MC“F”C – Can we get back to footy, please?

Regular readers will know that, following an international break, I’m often itching to get back to domestic football; not that I don’t follow my international team & football to some degree.

Therefore, they can be excused for thinking that my opening title is, once again, about the last (and 3^rd) international break of the season. But it’s not.

FFP, breaches of rules over signing under 18 players, Raheem Sterling havin’ a small, work-based spat with his international colleague and a silly, yes, but well overblown issue surrounding Bernardo Silva. Fffffff…lippin’ shut up and go away!

And, so…

v Chelsea

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game: 8/11).

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

___________________Aguero____________________

Sterling________________________________Mahrez

__________D. Silva___________De Bruyne________

____________________Rodri_____________________

Mendy__________________________________Walker

_________Fernandinho_______Stones_____________

____________________Ederson___________________

Subs: Bravo, Angelino, Cancelo, Otamendi, Gundogan, Foden, Jesus.

Ed is back, following injury.

Got a feeling that our boss will wanna give Benjamin a run out at left-wing back tomoz and Kyle too on the opposite flank likewise. Fernandinho & John in-between those, I think.

Rodders the 'anchor man'; Raheem, David, Kevin & Riyad ahead of him in support of Serg.

Claudio 'back on the side' as back-up keeper; Angelino, Joao & Nicolas the defensive replacement options. Ilkay, Phil & Gabriel provide more creative / attacking choices from 'the 7'.

Notable absences:

-       Oleksandr Zinchenko – Around 2-weeks away from a ‘return date’.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Expected to be back from long-term injury around March 2020.

-       Bernardo Silva – Suspended for this game.

-       Leroy Sane – As January fast approaches (just 5-½ weeks away from the ‘start of’ in fact), so does the month where, we were informed ‘way-back-when’, Leroy should be recovered and back in contention. I just hope it’s nearer to the beginning of the month rather than the end…

 That's a shorter, 'red list' at least for now...

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

I'd start Angelino if I was in charge.

Other than that and despite our personnel losses, that’s still a very good-looking side to me. I still feel sorry for Eric Garcia not-being-able-to-grab a starting place (or even a ‘bench spot’!) for all our difficulties in defence, though, if my prediction is correct.

That being said, at still-only 25-years of age himself; I’m hoping that Stones can ‘get his head right’ as well as being able to stay relatively ‘injury free’ because he is well respected by a lot in football for his playing ability. Pep, of course, is the right guy to help with that and is why I think he’ll stick him in the middle of the defence for this one, alongside Fernandinho, who is 9-years his senior.

Come back sooner if you can, though Laporte, hey?

Result? Well…the facts speak for themselves for a start.

Firstly, they’re above us in the league; secondly, they’ve lost 1 less game than we have in the Prem too and, thirdly, their ‘current form’ is better than ours. Additionally, they appear, under ex-City player Frank Lampard, to have a nice mixture of previously-bought-in players and youth, who seem to be thriving in that dark blue recipe.

I think it’s gonna be a cracking game!

And, in fact, I think they’ll be ‘on a high’ and really up for this one; wanting to show the rest of the league that they’re not up there ‘by chance’. In addition to all of that - and just in case you need to be reminded - they had a stuttering start to this season’s league campaign under their new boss and, so, even MORE credit should go to our visitors; in that they go into this game in 3^rd place.

Anyway…that’s enough praise for The Pensioners.

What about us? Well I think we’ll go into this game full of gusto on the one hand but with a slight nervousness about us whenever Chelsea attack; especially any early attack from the dark blues.

However, if Pep has drilled ‘em well since our last [big] league disappointment and our players ‘settle in well’, I have to look at both 11s and say that if we are ‘on it’ on the day, then this should be a game where we look to take all-3 points.

I think they’ll score – and that could-indeed unsettle us for a time – but in the end, I think this’ll be a home win…a very much NEEDED home win!

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…

Prediction: Win

Result: Win

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)

Expected weather conditions during the game: Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. 9C isn't too bad, though, but...rain. Bit of an update on that: The rain should, for the most part, move away before the game now; leaving the evening more 'murky' rather than outright wet.

Oh, and...

...he's back.

Let the comedy-entertainment begin (sigh...).