Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, unbeaten in the Premier League since a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at Old Trafford last April, travel to St Andrew’s as the only team in England yet to lose a league game this season. And only Sheffield United, who led the old First Division with an unbeaten record on Dec 31, 1899, have failed to win the league after starting the new year undefeated. On that occasion, the Bramall Lane club finished second to Aston Villa, despite not suffering their first league defeat until losing to Bury in mid-January.
Ferguson has repeatedly dismissed the prospect of United emulating Preston in 1888-89 and Arsenal in 2003-04 by sustaining the unbeaten run throughout an entire season. The United manager, speaking earlier this month, said: “It won’t happen again. The time Arsenal did it they had 12 draws. It was a great achievement, but in this present league, you cannot think for a minute you will go through undefeated.”Leeds United (1973-74), Liverpool (1987-88) and Arsenal (1990-91) all survived defeats in the second half of the season to win the league having been unbeaten at the start of the new year.
Yet with United, who have won just once away from Old Trafford this season, due to visit Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool in the second half of the campaign, the difficulty of avoiding defeat appears to justify odds of 11-1 for Ferguson’s team to remain unbeaten for an entire league season.
But Ryan Giggs, who is chasing his 12th league title this season, admits that United’s traditional improvement in the new year ensures that the squad expect to sustain their form. Giggs said: “We hope to get better in the second half of the season, but our form over the last few weeks has been really good. We looked sharp against Arsenal and Blackburn, and it was the same against Sunderland.
“You are obviously wary, though, because of the way the league has been this year. Anyone can beat anyone. We are thankful that we remain unbeaten and confidence is high, but we realise that nothing can be taken for granted. It is a tough league and we need to be at our best in every game.”United winger Antonio Valencia has revealed that he is unlikely to return from ankle surgery until March after being told not to rush back to action by the club’s medical staff.
Valencia, who was given permission to spend Christmas with his family in Ecuador before returning to Manchester early next month, had been expected to make his comeback in mid-February after having his recovery accelerated with work in a Nasa-developed underwater treadmill at United’s training ground. But he now admits that he is targeting the final three months of the campaign for his comeback.
Valencia said: “The injury was very hard. It has taken three months so far, but my recovery is well under way and I hope to be 100 per cent within three months. Last week, I was able to run and I felt very well, but I just need the swelling to go down now. “The team have told me that there is no rush because I have three months to recover and I do not need to take risks.”Unbeaten runs that have mark of champions
If United avoid defeat at Birmingham, they will become only the seventh team in history (dating back to the inaugural season in 1888-89) to enter the new year unbeaten in the top flight (Football League and Premier League). Only once, Sheffield United in 1899-1900, have a team reached that stage unbeaten and failed to win the league. Here are the teams who have achieved the feat, when they suffered their first defeat and where they finished.
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