City are no slouches in attack and if Anelka is fit, they can be dangerous
The FA Cup fifth round takes centre stage again this weekend, with five of the eight matches live on TV. The appetiser is tonight's Manchester derby, but there is an even more mouth-watering main course tomorrow when Arsenal host Chelsea in another mammoth showdown.
The Manchester clash is set against a backdrop of crisis, which makes it harder to call than usual. United are facing turmoil off the pitch, with all the talk of takeovers and demonstrations, and their Rio Ferdinand-less defence is not doing much to ease the pressure on the field. Wolves, Southampton, Everton and Middlesbrough hardly have the most frightening attacks in the Premiership, but they have put nine goals past United in 31/2 games without Ferdinand, resulting in two defeats.
City's attacking capability is also better than any of the sides United have met so far without Ferdinand, but they are in a crisis of their own. Their 2-1 midweek defeat at Liverpool made it 15 games without a win in the Premiership, though they have knocked out two Premiership sides (Leicester, after a replay, and Spurs, after that now famous comeback) to reach the fifth round of the Cup.
City have not been playing as badly as many reports suggest - they were on top for a good part of their 3-1 defeat at United in December - but their own defence looks ill-equipped to cope with United's attack. If Nicolas Anelka is out again, the balance should tip towards United, but there is no standout bet for the match.
One defensive mistake could decide the Arsenal v Chelsea match - as it did in October when Carlo Cudicini's slip allowed Thierry Henry to score the winner in Arsenal's 2-1 league win at Highbury. If that kind of error can be eliminated, Chelsea should be able to turn the tide of history between these sides (especially in recent FA Cup meetings) and get at least a draw (as they did in a 2-2 here in last season's sixth round, before losing the replay 3-1).