In Manchester, Supremacy in English Soccer Is Poised to Move Across Town The Premier League title will be awarded Sunday in Manchester, England; that much is certain. This is not an uncommon occurrence. Since the league's founding for the 1992-93 season, more than half of the campaigns (12 of 19) have ended with Manchester United holding the silverware aloft. This season could be different: for the first time since 1968, United's crosstown rival, Manchester City, is poised to plant its flag atop English soccer. Tied in first place with United but holding a vastly superior goal difference entering the season's final day, City needs only to defeat relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers at home to complete the job. "You dream of those moments, but we haven't won a thing yet," City defender Joleon Lescott said last week. We need everyone to keep their feet on the ground. That will be difficult. For a generation, United has racked up titles while City has yo-yoed in and out of England's top division. This year, after spending most of the season in first place, stumbling out of it in March and then surging back - a rally capped by a victory over United two weeks ago - City is at long last the toast of its town. As long as it wins on Sunday. United will play at Sunderland with one eye on the scoreboard, hoping its rival stumbles. "Maybe people will say I'm crazy or that I'm only saying this because I'm a Manchester United player, but I still believe we can win this title," United defender Patrice Evra told reporters Friday, adding, "We have no choice but to believe." The end of the title race, though, is only one reason hundreds of millions of viewers will be tuning in for the so-called Survival Sunday. For first time, all 10 games will be carried live in the United States, with City-Q.P.R. on ESPN2 and the rest on an array of Fox-owned channels. Right behind the Manchester rivals is a furious battle for the Premier League's last two places in next season's lucrative UEFA Champions League, with Arsenal (67 points) trying to hold off Tottenham (66) and Newcastle (65). One team will miss out on the tens of millions that participation in that tournament can bring. There is also a rich prize at stake at the other end of the standings. In contrast with American leagues, where also-rans merely play out the schedule, teams at the bottom of the Premier League are fighting for their future in the top flight. The bottom three teams in the league are relegated to a lower division every season; this year, Wolverhampton and Blackburn are already assured of demotion, and Q.P.R. or Bolton will join them. It is not merely a matter of pride. Premier League teams are guaranteed about $65 million, with millions more available from sponsorships and other sources. Relegation can be a staggering blow, leading to salary cuts, player sales and financial misery. That is why Q.P.R. is a dangerous opponent for City on Sunday; it probably needs only a tie to hold off Bolton and stay up. But if it gets one, that could cost City the title. "Everybody is expecting a big day for Man City," Q.P.R."s James Mackie said. But for us, we're scrapping for our lives, and a point would mean the world to us. We feel we can go there and spoil the party. That would be perhaps the bitterest blow for a club that has known many. Champions of England in 1968, Manchester City was relegated and promoted twice in the 1980s. A founding member of the Premier League, the club was relegated again in 1996, and two years later went down further, spending a year in League Two - the third tier of English soccer. Its fortunes stabilized in the last decade under managers like Mark Hughes. He was in charge in 2008 when new owners from Abu Dhabi provided City with an influx of oil money that financed a spending spree. Over the last four years the club has spent nearly $1.5 billion acquiring players. Some (Vincent Kompany, Carlos Tévez) were worth the investment, but others (strikers who did not strike like Robinho, Jo and Roqué Santa Cruz) were not. When Hughes's team faltered in 2009, he was replaced by Roberto Mancini. Mancini kept buying - Yaya Touré, David Silva, Mario Balotelli, Samir Nasri - and built the winner the club's fans will cheer on Sunday. In a strange coincidence, Hughes will be on the opposing bench, trying to deny his old club the prize. "People keep throwing that word revenge up, but it is not in my mind," Hughes said. From my point of view, I am completely focused on what we have to do. So is City. It led the league for most of the season but faltered after it was eliminated from the Champions League, eventually losing its grip on first place as well. After a 1-0 loss to Arsenal on April 8, City was 8 points behind United with six games left. Mancini began telling interviewers that the race was finished. The club's jersey color, blue, also described its mood. But United promptly lost to Wigan and tied Everton, and then memorably fell at City to give up its advantage. With two games left, the title was City's to lose again. The club's fans cried tears of joy last Sunday when a win at Newcastle moved City to the precipice. For many, a victory on Sunday will make up for a lifetime of watching friends and relatives, neighbors and co-workers celebrate United's many triumphs. "Forty-four years is unbelievably long time to wait for another title - it is too many years for the fans to wait," City midfielder Touré said. Now we have one game left and we have to deliver.