Last Meeting: City 2 – 1 Chelsea (5/12/10)
Current Form (Premiership): Chelsea – WWDWLW, City – LWLWDD
Odds: Chelsea 4/9, Draw 10/3, City 13/2
This weekend sees Manchester City travel into the capital, wives and girlfriends under close scrutiny, to take on current league leaders and west London’s most exclusive swingers club Chelsea. With the race for fourth tighter than a Pompey expenses sheet and the battle for the title down to just one point this game could well shape the rest of the season for at least one of the sides.
Of course the story of the weekend focuses around City left-back Wayne Bridge and part-time tour operator, full-time womaniser John Terry. You’d have to of been under a pretty large rock for the past couple of weeks to plead ignorance on this one. However before the triviality of love, lust and such other earthly pleasures comes the much more important matter of football. England watches (which, we found out on Thursday, is something Bridge will be doing a lot more of) whilst what many sections of the press are labelling a “showdown” will, in reality, consist of the two exchanging awkward glances at each other from opposite ends of the pitch for 90 minutes.
Penny for Bridge’s thoughts during the Fair Play Handshake?
Last Time Out (Premiership)
Not the most memorable of matches at Eastlands last Sunday as City and Liverpool cautiously fumbled their way to a 0-0 draw. One strong penalty claim and a half decent Emmanuel Adebayor shot was all City really had to shout about while the visitors mustered even less and had to resort to hacking down City players to pass the time. Perhaps the only real conclusions for the home faithful to draw on were conformation of what we already know: we miss Tevez, we need Bellamy back on form, Peter Walton can’t referee for toffee and Stephen Ireland’s form has dropped faster than Ashley Cole’s pants when confronted by a camera phone.
Proving that Cole’s not the only Chelsea player currently able to pick up three points on the road Ancelotti’s men managed a comfortable 0-2 win away at Molineux. Though Mick McCarthy decided to grace the Premier League by naming a strong side, his team could not match the strength of Didier Drogba who scored both and took his season’s tally 19. The win saw Chelsea extend their position at the top of the league, only to have it cut short days later.
Team News
Chelsea’s main casualty from their first leg defeat to Inter in the San Siro was glow-in-the-dark keeper Petr Cech. Cech had been returning to decent form recently after a shaky start to this season, but a calf muscle injury on Wednesday night has ruled him out. Portuguese understudy Hilário will deputise. World’s biggest chump Ashley Cole and midfielder Michael Essien are long term absentees so Yuri Zhirkov and John Obi Mikel should start in their places respectively. A front three of Drogba, Anelka & Malouda looks threatening enough, even without the thought of Ballack and Lampard backing them up.
For City the main switch from Wednesday night’s disgrace is new father Tevez in for old slapper Adebayor. The fact that City have decided not to appeal against this ‘slap’ is an odd one indeed, especially considering Mancini’s statement that we would be appealing]. A possible glimpse into early rumblings behind the scenes? Elsewhere it’s difficult to guess what the manager will change personnel wise. The midfield selection has been the most debated subject of Mancini’s line up and Saturday may throw up a few surprises. Adam Johnson becomes available from being cup-tied and Nigel de Jong should start. But with Ireland, and Barry showing poor form this season and Shaun Wright-Phillips in the middle of a contract dispute there may be a selection headache or two for the City manager. Of course the real question is can he stretch to four defensive midfielders?
Key Men
Tevez’s human toy crane failed to grab the teddy again
City’s record post Tevez’s recent break has been P:4 W:0. And though most of this could be accredited to the wonderful free flowing football of Stoke City and nous of master tactician Tony Pullis, some of the credit must also go to Carlos Tevez. His return can’t come soon enough especially with Craig Bellamy looking like a shadow of his former self lately.
Strictly come scoring: Drogba
Perhaps the best player around in that he could walk into any team in the world, Barca, Inter, Barnet and dramatically improve their side. The man has it all and is the second highest scorer in the league despite having the whole of January off for an African holiday. Though as scary as the big Ivorian is, apparently he’s not the hardest conundrum to solve. I shiver at the thought of the City defence containing him on Saturday.
Look Mum’s Prediction
Our biggest defeat so far this season was a 3-0 trouncing that many believed signalled the beginning of the end for our last manager. I foresee a similar result, if only on the pitch for now.
Thanks to LookMumImOnMCF.Net of ManCityFans.net for writing this preview