Manchester v Manchester: Tevez the catalyst as City close in on the title

The "Blue Moon" is rising and Manchester City took one giant leap towards their first Premier League title last night, with a deserved 1-0 win over their bitter rivals, at the Ethiad. It was a muscular performance from an athletic City side, marshalled by the division's outstanding defender, Vincent Kompany, who went some way to cementing his burgeoning status as a City legend, when he headed in the winning goal on 45 minutes.

City's form began to falter in March, when they lost to Swansea and drew with both Norwich and Sunderland, allowing Manchester United to usurp them at the top of the table. A 1-0 defeat to Arsenal followed at the beginning of April, and it looked as if the title race was all but over. But they have rallied in recent weeks thanks, in part, to the return of the want-away Carlos Tevez, from his five month sabbatical.

Many questioned the wisdom of bringing back a player who was seen as a divisive figure, Sir Alex Ferguson himself stating the belief that it was a "desperate" move. How would the squad react? It was suggested that it weakened manager Roberto Mancini's position, who - in the aftermath of the Munich game and Tevez's apparent refusal to play - had publicly stated the Argentinian would never wear a City shirt again. There were clearly dangers to allowing Tevez back into the fold; it was a move that could have backfired.

But it didn't.

Since returning to the side, Tevez form has been nothing short of astonishing, when you consider how long her had been out of the game. In eight appearances - several of those as substitute - he has scored four goals and created three more for his team-mates. But his impact cannot just be measured in goals and assists.

Last night, City had a drive that United lacked; they played with pace, verve and took the game to their opponents. Tevez typified this. He was seen battling for the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, cutting through the midfield with direct, powerful runs. His energy is infectious, his work-rate outstanding; he has been the spark that has reignited City's title challenge.

For Manchester United fans it was an evening of disappointment; less at the result, and more at the performance. Many have criticised Sir Alex Ferguson for setting up negatively. With the inclusion of Park, it had that look of a side set up not to lose, a tactic Ferguson has employed to good effect in many crucial Premier League clashes and European away games, over the years. But United simply didn't have the legs in midfield to match City's purposeful work on and off the ball. If Scholes is to be the fullcrum of your side at 37, you must surround him with players with pace and energy. United did not do that.

Park is a spent force; he was poor. Giggs lacks the drive of old. Carrick is a good player but has never been particularly energetic. What United wouldn't give for a player in the mould of Yaya Toure.

Again they missed Darren Fletcher, sidelined with an incurable bowel condition. Rumours are circulating today that he is set to retire from football. If true, that will only serve to heap more misery on the Old Trafford club, who you feel are moving towards a crossroads. The squad needs to be refreshed. The first team - with the exception of Wayne Rooney - lacks the outstanding talents that City possess. The question remains: will Ferguson be given the money to overhaul his ageing squad, or have the Glazers - as many fans fear - bled the coffers dry?

There is still some way to go in the title race, and Mancini, perhaps picking up on the characteristic pessimism of many City fans - born out of years of disappointment - maintains that United are favourites. But City are surely in the driving seat.

Nasri and Tevez are hitting form; David Silva and Sergio Aguero are recovering some of theirs, after mid-season dips, whilst Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany continue to impress.

Their fate is in their hands and, on the evidence of last night, Manchester City look in no mood to be denied a first Premier League title.

Paul Scholes retires

Manchester United fans must truly be in mourning.

If Ferguson's men were humbled in the 2009 Champions League final, then this year's defeat must surely count as a humiliation. The first ten minutes apart, when they briefly threatened to assert themselves on the game, United were bested by Barcelona, man for man, with Wayne Rooney perhaps the only player to emerge with his reputation intact.

And now they must contemplate a future without Paul Scholes.

Scholes will be remembered as the model pro: a player who did his talking on the pitch; a player who eschewed celebrity status, truly dedicated to his art. A one club man - increasingly an anomaly in the modern game - he was the bedrock on which Manchester United built their late 1990s/early 2000s success: a member of Sir Alex's "golden generation."

His passing was extraordinary. Dubbed "Sat Nav" by Rio Ferdinand, Scholes' brief cameo on Saturday, in a losing cause, reminded us of the unerring accuracy he still possesses. He can still ping a ball 40 yards to feet. The skill remains: it is mobility that has begun to desert him. And there's no shame in that. It comes to us all.

In his pomp he was the conductor of Ferguson's orchestra, dictating tempo, shaping the United ensemble's slick passing moves into glorious and emphatic crescendos. Often it was he himself who applied the finishing touch.

I have always thought of Scholes as a goalscorer - as we all know: "Paul Scholes, he scores goals" - but I was surprised to discover that he only hit 20 goals in a season once in his career. In my memory, at his peak, he was as prolific as, say, Frank Lampard, but the statistics don't back this up. Perhaps it is the sheer number of his goals that stick in the memory that have made him seem like a 20 goal a season man.

He was certainly a scorer of great goals, and could strike a ball as cleanly as any player in the modern game. Witness his volley against Aston Villa...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQXrMbArqSs

It is surely Sven Goran Eriksson's greatest crime against English football - and there were a few - that his marginalising of Paul Scholes led to the player's retirement from internationals. The damage was irreversible: many tried to persuade him to return but all ultimately failed, including Capello last summer.

Under Sven, Scholes found himself, rather improbably, on the left of midfield. But great players often seem to suffer in this way. Their talent is their undoing. Managers choose to play them out of position - rather than players who are perhaps less important to the side - because they believe that they have the quality to adapt. It is a problem that Steven Gerrard has suffered from in recent years.

Scholes has, in truth, been in decline as a footballer for a couple of seasons now. Frustrated at being on the fringes of the side and unable to affect the game as he would like, he has decided that now is the right time to set down his baton and step away from the podium.

Ferguson needs a new conductor. And be it Wesley Schneider or perhaps Luka Modric, the ginger maestro's shoes are going to be massive ones to fill.