the ranks and trying to win back some of the supporters.

And we're also not just talking about any run-of-the-mill club.

DR: Rangers are more than a football club. This is a cultural thing for Scotland as well, if the worst were to happen. Rangers are the embodiment of a section of Scottish society, and Celtic the same. It would have serious ramification for Scottish society as a whole, and what I'd say personally is we have to keep our fingers crossed that Rangers remain in existence because they have a very proud history. They hold the record for number of domestic titles won, and I don't think Celtic would be quite the same without Rangers.

There's a saying in the U.S. about some institutions being "too big to fail." Is that the case for Rangers, or are they really looking into the abyss?

DR: Well, I think the second scenario is not impossible … I don't think they are too big to fail -- though you'd like to think that is the case. There are vast swaths of Rangers supporters in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. as well. So it's a difficult one. I think everyone connected with the club and with Scottish football has to hope that Whyte made all the right calculations when he moved into the chairman's position.

And there are various other distractions. For example: A Swedish team, GAIS, who sold a player [Mervan Celik] to Rangers two or three weeks ago are now saying there's a dispute over compensation. The goalposts are moving all the time.

Something of a tangent here, but we read about Rangers and Celtic yearning to play in the English Premier League. If Rangers see this tax case through, will there be renewed calls for the Old Firm to join the EPL?

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Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesCarlos Bocanegra joined Rangers in 2011.

DR: Well, I think that this always comes up every year or so, and inevitably someone knocks it down. The big problem is that, if you are the vast majority of English clubs, you have to ask yourself, "Why would you want Rangers or Celtic?" Because they'd become rivals for you in what is the richest football league in the world. There's no question that, hypothetically, if a team like Celtic were playing in the Premier League [it would do well]. They already have crowds that are up there among the biggest in Britain. And they would then get Premier League money. It stands to reason that it would not take them long to be competing for the Premier League title. I think that's just logic.

But -- and it's a big "but" -- they are a Scottish team, and Scotland is an independent country within UEFA and FIFA. And the problem for Scottish football is that if Celtic and Rangers hypothetically played their football in England, all the media interest would follow them and it would have the effect of, well, not rendering the SPL irrelevant but certainly diminishing its importance. So the idea tends to flounder when people look at it. There's not enough interested parties apart from the teams themselves, and maybe the biggest teams in England, because it might bring more riches as they'll never be too fearful of losing their position in the Premier League. But the Wigans, Stokes and Blackburns wouldn't touch this idea with a barge pole.

And another problem with this idea: If all of a sudden permission was given for Celtic to play in England, then the floodgates would be open. Ajax might want to play in the Bundesliga. You might have Portuguese teams saying they should get to play in La Liga. It would become a nightmare for UEFA.

And in some ways, Scottish football is trying to get its financial house in order.

The irony is that in the last few years, financial prudence has taken over in the SPL. This isn't happening because of things that occurred a year or two ago. It's a legacy of a decade ago and the daft spending. But most Scottish teams are living very well within their means, and young players are coming through. I actually think better times are just around the corner. I think teams have realized that the future is with their youth. Like MLS, it doesn't want to be known as a league of young players, but I've always argued that is one of MLS' great strengths -- that it has been a fantastic league for the production of American talent, like Carlos Bocanegra, who plays at Rangers. And the SPL shouldn't be ashamed to be that.

For now, it's too early to say whether Rangers will go out of business. It's a time for cool heads and sharp minds, and with a bit of luck, they can get themselves out of this.

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Matthew Peters/Getty ImagesLuis Suarez's refusal to shake hands set the tone for a tense game that saw Wayne Rooney score twice to give United the 2-1 win.

If there were any question about who is the most polarizing figure in football at the moment, Luis Suarez answered them at Old Trafford on Saturday. In the span of some 90 minutes, the controversial Uruguayan refused to shake Patrice Evra's hand before the opening whistle, found himself at the center of a tunnel bust-up at halftime, petulantly kicked the ball into the stands on one occasion and toward the touchline past Evra on another, and scored an improbable goal in the 80th minute against the run of play. Before the game, the police confiscated thousands of copies of a United fanzine that contained a poor "joke" for fear that it would stir up further racial hatred. And after the final whistle blew, giving Manchester United a deserved 2-1 victory, Evra sprinted down the pitch to celebrate with the fans right in front of Suarez, causing another moment of tension between the two sides, all before Sir Alex Ferguson branded the striker a "disgrace."

Right, that's it. Out of the way. All the ugliness of this season of hate continues, but believe it or not, a football game also broke out.

The first half was a taut affair, with few chances as both sides played conservatively. Liverpool set up with one player, Suarez, up top. Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck led the charge for United, with Ryan Giggs providing service on the left and Antonio Valencia down the right. As the minutes ticked by, trends quickly emerged.

One: Valencia terrorized Jose Enrique time and again down the right, as the pacy winger has done to so many left backs this season. Two: Glen Johnson, often not given the credit he deserves, looked strong in attack and made some good defensive stops as well. Three: Evra, for all his energetic play down the flank last week, continued his poor run of defensive showings. And four: Liverpool's "big buys" of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson had terrible shifts, often failing to execute the most basic of passes, forcing Steven Gerrard to do more dirty work than Kenny Dalglish would have preferred.

The first real chance happened in the 10th minute, as Suarez's clever one-touch pass found Johnson in space on the right. The English international got on the inside of Evra for the second time already, but with David de Gea beaten, he hit the ball wide of the far post. United's best chance came in a Barcelona-worthy sequence of one-touch passes: Welbeck to Rooney to Paul Scholes. One part of United's ageless wonders, Scholes picked out his counterpart, Giggs, on the left and continued his run toward goal. Giggs crossed the ball to Scholes, who should have scored with his header, but instead it ended up straight into the gloves of Pepe Reina.

In the 32nd minute, Giggs also played Welbeck in behind, but the born-and-bred Mancunian opted to pick out Rooney -- who was crowded by a sea of white shirts -- instead of taking the shot.

Another member of United's old guard, Rio Ferdinand, won the ball from Dirk Kuyt in the penalty box in the 40th minute. And in the 45th, Ferdinand put in a perfectly timed challenge to prevent Suarez from being free on goal.

The halftime whistle blew, Suarez booted the ball into the stands, Jonny Evans argued with referee Phil Dowd and Dalglish appealed to his striker to calm down.

But whereas Liverpool was well in the game for 45 minutes, it lost the match in four. The second half started like the first one, with Valencia putting Enrique in his back pocket and earning a corner in the 47th minute. But on the ensuing kick, Henderson's nightmare continued as the player headed the ball into Rooney's feet, and without hesitation, Rooney swept the ball past Reina. It wasn't an easy finish, either. In the 50th minute, Jay Spearing -- a player who has shown some encouraging signs this season with his ability to get "stuck in" and help nail down the midfield -- cheaply gave the ball away to (who else?) Valencia. The break was on, as Valencia played in Rooney down the middle. Once again, without hesitation, Rooney slotted the ball under Reina with his first touch.

Rooney has been criticized for not bringing his A-game against Liverpool; coming into this match, he had scored twice in 19 appearances against the Reds. In four minutes, he doubled that tally.

From there, Liverpool's spirit wilted to the point that for large swaths of the second half many of the players seemed to have given up. Heads dropping, it was an abject display, the kind that makes you wonder whether the referee should card players for not trying. There was no closing down, no tackling to be seen as the Reds allowed United to calmly, easily pass the ball around without any pressure.

It wasn't a rope-a-dope, or at least it didn't look that way. But against the run of play, Michael Carrick tackled Suarez from behind for a foul and yellow card. On the ensuing free kick, Evans fell down in the box as the ball bounded off the side of a surprised Ferdinand, who didn't seem to expect the ball to come to him. Of course, the ball could only drop to one player, and just like that Suarez made it 2-1.

From there, nerves showed on both sides, and Craig Bellamy (on as a sub in the 61 minute) helped enliven his side. You could say that, had Liverpool put in the kind of effort it displayed in the dying minutes for the entire second half, Dalglish's players might have gotten something out of the game. Instead, United saw the victory through to go one point clear of Manchester City atop the table, until the Sky Blues take the pitch Sunday against Aston Villa.

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Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty ImagesThe match ended like it began, with tensions high.

Sadly, the match ended like it started, with tensions high. Evra couldn't resist celebrating the win in Suarez's face, prompting Dowd and several Liverpool players to push the Frenchman aside and derail his taunts. Evra could have taken a dignified route to his postmatch revelry rather than trying to wind up the Uruguayan in a bit of a stunt that could have caused things to turn even uglier.

But Ferguson had the final word, ripping into Suarez for the player's refusal to shake Evra's hand, calling him a "disgrace." "I couldn't believe, I just could not believe it," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "Patrice told me this morning, 'I'm going to shake his hand, I've nothing to be ashamed of.' But then Suarez refuses. He's a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club. Some players should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again, the history that club's got, and he does that. In a situation like today he could have caused a riot."

It all leads you to wonder what the future will hold for Suarez, both at Liverpool and in the Premier League. Will Dalglish & Co. continue to stand by their divisive player? With more ugly displays like today's game, Suarez will continue to put the people who support him in a tough position -- and if he keeps it up, he may earn himself a one-way ticket out of England.

Icon SMI/AP Photo/Getty ImagesFrom Fabio Capello's resignation to Harry Redknapp's trial and John Terry's controversy, English football has taken a troubling turn this season.

Among the major allures of the English Premier League are the various distractions and dramas off the pitch -- the transfers, the gossip, the training bust-ups. We enjoy Joey Barton's Twitter martyrdom, or when managers come unhinged on camera (see: Roy Hodgson's head-banging antics) or, like Ian Holloway, give alarmingly honest answers in normally mundane postgame chat.

Then there are the really special times, those premeditated news conferences managers use to wage war. Sir Alex Ferguson is the master, though the funniest one of the past few years had to be Rafa Benitez's "facts" rant. The game around the game is always worth a chuckle; it lures you in. Mario Balotelli's antics and growing urban legend; Monday-morning debates about what is, and isn't, a penalty -- it all keeps things lively.

But there's also no question that English football has taken on a troubling, foreboding tone this season. A pall has been cast, and it shows no sign of going away any time soon.

The latest images along these lines could be seen Wednesday night, when pictures of Fabio Capello driving off after resigning as England manager hit the wire. The Don of the Zoo, Capello shockingly tendered his resignation. He'd simply had enough.

Ordinarily, someone leaving his post as the Three Lions coach isn't anything unusual -- the position has a unique impossibility to it, given the media and pressure, leading some to brand it a poisoned chalice -- but there's an added twist to this drama. Capello quit over the Football Association's decision to strip John Terry of his captain's armband until a court of law decides whether he is indeed guilty of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand. "Innocent until proven guilty" was the message Capello was sending. Whichever side you agree with, the tumult served to highlight a footballing culture embroiled in unfortunate and ugly controversies that are dominating the news cycle.

England coverage

Click on links below for more stories on Fabio Capello's resignation and what's next:

• Thomas: All this over an armband?
• Troubling times for football
• Next in line
• Assessing the fall out
• Football Association's plans »
• Brewin: No backward glances

In this past week alone, we were bombarded with depressing stories about racism, tax evasion, homophobia, ignorance and ineptitude. Beyond the Luis Suarez affair, as well as the Terry-Ferdinand row and its Capello tie-in, you'll find more. Two teenagers who racially abused Newcastle's Sammy Ameobi on Twitter were given final warnings by police. Plymouth Argyle has launched an investigation into allegations that a Southend player was racially abused by a spectator during the League Two match between the teams this past Saturday. A retired Notts County striker entered a not guilty plea on sexual assault charges. Former United midfielder Ravel Morrison, who signed with West Ham in January, is facing censure for posting a homophobic tweet. And a Manchester United fan who shouted racist abuse at a black player during the Stoke City-United match on Jan. 31 was fined 200 pounds and banned from football matches for three years this week. All separate incidents, yet all of them feel tied together with an unfortunate bond.

On the plus side, action has been taken in some of these cases -- authorities are trying to clamp down and demonstrate that such behavior cannot be tolerated, but the FA is clearly struggling to figure out its own responses and punishments. It's canceling the prematch handshakes for the QPR-Chelsea match, purportedly to save Terry and Anton Ferdinand (and you, the viewer) from an awkward moment, though some could see this particular FA decision as an act of cowardice.

Then again, the powers that be did an about-face this week: For Saturday's highly charged Liverpool-United league match, the FA insists that the teams should come out to shake hands, reminiscent of FIFA's Sepp Blatter telling us that what happens on the pitch should be settled with a handshake. It's a sentiment echoed by Suarez, who told Uruguayan media this week: "I knew what I did and there is a kind of football law that says: 'What happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch and that's the end of the story.'"

What did Bill Maher say recently? Ah, yes: "Denying racism is the new racism."

At least the FA has taken action -- sometimes thoughtful, but sometimes seemingly rash. It meted out Suarez's eight-game ban, which has led many to wonder what will happen if Terry is similarly found guilty in a court of law -- a decision that has stupidly been postponed until after Euro 2012, so the cloud of the case can loom over football for many more months. In this highly toxic atmosphere, the FA decided it was best to strip Terry of the captaincy even though his innocence or guilt has yet to be proved, which in turn led Capello to break ranks, feeling that his authority had been irreparably undermined. Last straw, camel's back and all that. All the while Harry Redknapp has been cleared of tax evasion and is the odds-on favorite to become the next full-time don of England, while Stuart Pearce takes charge for the team's friendly against the Netherlands on Feb. 29. (A decision Barry Fry is clearly not happy with -- or the idea of bringing in another foreign manager.)

Head spinning yet?

Sadly, these spectacles seem to be playing out on a daily basis. Watching Andre Villas-Boas squirm in his seat when asked, after Chelsea's 3-3 draw with United this past weekend, what he thought of Blues fans booing Rio Ferdinand (brother of Anton) should make us all uncomfortable. (He may have squirmed even more if pressed about how those boos also rained down on Patrice Evra.) But it's something that needs to be discussed in the open. Maybe Capello's decision to leave England will help further the dialogue. As AVB essentially said, light needs to be shone on actions that should not be tolerated. Other managers, such as Ferguson, have come out to strongly condemn racism. At least one high-profile manager has not.

We get mixed messages from sporting bodies, all while some fans and players continue to act -- or are accused of acting -- like Neanderthals.

Strong characters on and off the pitch are needed, that much seems certain.

In the meantime, folks will debate the importance of a piece of fabric around a man's arm. Arguments will ignite about which manager is best suited (and crazy enough) to sit on the England throne, and how all this will help, or hinder, the team's chances in Poland and Ukraine.

But let's not lose sight of why Capello left in the first place, and what's been plaguing the game for too many months now. It's enough to make many of us yearn for the days when the controversy du jour involved Balotelli and some fireworks.

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John Peters/Man Utd/Getty ImagesWayne Rooney was instrumental in United's comeback from three goals down.

Manchester United was unable to end a decade-long futility Sunday at Stamford Bridge, a ground where it had failed to win since April 2002, when Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes led the Red Devils to a 3-0 victory. The two players were involved again (Giggs as a starter and Scholes a second-half substitution), and the Red Devils ended up again scoring three times. But it was the manner at which the final score line was arrived -- United trailed by three before leveling with five minutes remaining -- to give Sir Alex Ferguson's side a morale-boosting draw, perhaps sending a message to league leader Manchester City that you can never count United out.

But no matter the spirit in United's comeback; the headlines will be equally dominated by the all-too-familiar refrain we hear after thrilling matches these days -- poor refereeing. Let's review.

In the first half, Chelsea turned in a strong performance, although it had only one goal to show for it. In the 36th minute, Daniel Sturridge juked past Patrice Evra on the left -- a recurring sight throughout the match, as these two had one of the more intriguing one-on-one battles -- and closed in on goal. The former Manchester City player took a shot; keeper David de Gea stuck out his foot to block the ball, which ricocheted off Jonny Evans for an own goal. Bit of luck, true, but the Blues were creating plenty of opportunities with their energetic play.

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Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty ImagesReferee Howard Webb once again found himself at the center of the storm for his decisions on fouls and penalties.

It was an ironic moment, to boot. This past week, Darron Gibson, a former United player, scored against City; now Ferguson's team was on the receiving end.

Fernando Torres, it must be said, showed a lot of energy as he hurried and harassed United's players; knowing, surely, that if you're not going to score, you'd better contribute in other ways. But he's also not the only one who seems to have lost his way. Howard Webb, the game referee, again had another clunker. Opinion has been divided for some time on the big-game whistle-blower: Some call him "England's best referee," others see him as a stooge and, in particular, a stooge in Red Devil red. Although in the 11th minute, Webb got one wrong in favor of Chelsea. Giggs slipped the ball through the middle to Danny Welbeck, whose touch took him away from Gary Cahill. Playing in place of the injured John Terry, Cahill slid to tackle, missed the ball and took out Welbeck. Penalty, and a possible red card, as Welbeck would have had a clear goal-scoring opportunity, but Webb made no call and waved play on, leaving Ferguson frothing on the sideline.

Webb also inexplicably carded Branislav Ivanovic right before the first half ended, even though the player got the ball when tackling Evra. It wouldn't be the last time Webb factored into the game.

At the start of the second half, Torres made his best contribution to the proceedings -- a sublime cross from the right-hand side toward Juan Mata. As right back Rafael moved toward the center to help cover, Mata found himself wide-open. His thunderous volley was almost as impressive as Robin van Persie's from earlier this season; the ball smashed into the roof of the net. De Gea had some limp-wrist, anxiety-ridden moments until then, but on this strike there was nothing he could have done.

Mata was involved in the next goal, too, a few minutes later. After Sturridge earned a free kick from an Evra foul, Mata swung the ball into the box. David Luiz rose to the ball without challenge, and his ensuing header -- which looked as though it might have gone wide -- hit off Rio Ferdinand's shoulder and ended up in the back of the net.

It's at this point you reckoned United was going to come unraveled, as shades of the City thrashing must have haunted players, supporters and Sir Alex alike. In that match, after going down 4-1, Ferguson's side continued to attack and was cut wide-open. But on Sunday, United was awarded two penalties in 11 minutes to turn the tide: one that seemed legitimate and one that seemed a bit harsh. The first involved the game's two most frequent combatants, Evra and Sturridge, as the Chelsea striker clumsily crashed into Evra in the box -- ironically, this happened seconds after Sky Sports reported that manager Andre Villas-Boas was yelling at Sturridge for not tracking back and helping with the defense. Wayne Rooney, who was United's most consistent player on the day, hit an unstoppable penalty into the upper left. 3-1.

The second penalty was a bit more dubious. Rooney slipped a through ball to Javier Hernandez. With three defenders chasing him, Chicharito stopped, pivoted and played the ball to Welbeck in the box. Ivanovic lunged for the ball and made contact, sending Welbeck to the floor. Another penalty, although based on the replay it looked as though Welbeck placed his foot into Ivanovic to draw the call. Again, Rooney assumed the spot and scored. 3-2.

Chelsea may have a right to be angry over that call, but Villas-Boas & Co. can have no complaints about the third United tally. In the 84th minute, in a full-field attack started by Ferdinand near United's goal, Valencia passed the ball to Evra, who crossed it into the box for Rooney. His ensuing shot was parried away by Petr Cech, but Giggs was there to regain control. The Welshman put the ball back into the box, and Chicharito came storming in. No one, especially Cahill, marked him, giving Little Pea the easiest of headers.

Webb's calls aside, Chelsea should have added at least a fourth goal in the 77th minute when Mata lofted a ball to Torres. El Nino (can we really even call him that anymore?) brought the ball under control with his chest and moved around Evans toward the right. He had a clear shot on goal 7 yards out. But instead of taking the shot, the dangerously low-on-confidence striker stopped and cut back inside, allowing Antonio Valencia to steal possession. That, along with a wayward shot in the first half, summed up Torres' attempts on goal -- sadly pathetic, as he now has more yellow cards (four) in a Chelsea shirt than he does Premier League goals (three).

Chelsea had two more clear chances. In stoppage time, Mata curled a beautiful ball off a free kick that was heading for the upper-right corner, but United's much-maligned keeper made a tremendous stop. He also was called into service a minute later when he stopped a rifled-from-distance shot by Michael Essien, proving yet again that de Gea is at his best when he only has to react rather than think.

But all that will undoubtedly be overshadowed by Chelsea fans' anger toward Webb, the so-called United stooge, and the fact that United has now been awarded four penalties in two games. In fact, United has been awarded more penalties -- seven -- than any other EPL team this season. But that should not detract from the fact that Ferguson's side could well, and easily, have given up after falling down by three goals. Instead, his players staged a rousing comeback in a thrilling game that included its share of dodgy calls.

"It's two points lost," Rooney told the media afterward. "We understand that, but after being 3-0 down -- the City players watching at home won't have enjoyed the way we fought back. A lot of teams might have put their heads down and accepted defeat, but we never put our heads down."

Chelsea will feel hard done by, no doubt, but the Blues have plenty of reason to be optimistic, too: Mata was excellent, as usual; Cahill now provides added depth at the back; Torres had his moments, albeit not in front of goal; and the team overall should have won without Terry, Ashley Cole or Didier Drogba starting. But all that might be little solace to a team that, like United, will feel that it dropped two points, as it now clings to a one-point lead in fourth place ahead of Newcastle and the final Champions League spot. On the other hand, giving up a three-goal lead, regardless of dubious decisions, will raise plenty of questions, too.

Just when you thought the run-in couldn't get any more intriguing.

Getty ImagesRoberto Mancini and Alex Ferguson are both trying to close in on the Prem title. Who has the advantage?

Sometimes, you have to leave home to be fully appreciated. That's what we learned this week.

Toward the end of the Manchester United versus Stoke City tilt Tuesday, the Old Trafford faithful started to sing Darron Gibson's name. "There's only one Darron Gibson," the refrain went, as the delighted crowd relished the Irishman's goal from distance (can he hit them any other way?). It was his most famous tally for the United cause, one that could prove pivotal in the title race, and it came with Gibson wearing the blue of Merseyside. In the 60th minute, Gibson -- who left United for Everton only a couple of weeks ago -- lashed a shot past City keeper Joe Hart for the game's only goal. "There's only one Darron Gibson" indeed. This was the player who earlier in the season had to pull down his Twitter account in the first two hours because a vociferous faction of the United faithful decided to vent their frustrations over the 99 percent of those speculative shots that never found their mark.

But all was forgiven on a cold night up north. After the match, Sir Alex Ferguson was holding court on TV. He was asked about Gibson's goal. "All part of the plan," the manager said, unable to suppress a grin.

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Cal Sport Media/AP ImagesDarron Gibson's long-range effort helped United draw even on points with City.

If this were a Hollywood script, critics would pan it for being hackneyed. But the moment was to be savored by United supporters and neutrals alike, because the league title race is well and truly back on as Ferguson's crew drew level on points with league leader Manchester City.

For all their talent, for all the talk that they would run away with the Prem title, the Sky Blues find themselves in a scrap. There are those who will tell you they knew it all along -- that Ferguson's side would be there, or thereabouts, right to the death. But many observers, even United fans, will tell you (if they're honest) that they tipped City to run away with the title. And, of course, Roberto Mancini's team may still finish atop the table.

It's still all to play for at this point, with City ahead on goal difference and 15 fixtures remaining. With pressure building for each side, when every kick of the ball (and opponent) will be under an unrelenting and unforgiving media microscope, let's take a look at how City and United stack up heading into the run-in.

Fixtures

Manchester United is in the middle of a tough run of matches. It defeated Arsenal 2-1 on Jan. 22 to kick it off, and on Sunday it faces Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Blues continue to cope with their own issues -- when Jose Bosingwa is the player salvaging a draw in stoppage time against Swansea, you know Andre Villas-Boas is still a country mile away from fine-tuning what he calls his "project" -- and have scored two goals in their past three league matches. Still, a trip to the Bridge is no guarantee of three points. After that, Wayne Rooney & Co. host Liverpool, which is enjoying its best string of results in a long time, including defeating United in the FA Cup last week. A clash at White Hart Lane on March 4 ends this particularly tough patch.

Manchester City, on the other hand, has a relatively easy time through this same period, with matches against Fulham at home, Aston Villa away, Blackburn at home, Bolton at home and Swansea away. If we've learned anything this season, we know that sides will stumble when you least expect it, but on paper City should bank maximum points, or close to it.

Timing could be key: After March 10, United's schedule eases up (again, on paper) and City's becomes more challenging. The Sky Blues host Chelsea on March 19, then travel to the bizarro world of the Britannia, where fouls are considered an art form and Peter Crouch is king. The Emirates beckons on April 7. (OK, based on Arsenal's latest display, Stoke may be the tougher challenge.)

As player-turned-pundit Gary Neville has said, City needs to start bagging points now to hold off United later. "And though Roberto Mancini … thinks the clash between the two on April 28 will be the D-Day that decides the title," Neville wrote, "I think D-Day is actually March 3. That's when United play Tottenham at White Hart Lane and it will be the end of a particularly tricky run of fixtures in the next two months of the season for United, in which they have to face Arsenal away, Chelsea away and Liverpool at home."

Advantage: City ... but stay tuned.

Pressure

This all comes down to the manager, and can there really be any debate here? Like him or loathe him, Ferguson's ability to get his side into top form down the stretch is legendary. He's been fairly quiet on the mind games this season, content to ride City's coattails. It's also familiar territory for SAF: In the past 11 seasons, United has been either first or second with 23 matches played in all but one season (2004-05). When in second -- which the side technically is now, based on goal difference -- it ended up finishing second twice and winning it twice. When United has been in first with 23 played, which accounts for six times during this span, it has failed to win the league only twice, in 2003-04 and 2001-02.

Stats aside, Ferguson is the master of "squeaky bum time." While he's made his share of mistakes this campaign -- in an attempt to paper over a slew of injuries, he's played certain players out of position and in too many different positions; dropped players out of anger (Rooney) or mystery (Nemanja Vidic for one particular game, opting for Jonny Evans instead); and his choices and tactics in the Champions League perhaps betrayed an arrogance that he believed qualification to the knockout stages was never in doubt. On the flip side, Ferguson has managed to get by despite missing key players, and he's taken some gambles (Paul Scholes, anyone?) that have so far paid dividends.

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Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty ImagesMan City will receive a huge boost when Yaya Toure returns from the African Cup of Nations.

SAF's counterpart is showing troubling signs that the pressure is getting to him. In some ways, Mancini is in a no-win situation: If he loses the league, there's a sense that he will be sacked in the aftermath of owner Sheikh Mansour's rage that millions of dollars in investment didn't yield Prem bling. Or so goes the theory. If Mancini wins, some will say he was supposed to win with such a deep, talented squad.

More worrying for City fans is Mancini's reaction after the loss at Goodison Park on Tuesday. It might not be the cauldron of other grounds, but it's well known as a "tough place to play," yet the Italian inexplicably seemed not to know this. "We didn't prepare properly for this game," Mancini said. "Maybe I thought it would be easier against Everton than it was. I should have known it is never easy coming here."

For a manager of Mancini's stature, at a club of City's size, to say "we didn't prepare" is a shocking admission. Maybe the manager will be proved correct that the "defeat is not important." Maybe the loss will prevent future faulty assumptions. But statements like that don't inspire confidence in the players around you.

Advantage: United

Field players

United's physios and physicians have no doubt worked overtime this season, with so many players going down to injury. But the Red Devils are set to get a boost, because Nani, Rooney, Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young will all be available, at least on the bench, for Sunday's match. Meanwhile, Phil Jones, Anders Lindegaard (out for four to six weeks) and David De Gea are all nursing injuries. Rio Ferdinand is back, but for how long before his pesky back returns him to the sidelines alongside Vidic, who's out for the season? Yet other players have raised their game. Scholes has been brilliant (how long he can stay sharp is the big question for him), Michael Carrick has impressed (he has the best pass completion percentage on United overall at 90.3 percent and inside the final third) and Antonio Valencia is the most in-form player in the EPL. Since Dec. 1, he has completed the third-most crosses in the EPL, 32, behind only Juan Mata (48) and Matthew Etherington (34).

Also of note: This campaign's squad has 54 points, three better than United had at this stage last season. If it weren't for City's blazing progress, people would be critiquing United in a different light.

For City, there can be no question that it has the greatest depth and breadth of talent. But it has struggled of late, especially in breaking down stubborn defenses. Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko seemed to get in each other's way too often, and while Samir Nasri has had his moments, overall it's been an average season for him. Earlier in the season, City started games slow but finished with a flourish. Can it get the spark back?

Influential defender Vincent Kompany is back from suspension, and Yaya Toure will soon return from the African Cup of Nations. The powerhouse of a midfielder -- who can tackle, make deep runs from midfield and hold the ball up -- still leads the EPL in passes completed despite not playing a match since Jan. 3. And he not only passes in bulk, but in quality. Among the 55 EPL players who have attempted at least 1,000 passes this season, Yaya is third in completion rate at 89.7 percent, and City scores plus-1.9 goals per 90 minutes with him on the pitch. When he returns, others like David Silva won't have to drop back as far, and the Sky Blues could return to their champagne football.

If anything, man management will be Mancini's burden: Competing only in the league and the Europa League, which no one really cares about, he'll have more players seeing less playing time. Keeping them content and focused will be harder than ever. But winning is the best balm for anyone riding the bench.

Advantage: City

January transfers

Scholes came back into the side for United to rave reviews, and his inclusion in the side allows Carrick to concentrate on the more mundane (but no less important) midfield duties. Otherwise, Ferguson will rely on the same players who have taken him this far. City brought in Roma's David Pizarro, a veteran of the midfield with a history of knee problems as a result of 13 seasons in Serie A (you can read Michael Cox's piece on him here). He also hasn't played since October, though he'll be yet another player at Mancini's disposal, even if it's off the bench.

Advantage: City

Between the sticks

Simple, this. Hart is one of the Prem's best keepers, with excellent reflexes, positioning and an extraordinary ability to make himself "big" in one-on-one situations. United relied on third-string Ben Amos against Stoke on Tuesday. If the Potters weren't so poor, we might have gotten a better look at young Ben's skills. And even when De Gea returns from injury (or sickness, or whatever the story is, as it changes seemingly daily), United's last man of defense is a liability.

Advantage: City

Other competitions

Both clubs are out of the Carling Cup and FA Cup, as well as the Champions League. All that remains is the Europa League and those dreaded Thursday night fixtures followed by Sunday league matches. It will be like Dolby stereo with Ferguson and Mancini both complaining, but ultimately they will prioritize the EPL. Indeed, perhaps the worst thing for either side would be, ironically, a winning streak in Europe. With each passing round, the Europa League would take on added significance and force the hand of each manager to treat it with something that most clubs refuse to give it -- respect.

Advantage: Even.

X factor

Two words: Mario Balotelli. You never know what the wildly entertaining, arrogant yet likable striker will do next. He's as prone to take a sublime penalty kick as he is to be sent off for an act of rash stupidity. And then there is the player who shall not be named, in exile in Argentina. So far Mancini deserves credit for his handling of the situation, but could it become a major distraction again? At Old Trafford there seems less chance for any controversy to dust up, so long as Rooney keeps his after-hours activities in check and Neville doesn't decide to come out of retirement to join Scholes.

Advantage: United

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Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesDaniel Agger celebrates after heading home Liverpool's first goal.

Tensions were high heading into Saturday's Liverpool-United FA Cup fourth-round clash. Supporters and players called for calm in the first meeting between the two sides since the ugly incident between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra. Suarez was in the stands, looking prim and proper in a tie, while Evra was on the pitch, his every touch greeted by a chorus of boos. That said, the warnings seemed to have worked: In a matchup that has seen seven red cards in the past 11 meetings, referee Mark Halsey only brandished one card, a yellow to right back Rafael de Silva.

But this isn't to say that the game failed to live up to its billing. On the contrary, it was a pulsating 90 minutes of parry and thrust, of full-bodied English football high on energy, if not the most technically brilliant display you'll ever see. Manchester United dominated most of the match with 62 percent possession, but it was the simplest of long balls that turned the tide at the end, giving Liverpool a 2-1 win over its archrival and sending the Reds into the FA Cup fifth round. United has only lost two of its past 17 FA Cup matches away from home -- and guess where? Anfield, where the Reds remain undefeated this season.

When the starting lineups were announced, United fans were no doubt interested to see the return of David De Gea in goal. After all, there were suggestions that the Spanish player needed surgery to correct a condition in one of his eyes that affects his long-range vision. But after conceding the first goal off a set piece in the 21st minute, it was plain to see that what really ails the keeper is a lack of backbone, as De Gea turned in another anxious performance. With Andy Carroll and Martin Kelly in front of him, and Jonny Evans and Antonio Valencia on each side, De Gea was completely boxed out. It was like watching a scene from "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," with the keeper jumping up in the back so he wasn't completely invisible in the class picture. The ensuing free kick saw Daniel Agger time his header to perfection for the go-ahead goal. And while Michael Carrick was also complicit with his lack of covering, De Gea was completely overrun by the situation. He didn't barge out in front of the players; he was more spectator than participant.

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Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesLuis Suarez watched from the stands with his daughter Delfina. The striker will be available when the two teams meet in the league on Feb. 11.

In a bizarre scene, after the goal United's backup keeper, Anders Lindegaard, started to warm up on the touchline. Was that on Sir Alex Ferguson's orders, or was it Lindegaard's way of saying, "Hey, over here -- I'm better"? The Dane hasn't exactly covered himself in glory this season, but does seem to offer a more commanding presence.

There would be more shaky moments for De Gea, including failing to catch a cross from Charlie Adam in the 64th minute that led to a corner. He also was hesitant on a couple of back passes, including one in the 55th minute in which he stupidly turned the ball over to Stewart Downing all of a few yards away from the goalmouth. At one point, in the 68th minute, Carroll bumped into De Gea, who bobbled but ultimately held onto the ball, and the keeper then had words with the striker, as if the young Spaniard feels he shouldn't be so much as brushed up against in the crucible of competition. Until De Gea learns to control his area, and to give as well as he receives, United will continue to be vulnerable at the back.

Liverpool, however, gave up control of the match shortly after the first goal, with Paul Scholes sitting deep and distributing passes with efficiency and vision. Indeed, those who mocked Ferguson's decision to bring the "old man" out of retirement could only marvel as he helped United control the midfield. In the first half alone, Scholes made 75 passes, completing 73 of them.

In the 39th minute, Rafael -- who had a terrific game on both sides of the ball -- made an excellent overlapping run to get on the end of a Valencia backheel. Jose Enrique made a poor challenge, and Rafael burst to the byline where he cut it back for Park Ji-Sung. The South Korean, always a man for the big occasion, thumped the ball past Pepe Reina at the near post.

Through all this, and well into the second half, Carroll was ineffective in the extreme, more albatross than aggressor -- his touches let him down, he failed to hold up play, his work rate was subpar and he was consistently beaten on headers by the likes of Evans and Chris Smalling. In other words, same old story.

But football isn't always a fair game, and while United fans will feel that their team didn't deserve to lose, it certainly got beaten by the most direct of plays. Reina hit a long ball and Carroll -- finally -- contributed in a significant way, flicking on a perfect header that landed at the feet of Dirk Kuyt, who had entered the fray in the 63rd minute. A consummate professional -- and a player who hasn't scored all season -- Kuyt never allows his intensity to waver. And so it was that he, too, had his best moment this season, beating De Gea at the near post.

Fingers won't be pointed at De Gea in this situation, but at Evra. The Frenchman, fresh off his player-of-the-match performance last week against Arsenal, had a subdued game. And it was his lack of covering for his center backs that allowed Liverpool to land the sucker punch.

Kenny Dalglish and Suarez were both rapturous in reaction after that bit of shock and awe left United reeling. Soon after, Carroll hit the crossbar with a header, and Kuyt had another chance as well.

We really can't say we learned anything new from this match. Liverpool continues to desperately need an out-and-out winger in the mold of Macca or, before him, John Barnes. And when Carroll is the lone striker, he fails to deliver pace and endeavor, though Dalglish's substitution of the always-up-for-it Craig Bellamy made a big difference. With Scholes going off and the Welshman coming on, Liverpool was able to control more of the match toward the end.

United, on the other hand, is fine out wide, as Valencia once again put in a strong shift, though it wasn't his best game by any stretch. The Red Devils were actually decent in their weakest spot, the middle of the pitch, thanks to Scholes, who looked absolutely shattered when he came off in the 76th minute. But long-term, Ferguson continues to look for solutions there. And on Saturday, his side also struggled in front of goal, with players often failing to link up with Danny Welbeck. On a few occasions, the striker would make a run behind the defense while the likes of Scholes and Carrick made passes that required Welbeck to stay put. Bringing on Chicharito late to help Welbeck didn't get United back in sync, either.

For now, Ferguson's faith in De Gea must be at an all-time low. He may be the team's keeper of the future, but it's the present that matters, with United trailing City by three points in the league. That and the Europa League are the only two competitions left for Ferguson to try to win.

As for Liverpool, critics may have thought the Reds would have an emotional letdown after defeating Manchester City in the Carling Cup on Wednesday to book their first appearance at Wembley in 16 years -- a result that left the normally stoic Dalglish holding back tears. But the manager's stinging criticism of his squad after an abject 3-1 loss to Bolton on Jan. 21 seems to have done the trick for now. In the meantime, we can wait for these two teams to meet again, on Feb. 11 at Old Trafford, when Suarez will be available and, in all likelihood, will be on the pitch instead of the bench.

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Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty ImagesJose Mourinho might not defeat Barcelona head-to-head, but Real Madrid is still the favorite to win La Liga.

The ever-profound Karl Pilkington spoke about happiness during the premier episode of "An Idiot Abroad 2" this past week. The "round-headed buffoon," as Ricky Gervais affectionately calls his colleague, waxed philosophical on a near-deserted island. "Happiness is like a cake," he said. "Have too much of it, you get sick of it."

It's precisely that feeling that seemed to pervade football last week. Before the Copa del Rey quarterfinal first-leg between Real Madrid and Barcelona, news spread of "Clasico fatigue," an insidious illness that drains your desire to watch two of the best teams in the world face off, presumably because they've done so too many times in the past year.

But then, per usual, La Liga's giants put on a memorable display of passing and pyrotechnics. Really, would people rather be watching Stoke on a rainy Wednesday night? One person who wouldn't is GOL TV's Ray Hudson, who stopped by to chat about the return at Camp Nou, which Barcelona leads by a 2-1 aggregate score. (You can watch it on ESPN3 starting at 4 p.m. ET.)

Before we get into Wednesday's Clasico at Camp Nou, let's briefly revisit the Pepe issue. What does Mourninho and Real Madrid do with the player going forward?

Ray Hudson: Even a blind man on a galloping horse through a thick fog could see that what Pepe did was intentional. … For me, it would be "off with his head." And remember, this isn't a one-time thing; this has happened before with Pepe.

You've also got to remember that this isn't just any club that can tolerate the antics or stupidity of a particular player. That [bad behavior] happens at every club, but this is Real Madrid. They have one of the most prestigious club names in the world. Added to the fact that their reputation has been tarnished in a multitude of ways up to this point, then you throw onto the fire that Pepe has this reputation of having these flashpoints, and then you add in the ingredient of his coach, who is his countryman, and it's a very, very difficult set of circumstances for the Real Madrid hierarchy to address.

What's going on with Real's players? Against Barcelona, they have proven that they can come out guns blazing. Then Barcelona gets back into the game, scores the go-ahead goal and Mourinho's men lose their minds. Every minor foul becomes an epic argument or controversy.

RH: It's an ongoing nightmare for Real Madrid. They've tried everything. They've tried leaning on the referees. They've tried stating that Barcelona are cheats. There's been hue and cry over every little situation where Barcelona's got the benefit. Real Madrid have tried all sorts of formations. They've thrown the kitchen sink, the refrigerator and every other appliance you can think of at them, and Barcelona is still standing tall. Mourinho has mixed up his team, played defensive situations and attacking situations differently. They've taken the lead twice against Barca -- at home, at the Bernabeu. They got the crowd into it. [Last week], they were giving out the white flags before the game. They should have saved them for the end of the game, of course, but that's another story.

Real were playing brilliantly coming into the game. Barcelona were on the other side of the spectrum, not playing too well. But when it's Armageddon time, and it's the Clasico, Barcelona toy with Real Madrid. Truly, they came back and dominated that game. After the first 25 minutes I thought Real Madrid had found the formula. Barcelona had been playing confidently, but they couldn't contain Cristiano Ronaldo, and that came down to a goalkeeping error. After that, Pinto barely got tested.

So where do Real turn now?

RH: I haven't got a clue. And I'm sure Mourinho doesn't. Real Madrid has tried kicking them off the field, they've tried the intimidation, they have been vicious -- remember that tackle Marcelo put in against Cesc Fabregas -- and still Barcelona rise above them. It's intriguing stuff, and now the Pepe situation has added more vitriol to it all. You just hope someone isn't going to get hurt -- I mean, really hurt.

Then there's Barca, struggling against the likes of Betis and Espanyol, yet playing the role of world-beater against Madrid.

RH: Against Barcelona, both Betis and Espaynol came out with a real aggression -- they played a high line, pushed the defense, crowded the midfield with numbers, taking players from the back into the midfield and running the risk of leaving that space behind them to be exploited. And when they did get possession, because of the complete suffocation of the midfield they had the numbers in attack to trouble Barcelona. I think that was the intention of Real Madrid going in, and it did work for a good part of the game. But Barcelona came back -- it shows the character of the team. You don't think this beautiful spider's web of football should hang together, but it does.

I picked Real Madrid to win La Liga at the start of the season. I don't think Barcelona can maintain this operatic high note. They're going to drop their guard, and that's what's happened. And they've done it in the same way Real Madrid did it last year where they dropped points against the lesser teams. Now with the calamity they suffered against Barcelona yet again, Real's intention of winning La Liga will be even stronger.

So you're sticking with your pick?

RH: I am. I say that with a big apple in my throat, because it wouldn't surprise anyone if this Barcelona team came back and won the league. But they've got bigger fish to fry. They want to crown themselves kings of Europe again and put to rest these small, bickering arguments that they might be the greatest club team in the world. For me, they are.

Much has been made about Barcelona not having a Plan B when its possession-based game doesn't work, but we've seen some diversity with Alexis Sanchez, who allows the team to play more directly. He linked up brilliantly with Fabregas last week and yet he still fits into the system unlike, say, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“

We should call them Barca-Lego -- because no matter how you put it together, it's still going to work.

” -- Ray Hudson

RH: It's a wonderful variation on Barcelona's main theme, which is -- and always will be -- possession. But the late-arriving runs of Fabregas are tough to contain, especially when combined with the jack-rabbit pace of Alexis. He's got that wonderful directness to him. And I think Guardiola knew he needed that. Teams started to try and figure out what this elusive equation is to beat Barcelona, and even if they didn't quite crack the code, they were getting closer.

Sanchez can play pretty much anywhere up front.

RH: He's just like all of them, really. We should call them Barca-Lego -- because no matter how you put it together, it's still going to work.

But the ranks are thin. That's another aspect. How the hell has this team won with such a small squad? If you do any research and you look at the size of teams' squads -- especially the Italian teams, AC and Inter -- and it's like 50 players to choose from. But come to Barcelona, it's such a small group. It never ceases to amaze me. When it was 1-1 [last week], you look at the bench. They're little cherubs waiting to get into the game. They're not wrecking machines, but young bucks from the academy. Barcelona have always done it their way, they always will.

Quite in contrast to the EPL, where there's so much talk about squad rotation. Yet when it comes to Barcelona, you rarely get a surprise when the starting XI is announced. There's some rotation, but it's minimal.

RH: Absolutely, you're dead right. And let's talk about the greatest player on God's green earth, because you can never get tired of talking about him. When is the last time Messi got substituted? [Editor's note: Messi has started every La Liga game so far this season without being substituted; click here for a closer look at his appearances.] When Barcelona are four, five, six goals up, Pep keeps Messi in the game. He comes back from World Cup trips from Argentina on a Wednesday, and on a Saturday afternoon, he's playing.

So what's your call for the return leg at Camp Nou?

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Angel Martinez/Getty ImagesWill Mesut Ozil, one of Real's most creative players, get the start at Camp Nou?

RH: I thought Mourinho got so much wrong as that game went on against Barcelona. He should have brought in Mesut Ozil -- who I absolutely adore as a player -- from the get-go, where Ozil can get into a rhythm of a game and dictate play. Marcelo is another one I would have loved to have seen Real Madrid play in that situation.

I think this time, Mourinho may go hell for leather, just damn the torpedoes and play the most attacking team he can. I'd think Marcelo will be in. But what the hell has happen to Nuri Sahin this season? Best player in the Bundesliga last season, big signing for Real Madrid, and he hasn't had the lickings of a dog for Real Madrid. Where he is? They desperately miss Angel Di Maria, a player who wasn't getting the full credit he deserves from the Madrid press. But once he's not there, it's very obvious.

But no matter what Mourinho does, it seems he's up against a brick wall. He needs luck. I don't think it's beyond Real Madrid, I truly don't, and I think they're capable, but they will need monumental performances again from the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Remember that header Benzema missed in the first leg? They can't afford those types of misses again.

Would be great to see Ozil play. Mourinho seems to treat him with kid gloves, taking him off the field early if he starts, or resting him until later in a game. It's a bit perplexing given his talents.

RH: I agree, Ozil is a very subtle and shrewd architect. But you'll never get the impact of a player like that as a substitute. As critical of Kaka as I've been since he got to Real Madrid, he's the type I'd have brought off the bench last week given his experience and talent. That's the situation with Ozil: Mourinho has got to start him so he can integrate with Xabi Alonso and whomever else, whether it's Lassana Diarra or Fabio Coentrao. Any of those players will fit into a combative midfield for Real Madrid.

So now it's down to Mourinho to come up with another formula. Poor guy. There's no way out for him. The only way for him to come clean is to beat Barcelona. He hasn't been able to do it one-on-one, so he's trying to do it in a larger context by beating up on the lesser teams to win the league. If he lifts the La Liga title, he will have achieved something that hasn't been done in a long, long time and they'll love him for that.