The mancityfans.net football forum

It's so official, it gets 3 stars.

Looking forward to todays game although I am a little nervous on how it will pan out. If you want the full low-down on the run-up to the game, have a read of [urlnp=http://www.mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44532]THIS[/urlnp] from our now resident preview expert.

As I said, not sure of the outcome but I want to see Tevez out their today, he does seem to like playing against Chelsea.

And, of course, I like to read the Beebs preview of the game so here's Jonathan Pearce's totally unbiased piece:

TEAM NEWS

Fernando Torres could return to the starting XI under new Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez after coming on as a substitute against Juventus.

John Terry is set to miss out again with a knee injury, while Frank Lampard remains a doubt.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hopeful Vincent Kompany will recover in time from a knee problem.

Gael Clichy (ankle) is available and Mario Balotelli may return following his recovery from a back problem.

MATCH PREVIEW

On 27 August 1966 I went to Chelsea for my first ever match - an unremarkable 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday. I'm not a Chelsea fan but have always been fond of the place and loved being close to the club as a commentator when they started winning things in the 1990s. It was a fun club then. I don't think of Chelsea in the same light now.

The Abramovich era was supposed to herald a Never Ending Story of glory. But this week's events have seen the club move nearer to something out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Remember Veruca Salt, the overindulged, demanding, materialistic girl who sang "I want it now!" in the original movie? Remind you of anyone?

Roberto Di Matteo was never a likely long-term manager, despite his Champions League success, and certainly his Chelsea dressing room behaved poorly in the immediate post-match Clattenburg fracas.

But he didn't deserve the sack after just one poor month when he's mostly been without the inspirational Lampard and Terry and was desperately unlucky to lose against Manchester United.

Only a month ago, Chelsea were scoring four goals for the third game running in the brilliant win at Spurs and pundits were tipping them to win everything.

How can the club preach loyalty to players and fans when they now have a ninth manager in eight years? How can the board hope to satisfy the new financial regulations when their compensation to sacked managers tops a reported £60m?

Now Rafael Benitez, still an Anfield fiend to many Chelsea fans, has to pick up the pieces and get Fernando Torres scoring. That's this week's philosophy it seems. It'll change again. It'll also be interesting to see if the fans stay behind the striker now.

Roberto Mancini could also find himself dumped if Manchester City flop at the Bridge, in Dortmund and in the derby against United in coming weeks.

He certainly needs to get the side attacking with the joy and defending with the four-man solidity of last season. Time is short.

After all, boys with toys quickly grow bored. If Abramovich can dump a Champions League winner, will the Sheikhs keep faith with a mere Premier League champion? I hope they do. So do City fans from the evidence of their support on Wednesday.

The game has changed since August 1966. Mostly for the good. But the money-men make it hard sometimes, don't they?

"We are the music makers...and we are the dreamers of dreams," said Willy Wonka. As football fans, let's never forget that. Pep Guardiola never has.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Chelsea have won six of their last seven home league meetings with Manchester City. The only defeat was a 4-2 loss in February 2010.

• Manchester City have won five of their last seven games in all competitions against Chelsea, including August's Charity Shield.

• There has not been a draw in the last 14 league games between the two sides since a goalless encounter in February 2005.

Chelsea

• Rafael Benitez is the ninth manager during Roman Abramovich's ownership of Chelsea.

• Benitez has only lost one of his previous 12 Premier League encounters with Manchester City and is unbeaten in his last 10.

• Fernando Torres scored 56 goals in 79 Premier League appearances under Benitez at Liverpool.

• Chelsea are without a win in their last four Premier League matches, having won seven of their first eight.

• The Champions League winners have conceded nine goals in their last five Premier League games.

• The Londoners have not kept a clean sheet in seven Premier League games.

Manchester City

• Roberto Mancini's side are unbeaten in their last 18 Premier League matches, their best top flight run since a 22-game sequence in 1936-37. They are the only team in England's top four divisions who have not lost in the league this season.

• They went 14 games unbeaten from the start of last season - a run which ended with a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

• Manchester City's 5-0 win against Aston Villa sent the champions to the top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.

• City have the best defence in the top flight, having conceded just 10 league goals so far this season.

• Carlos Tevez has scored six Premier League goals against Chelsea, only Alan Shearer (8) and Thierry Henry (8) have scored more.

• Mario Balotelli is one game away from his is 50th Premier League appearance.

Fucking hell mancini is going to be sacked if he doesn't beat chelsea, dortmund (why?) and the rags?.

This cunt fucking moans about abramovich being a prick and then wishes our "sheikhs" (apparently we have more than one now) would do the same.

If we can win this today, we won't be headed for the title. Go on lads.

probably the much coveted entertainment and desired result so far this season!

[center]COME ON BOYS! DO IT AGAIN!!![/center]

We can get something from it. I think we will win but it will be hard won.

I was about to say Jonathan Pearce writes a decent preview but the bits about City are a joke. I sometimes wish for the old days when we wouldn't get a mention.

In that preview alone:

City are under pressure to win but are unbeaten in 18! (didn't know that)

City have a dodgy defence that's the best in the league!

I fear the worst today. I always do. Something just feels off in my karma world.

Btw whoever created the mancityfans app is a god!

bobby brows wrote:Btw whoever created the mancityfans app is a god!

chuckle...
edit: not certainly me, for truth's sake

still two hours to go, can't wait ...

dazby wrote:If we can win this today, we won't be headed for the title. Go on lads.

well put, spastic.

cheers

any predictions folks want to trot out?

i humbly predict a frustrating, mind-numbing, tactically puzzling 0-0 snoozer....

DoomMerchant wrote:any predictions folks want to trot out?

i humbly predict a frustrating, mind-numbing, tactically puzzling 0-0 snoozer....

that quite a sensed one.
although, given either both back lines and both front rows involved, it's hard to think that nothing will happen in a box for 95+ mins.
Think will be very tactical but entertaining. I refrain deliberately from prediction over this game: too much important and I couldn't take the bitter taste of having jinxed it.
funny is that I always considered superstition as the most blatant sign of ignorance... ;)

Chelsea 1-3 City

Tevez, Silva and Balotelli for us

I predict Torres will wrongly be sent off and we will score a dodgy offside winning goal by our super-sub

Fidel Castro wrote:Chelsea 1-3 City

Tevez, Silva and Balotelli for us

Bless You Fidel!
as my nerves stand now, I gladly settle for a point. well in awareness that we are the better side, but....

Got a feeling Chelsea players will have a buzz with the fat waiter and we will have a effortless day at
work. 3-0. Hope i am really wrong.

From MCFC twit

TEAM NEWS: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Nastasic, Kolarov, Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva, Milner, Dzeko, Aguero #MCFC #chesleavcity

Is Carlos injured? Because its a joke if he's not starting this he loves it against these lot

Surely tevez should start, he has done well against Chelsea