The first installment of this season’s Manchester Derby takes place on Wednesday at Eastlands. Manchester United are coming off of a dramatic win at home where South Korean midfielder Ji-Sung Park bagged a brace with the winner coming very late on. It was one of those weekends in the Premier League where not only did United win, albeit not very convincingly, but also a weekend where teams either side of the Red Devils lost.

United will of course only be worried about their results, but Chelsea’s 0-2 loss at Anfield and Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle seems to have implemented a ‘top 2′ in the league. As far as the win v Wolves, United were far from their cohesive best as what was very close to a B squad experienced a myriad of problems in attempting to dispose of Wolves. Bebe was quite poor in midfield while Gabriel Obertan and John O’Shea, although decent on the day, failed to provide any real spark of creativity for United.

Manchester City are too coming off of a win. City traveled to the Hawthorns where they disposed of a West Brom side who’ve commited to playing football this season to the tune of some fine results. Summer signing Mario Balotelli proved a good buy when he too scored a brace for the Citizens. Balotelli also saw red in the game and will now serve a three match ban.

With Carlos Tevez back in the lineup, City will always pose a threat in attack. David Silva has been in scintillating form for the past month and with Balotelli now out, the possibility of a start for winger Adam Johnson could prove daunting for United’s defense.

As City continue to ambitiously spend an inordinate amount of money on new blood, each installment of the Manchester Derby grows in stature and anticipation. And just as City’s attack starts to congeal, so too does United’s defense began to instill that bit of confidence into the rest of the team.

On Wednesday, all eyes will be on Eastlands as the Manchester Derby is sure to thrill. So who takes the three points and the crown of Manchester’s finest?

Fans, pundits and fellow players considered Kieran Richardson lazy, inadequate and many other unfortunate synonyms when he was at Manchester United.  He made only 41 league appearances in five seasons at the club, scoring just two goals.  Richardson’s £5.5 signing seemed at the time a misguided move by Roy Keane in the summer of 2007.  Thus far, that’s been hardly the case.

At Sunderland, Richardson has blossomed.  Despite injuries, he’s developed into a dynamic attacker, a free kick artist and a match winner.  Originally viewed as unworthy of his fee, Richardson would probably be worth at least double it now, if manager Ricky Sbragia saw him as dispensable.  We never saw Richardson’s full potential until he left Manchester United, which raises a question.  How valuable are their other second-tier players?

John O’Shea’s popular image is as a bit of a bumbler and a doofus.  He’s never cemented a place as a first-team regular, despite making 313 appearances.   He’s clearly not in the same class as Cristiano Ronaldo, though he’ll show the occasional burst of flair.

However, the 27-year-old is very versatile.  He can fill in at fullback, centre-half and in central midfield, without United noticeably declining.  He literally has played every position on the pitch for United.  How much would a player like him be worth for Everton or Tottenham?  How good would he be with a consistent place in the Starting XI?

Who, when discussing a Manchester United performance, ever touches on Wes Brown’s contribution?  Listing the best players at various positions in the Premier League, Brown’s name seldom arises.  Has he been overlooked?

United were better with Brown at right back last season than they were with Gary Neville the year before.  Fabio Capello brought Brown into the England squad ahead of the far more hyped Micah Richards, with solid results.  If Wes Brown were playing for a mid-table club such as Portsmouth, would he receive more praise?

Look at Darren Fletcher as well.  He’s often maligned compared to his more talented companions.  Even his own teammates have ridiculed him.  At 24-years-old he’s never nailed down a place in the United midfield.

Despite this, however, Fletcher has been important for Manchester United.  When big signings Hargreaves and Carrick have been injured, Fletcher has filled in for big matches and played well.  United displayed no midfield faults when he played against Chelsea.  He already has 40 caps for Scotland.  He probably steps straight into 14 or 15 Premier League Starting XIs.  How good would he be with a regular run of games?

Manchester United have elite-level talents, such as Ronaldo, Rooney and Ferdinand, but so do Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.  What sets Manchester United apart is their second tier.  While the other big three falter noticeably without a star or two, United absorb injuries, calling on experienced players, such as O’Shea, Brown and Fletcher to fill a hole without incident.

Rather than being oafs or wastrels, these second-tier players are a major reason, Manchester United has won the Premier League the past two seasons.