Manchester City v Liverpool
Sunday February 21st, 2010 15:00 PM Kick off
City of Manchester Stadium
Fourth in the Balance?
Manchester City face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon with both teams having played midweek fixtures – City in a tough-fought league draw away at Stoke and Liverpool in a staccato affair in Europa League winning 1-0 over Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni. Neither team covered themselves in glory mid-week, and both will be looking to show their opponent something on Sunday that merits the coveted 4th spot in the Premier League.
City, now seemingly perennial upstarts vying for respect and contention given their wealth and power, sit 4th in the table with both a point and a game in hand over Liverpool. City have a much more challenging fixture row to hoe than Liverpool has, and on recent form, it’s hard to imagine City regaining their attacking verve from earlier in the season, as new boss Roberto Mancini has focused on being defensive stalwarts to stop the goal-leaking which doomed his predecessor Mark Hughes. City have a real opportunity to gain a serious advantage on that 4th spot should they decide to recapture their attacking form which had the footballing world buzzing the first half of the Premier League season. Since Christmas, City have often deployed a defense-minded setup – even at home where they will be protecting an unbeaten streak this season. A setup which has included 2 and sometimes 3 defense-minded midfield players to protect the back four. This subtlety was lost on Rafa Benitez upon referring to City as “an attacking team” this week:
“”They are an attacking team and we will have to attack too, so I think it will be more open (than against Unirea).”
What would constitute an open match with both Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres absent is open to speculation.
Liverpool has gone from a club in crisis with Rafa rumored to be on the brink of a Juventus move only a month ago, to a club feeling a bit more secure in their chase to secure their Champions League money this season on the back of recent results for both them and nearby wannabes in the table including Villa, Spurs and City. Liverpool has an easier schedule in the final 12 matches of the season than their surrounding neighbours in the table, but given how much they’ve failed to impress this season it’s anyone’s guess what could transpire over the final two months of the season.
Recent Form
Liverpool and City sit 4th and 6th in the Form Guide over the last 6 matches respectively, earning 11 and 10 pts each. Liverpool earning 3 wins and 2 draws while City have earned 3 wins and 1 draw over the last six matches.
Liverpool’s form this season away from home has been classically lacking for a club such as theirs, and ultimately it is what will doom them unless they get it sorted. City, on the other hand, have an unbeaten home record this season at “Fortress Eastlands.” Liverpool have lost or drawn 9 of 13 away matches this season, earning only 12 points, while City have won 9 of 12 at home with no losses, earning 30 points on their home soil.
Key Men
Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt
Kuyt will be the danger man that City need to watch most on Sunday. Kuyt has been in good form this season, and will undoubtedly create challenges for City’s back line. How City can cope with the versatile Dutchman will be a key to the match result. Kuyt has 10 goals this season and is proving some critics wrong by stringing together some very solid performances and having an ability for scoring the goals that matter. Dirk enjoys playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo DS with his Liverpool team-mates on away trips. My guess would be Wario.
City fans are hoping not to have to see this scene on Sunday. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.
Pepe Reina
The goalkeeper of the European champions. City will have 2-3 reasonable chances against him on Sunday and they’ve got to make one count. Can they fashion some goals against an in-form Liverpool defense?
He’s not just good looks and sexy gloves now is he?
City
Craig Bellamy
City’s chances in this match might be limited given how well Liverpool has been defensively as of late. Should Bellamy create a chance he’s going to have to find the back of the net against his former club for City to have any chance to get maximum points from this match. His recent bust-up with Roberto Mancini seems all too real for City fans, and Bellamy, a City fan favourite and candidate for POTY before some niggling injuries have kept him out of the side, will need to find his focus and ignore the media bollocks and live up to the recent City marketing campaign titled “I Give My All.” (http://www.igivemyall.com)
Bellamy is likely to play despite some injury concerns, which were at the root of the player v manager bust up widely reported midweek.
When he’s your dickhead, you love him. End of story.
Vincent Kompany
Vinnie has looked solid in the CB role this season, and his ability to handle the Liverpool attack will be key to City’s success. City have looked weak at the back this season, but Kompany’s form has been the standout defensive story of the season thus far – along with a resurgent Micah Richards. City have woefully underperformed defensively all season, and some have even begun to criticize shotstopper Shay Given for not having a well-organized defense. Kompany can help silence those critics by shutting up shop on Sunday and helping City find a way to thwart a Liverpool front line which will be missing the world’s best striker in Fernando Torres.
Two scoops of this on Sunday please say City fans.
Injuries (Player – Injury – Return Date)
(http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php)
City
C Tevez – Compassionate Leave TBD
M Petrov – MCL Knee Ligament Injury 19th Mar 10
C Bellamy – MCL Knee Ligament Injury 21st Feb 10 very doubtful
V Kompany – Groin Strain 21st Feb 10 slight doubt
D Ball – Metatarsal Fracture 7th Mar 10
M Johnson – Knee Injury Jun 10
Liverpool
J Carragher – Abdominal Strain 21st Feb 10 slight doubt
F Torres – Cartilage Knee Injury 28th Feb 10
Y Benayoun – Rib Injury 21st Feb 10 slight doubt
G Johnson – MCL Knee Ligament Injury 6th Mar 10
Prediction
City 1 – 1 Liverpool
In an underwhelming performance given the hype and billing of the battle for Champions League, City and Liverpool will sail a creaking ship to a mostly uninspiring draw at Eastlands.
A massive thanks to DoomMerchant from www.mancityfans.net for this great premier league preview