Skoorb
Alert Team
Pep Guardiola and his squad head to The Big Smoke for their first fixture after the international break ( :012: thank goodness that’s over) as they head for Selhurst Park and the charms of a Crystal Palace team managed by Alan Pardew.
City face off against a team languishing near the depths of the Premier League who have lost their last four domestic fixtures who have only recorded a single victory over our club in the last 6 meetings. In those matches they have found the City net a measly 3 times whilst the Blues have helped themselves to 16 goals. Piece of cake right?
I somehow doubt it.
Both sides come to this game having suffered the frustration of conceding goals in added time which cost them dearly. In Palace’s case it was all three points as Burnley’s Ashley Barnes finished off a flowing counter attack whilst City’s profligacy at home added two more points to the tally of those dropped at the Etihad. The full measure of how costly the failure to keep a clean sheet against Boro will not be evident until next Spring perhaps. Remember for all the stunning victories in the 2011/12 season the point that City collected with the late goals by Balotelli and Kolarov against Sunderland was just as critical in the final tally……
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pardew field a flat back nine allowing City plenty of possession until they approach the penalty area where the number of bodies will simply crowd out any attempt at intricate play. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see someone pay special attention to Sergio Aguero or De Bruyne just as Scott Dann did the last time we played them at Selhurst Park. Having shown Dann a clean pair of heals around the halfway line Dann executed Pardew Directive No 1 - “If he gets past you, take him out”. Sergio left the field injured, Dann got a yellow for a knee high challenge and it took Kelachi Iheanacho to nick an added time goal to secure all three points. I hope they don’t leave it so long this time.
City paid the price against Boro for their profligacy in front of goal of that there is no doubt. Chances were carved out but not taken and Pep’s exhortations about needing to be “better in each box” is beginning to sound like a broken record. That same weekend saw title rivals Chelsea and Pre-Awarded Winners of the Premier League Title, Liverpool dispatch Everton and Watford 5-0 and 6-1 respectively and leap frog City in the table. Both opening goals in this fixture were swiftly consolidated with a second bulging of the opponent's net and corresponding crushing of their spirit as the home teams went about their task with pace, verve and dominant football. For all City’s pressing this season they have shown only a few occasions when their recovery of the ball has been followed by a clinical surge forward and getting opposing defenders facing their own goal. Too often there seems to have been a reversion to the sideways movement of the ball which so frustrates Blues fans. It is not that they are not capable - the blistering goal scored by Iheanacho against Bournemouth is proof of that. From a defended free kick to the ball hitting the back of the net in from of the South stand it took only a few seconds and had everyone on their feet with anticipation. Too often we have seen the ball won, played forward quickly initially, the crowd starts to rise from their seats…….and then gradually sits back down again as we watch the opposition assume their disciplined ranks and City recycle the ball endlessly in front of them. Job done by the opposition.
On the plus side City have won 80% of their away matches this season so that is something to hang on to. Home sides, whilst wanting to maintain their discipline, nevertheless can feel the pressure from their supporters to try and take the game to their opponents and thus allow City’s skilful players just that little bit more space in which to operate. With City winning 64% of games where they held the lead at half time the advantage of securing an early lead is clear. City’s average of 2.6 goals scored per away game against an average of 2 goals scored in home matches points towards the matches being more open and suiting their style.
So, a 0-4 lead by the time they go in for Pep to hand out the half time oranges will suit me thank you very much.
In team news Bravo and Kompany should be available, Sagna is pushing for a recall and with Zabaleta having been in action over the international break he could slot back in although many Blues are keen to see the promising Maffeo get more of a chance to start. Kompany’s situation will hopefully be clarified by Pep. Having been named on Belgium’s team sheet to face the Netherlands, he was withdrawn although it was made clear he wasn’t injured. Speculation naturally followed and all Blues are clearly hoping that it was because he felt unwell due to some bug rather than struggling with mental demons after so many failed rehabilitation periods.
City begin another set of away fixtures with this game - travelling to Germany to face Borussia M.Gladbach on Wednesday befog they head off to face Sean’s Dyche’s battling and dangerous Burnley at Turf Moor - so the away form indicated above might come in very handy. Beyond this mini-away tour City then face the challenges of Chelsea, Celtic, Leicester and Arsenal during the subsequent five fixtures as the testing festive season approaches.
There really could be no better time than now for City’s players to step up and regain their early season form.
Come On City!!!
Team News:
Man City:
> Out - Delph
> Doubt? - Sagna; Fernando; Bravo; Kompany (?)
Crystal Palace:-
> Out - J Benteke; Souare; Remy
> Doubt? - Sako
City await potential late fitness tests on Fernando and Sagna whilst Delph continues to remain sidelined. Bravo caught a knock against Argentina and this may open the door for Caballero to slot back in. Vincent Kompany’s late withdrawal from the Belgium team before they played Holland last week is a puzzle with Martinez reporting that he wasn’t injured but “we didn’t want to take any risks with him and he didn’t feel well after the warm up”. So potentially just a case of feeling unwell or perhaps a deeper lying problem with his mental state after so many set backs. We await updates from Pep.
For Crystal Palace Remy is out leaving the dangerous Christian Benteke to lead the line against City
League Standing & Form:
03 Manchester City P11 W7 D3 L1 GF25 GA10 GD +15 Pts 24 Form WLDDWD
16 Crystal Palace P10 W3 D2 L6 GF16 GA19 GD -03 Pts 11 Form WDLLLL
Overall Form:
Manchester City P19 W12 D4 L3 GF43 GA19
Crystal Palace Albion P13 W4 D2 L7 GF18 GA21
Previous meeting (last 6 matches):
EPL 16/01/16 Man City 4 Crystal Palace 0 W
EFLC 28/10/15 Man City 5 Crystal Palace 1 W
EPL 12/09/15 Crystal Palace 0 Man City 1 W
EPL 06/04/15 Crystal Palace 2 Man City 1 L
EPL 20/12/14 Man City 3 Crystal Palace 0 W
EPL 27/04/14 Crystal Palace 0 Man City 2 W
Goals - City 16 Crystal Palace 3
Y Cards - City 8 Crystal Palace 11
R Cards - City 0 Crystal Palace 0
Top scorers (all comps):
Manchester City - Aguero 14; Sterling 5; Nolito 5; Gündogãn 5; Iheanacho 4
Crystal Palace - C Benteke 4; McArthur 4; Dann 3
City face off against a team languishing near the depths of the Premier League who have lost their last four domestic fixtures who have only recorded a single victory over our club in the last 6 meetings. In those matches they have found the City net a measly 3 times whilst the Blues have helped themselves to 16 goals. Piece of cake right?
I somehow doubt it.
Both sides come to this game having suffered the frustration of conceding goals in added time which cost them dearly. In Palace’s case it was all three points as Burnley’s Ashley Barnes finished off a flowing counter attack whilst City’s profligacy at home added two more points to the tally of those dropped at the Etihad. The full measure of how costly the failure to keep a clean sheet against Boro will not be evident until next Spring perhaps. Remember for all the stunning victories in the 2011/12 season the point that City collected with the late goals by Balotelli and Kolarov against Sunderland was just as critical in the final tally……
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pardew field a flat back nine allowing City plenty of possession until they approach the penalty area where the number of bodies will simply crowd out any attempt at intricate play. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see someone pay special attention to Sergio Aguero or De Bruyne just as Scott Dann did the last time we played them at Selhurst Park. Having shown Dann a clean pair of heals around the halfway line Dann executed Pardew Directive No 1 - “If he gets past you, take him out”. Sergio left the field injured, Dann got a yellow for a knee high challenge and it took Kelachi Iheanacho to nick an added time goal to secure all three points. I hope they don’t leave it so long this time.
City paid the price against Boro for their profligacy in front of goal of that there is no doubt. Chances were carved out but not taken and Pep’s exhortations about needing to be “better in each box” is beginning to sound like a broken record. That same weekend saw title rivals Chelsea and Pre-Awarded Winners of the Premier League Title, Liverpool dispatch Everton and Watford 5-0 and 6-1 respectively and leap frog City in the table. Both opening goals in this fixture were swiftly consolidated with a second bulging of the opponent's net and corresponding crushing of their spirit as the home teams went about their task with pace, verve and dominant football. For all City’s pressing this season they have shown only a few occasions when their recovery of the ball has been followed by a clinical surge forward and getting opposing defenders facing their own goal. Too often there seems to have been a reversion to the sideways movement of the ball which so frustrates Blues fans. It is not that they are not capable - the blistering goal scored by Iheanacho against Bournemouth is proof of that. From a defended free kick to the ball hitting the back of the net in from of the South stand it took only a few seconds and had everyone on their feet with anticipation. Too often we have seen the ball won, played forward quickly initially, the crowd starts to rise from their seats…….and then gradually sits back down again as we watch the opposition assume their disciplined ranks and City recycle the ball endlessly in front of them. Job done by the opposition.
On the plus side City have won 80% of their away matches this season so that is something to hang on to. Home sides, whilst wanting to maintain their discipline, nevertheless can feel the pressure from their supporters to try and take the game to their opponents and thus allow City’s skilful players just that little bit more space in which to operate. With City winning 64% of games where they held the lead at half time the advantage of securing an early lead is clear. City’s average of 2.6 goals scored per away game against an average of 2 goals scored in home matches points towards the matches being more open and suiting their style.
So, a 0-4 lead by the time they go in for Pep to hand out the half time oranges will suit me thank you very much.
In team news Bravo and Kompany should be available, Sagna is pushing for a recall and with Zabaleta having been in action over the international break he could slot back in although many Blues are keen to see the promising Maffeo get more of a chance to start. Kompany’s situation will hopefully be clarified by Pep. Having been named on Belgium’s team sheet to face the Netherlands, he was withdrawn although it was made clear he wasn’t injured. Speculation naturally followed and all Blues are clearly hoping that it was because he felt unwell due to some bug rather than struggling with mental demons after so many failed rehabilitation periods.
City begin another set of away fixtures with this game - travelling to Germany to face Borussia M.Gladbach on Wednesday befog they head off to face Sean’s Dyche’s battling and dangerous Burnley at Turf Moor - so the away form indicated above might come in very handy. Beyond this mini-away tour City then face the challenges of Chelsea, Celtic, Leicester and Arsenal during the subsequent five fixtures as the testing festive season approaches.
There really could be no better time than now for City’s players to step up and regain their early season form.
Come On City!!!
Team News:
Man City:
> Out - Delph
> Doubt? - Sagna; Fernando; Bravo; Kompany (?)
Crystal Palace:-
> Out - J Benteke; Souare; Remy
> Doubt? - Sako
City await potential late fitness tests on Fernando and Sagna whilst Delph continues to remain sidelined. Bravo caught a knock against Argentina and this may open the door for Caballero to slot back in. Vincent Kompany’s late withdrawal from the Belgium team before they played Holland last week is a puzzle with Martinez reporting that he wasn’t injured but “we didn’t want to take any risks with him and he didn’t feel well after the warm up”. So potentially just a case of feeling unwell or perhaps a deeper lying problem with his mental state after so many set backs. We await updates from Pep.
For Crystal Palace Remy is out leaving the dangerous Christian Benteke to lead the line against City
League Standing & Form:
03 Manchester City P11 W7 D3 L1 GF25 GA10 GD +15 Pts 24 Form WLDDWD
16 Crystal Palace P10 W3 D2 L6 GF16 GA19 GD -03 Pts 11 Form WDLLLL
Overall Form:
Manchester City P19 W12 D4 L3 GF43 GA19
Crystal Palace Albion P13 W4 D2 L7 GF18 GA21
Previous meeting (last 6 matches):
EPL 16/01/16 Man City 4 Crystal Palace 0 W
EFLC 28/10/15 Man City 5 Crystal Palace 1 W
EPL 12/09/15 Crystal Palace 0 Man City 1 W
EPL 06/04/15 Crystal Palace 2 Man City 1 L
EPL 20/12/14 Man City 3 Crystal Palace 0 W
EPL 27/04/14 Crystal Palace 0 Man City 2 W
Goals - City 16 Crystal Palace 3
Y Cards - City 8 Crystal Palace 11
R Cards - City 0 Crystal Palace 0
Top scorers (all comps):
Manchester City - Aguero 14; Sterling 5; Nolito 5; Gündogãn 5; Iheanacho 4
Crystal Palace - C Benteke 4; McArthur 4; Dann 3
