After slumping behind to an eight-point deficit in the race for the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League title, many, Roberto Mancini included, declared the Manchester City title challenge dead and buried. In top form and seemingly unbeatable either at home or away, there seemed little that anyone could do to stop Manchester United from running away with a 20th league title.

Once more, however, United’s many short comings have caught up with them, and what seemed like a sure thing now hangs delicately in the balance. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the race for Premier League glory is still well and truly on, and it could all be decided on Monday the 30th of April in what Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United for some 25 years, has described as his most important Manchester derby.

A loss to Wigan and an inexplicable draw at home to Everton, in which United twice surrendered two-goal leads, coupled with Carlos Tevez’s return across the road and City’s subsequent ruthlessness in front of goal, have thrown up the sort of scenario the neutral dreamed of when the Premier League fixture was drawn all those months ago. With three games to go, Monday’s (or Tuesday’s as it will be on this side of the globe) Manchester derby has the potential to decide this seasons champions or at the very least keep the debate alive until the last second of the season.

Manchester United’s form and particularly their defensive frailties which were exposed once more last Sunday will be giving Sir Alex plenty of headaches going into this game. For the United manager, there will be a very big temptation to take a leaf out of Chelsea’s books and defend for their lives at the Etihad. The truth is, anything less than a win for Manchester City might very well be terminal for their title bid, and Sir Alex will know that the real pressure in this fixture is on City, who simply have to get a result from the match. Unfortunately for United, defending isn’t one of their strong points this campaign, despite the overall good performances from Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans this season and one can’t help but feel that inviting City onto them from the start would be akin to conceding defeat.

With City needing a win in no uncertain terms, there will be no repeat of the bore draw witnessed last time United took to the Etihad in the league. City, and indeed Roberto Mancini, has come a long way since that day where they seemed more concerned with not losing to United rather than beating them, and that culminated in the most impressive of derby performances when the blue half of Manchester smashed their red opponents 6-1 in their own back yard. With an in-form Carlos Tevez seemingly back to his best and playing some wonderful football with his compatriot, Sergio Aguero, City have a strike force that arguably looks in even better shape than they did on that fateful day.

That 6-1 result will overshadow the fact that United actually boast the stronger record in a head-to-head comparison this season. An amazing comeback in the Community Shield after being 2-0 down at half time saw United win 3-2 at Wembley to open up what has been a turbulent season for both halves of Manchester, whilst United have already shown they can win at the Etihad with their FA Cup third round victory over their neighbours earlier this year will provide plenty of cause for optimism for the red half of Manchester.

With the league’s two most productive offensive units set to face each other in what is undeniably this season’s most important game as far as the title race is concerned, this could very well turn into an epic. Not since the 1960s have both Manchester sides battled it out for top honours. With the consequences for losing simply unthinkable for either side and in turn, the rewards for winning so great, Manchester will be a city well and truly divided come Monday evening.