by Beefymcfc » Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:49 am
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.
In the words of my Old Man, "Life will never be the same without Man City, so get it in while you can".
The Future's Bright, The Future's Blue!!!
