Jekyll & Hyde City.

Will the real Manchester City please stand up!

Frustrating.

Just as I was gushing about how well we’re playing, using words like “Machine” in one post to describe what a force we are amidst 3 back-to-back wins and a largely remarkable restart return; we produce a performance like that last weekend. In a lot of ways, we were well managed by our opponents at Wembley on Saturday and I’ll give them more credit soon enough.

But we just had no sparkle about us at all, particularly in the first half. The passing from our lads was largely awful for most of the game and it says a lot about just how off-colour we were on the day when Kevin De Bruyne was one of the biggest culprits.

No fizz at all – pass, pass, pass-backwards; pass, pass, pass-sideways…go nowhere, lose ball. That’s basically what I can remember watching for most of the first half. No-one penetrating with any real intent or threat.

Second half was better – the intensity increased and at least we forced Arsenal to defend in numbers. But even then…at Wembley and with another final within our reach, we could only manage 4 shots in anger and, here’s that tiresome story again, just 1 of those shots were on target! 71% possession…and just ONE shot heading between the posts in 97+ minutes.

And before anyone thinks I’m being too harsh on our team; this is a problem Pep himself has bemoaned more than once this season, as well as 2 or 3 seasons ago, I seem to recall. It’s a weird spectre that keeps coming back to haunt us for some reason; where we certainly see enough of the ball but then forget how to use it to devastating effect, as we know we can do so very well most of the time. I suppose, put another way, anyone can have an off day…it’s just that we’ve had far too many this season for such a talented squad of players.

I thought Ederson was good again though - pulling off some fine saves. One bad pass from him [also] certainly didn’t warrant a low’ish mark of 6/10 from the Manchester Evening News, in my opinion.

I must admit though and just to finish off looking back at our performance, I wasn’t too happy with Guardiola’s decision to start with Ilkay Gundogan and not include our best defensive midfielder, Rodri; nor with his decision not to introduce the creativity & threat of Bernardo Silva at any stage. Very odd…

Well done.

But ‘well done’ Mikel Arteta and the whole Arsenal team – I thought they largely stopped us from ‘playing out from the back’ whilst, at the same time, managing to copy our style of doing-just-that, so very well indeed. In fact, their first goal from back to front (19 passes!) was just sublime and very City-Pep like indeed.

The Gunners then managed to do what they’ve largely struggled with for most of the season, which was to defend so very well before they sucker-punched us with a 2^nd, as Aubameyang exposed us for pace to kill the game off.

They definitely deserved to go through to the final and good luck to ‘em, I say. Shame…if we’d have done ‘our bit’ it would have been an all-blue Wembley after all! 😊

v Watford

So, we now enter a game where we can influence who survives in the Premier League and who, sadly, gets relegated – not a fixture, then, I can see our manager wanting to make massive changes for in term of ‘integrity for the game’. In fact, I’m just wondering if he’s going to ask most of his players to ‘go again’, in order to try an’ reset; put things back on track and get it out of their systems. There’s always next Sunday’s game at home to already-relegated Norwich to rest / protect players before the Champions League…and perhaps include a few youngsters in that fixture too.

Vicarage Road

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 9/11).

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 3-6-1 / 4-3-3:

­­_____________________Jesus____________________

 

 

Sterling_________________________________B. Silva

 

____________De Bruyne______Foden______________

 

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Zinchenko_______________________________Cancelo

 

______________Stones______Otamendi_____________

 

 

____________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Carson, Mendy, Walker, Laporte, Harwood-Bellis, Fernandinho, Gundogan, D. Silva, Mahrez.

Ederson keeps the gloves for this one.

I think we’ll see a completely different back 4, with Oleksandr, John, Nicolas & Joao all getting starting run-outs.

Rodders, who as I’ve said didn’t see a second of our weekend defeat, likely to start, I would suggest.

Ahead of him in attacking midfield and on the wings, I can see Raheem & Kevin being asked to put in at least 45 minutes, with Phil & Bernardo joining them in ‘the 11’.

Gabriel gets another start again too, I would think.

Scott is the back-up keeper at the moment (I wonder if he’ll get a start on Sunday?), with Benjamin, Kyle, Aymeric & Taylor the reserve defenders on the side. Fernandinho, Ilkay, David & Riyad are the midfield / wing options from ‘the 9’.

Notable absences:

-       Claudio Bravo – Injured.

-       Eric Garcia – Not selected / rested.

-       Sergio Aguero – Recovering from knee surgery.

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

Yep – for this fixture and in the current circumstances…yep.

Result? I find myself thinking that this game is all about how each team reacts and the more I think about it the less certain I seem to be about the potential outcome.

How will our players respond following the disappointment of last Saturday? How will Watford’s players respond to the bizarre timing of the sacking of their manager; with rumours also that some of the players knew days before Nigel Pearson did!

So, I’ve tried to brush past all of that and just at look at it as an 11v11 and in doing so, it’s a City win for me. I think they’ll fight like crazy and may well score in, what could also be, a closely fought game. But I’m going for us to move onto 78 points by around 7:50pm (BST).

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

Prediction: Win

Result: Won

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)

Expected weather conditions during the game: Lovely evening for a match. It should be around 70F as the game starts with some sunshine too.

Announcement:

There may well be no pre-match blog-posting before our last league game of the season against Norwich on Sunday and on the day of the match itself, I'm going away for around a week and, so, won't be blogging during that time either.

Etihad of the South…again.

That headline may have a tone of arrogance to it…and I’m just not like that. But I think any City fan referring to the football ground at HA9 as being our second home can be forgiven for saying so – let’s have it right; we have been there a HELL of a lot in the last decade or so!

In fact, this is our 3^rd visit in the last 11 months alone and with a positive outcome tonight, 3 will become 4 this season!

A quick mention about our last game…

I enjoyed it! I thought Bournemouth made a really good game of it and I felt a little sorry for them in the end…just a little.

Ederson reminded us that he’s not just about ‘good feet’ and accurate passing – he really did show us what a good ‘keeper of the goal’ he is too! Excellent performance from the Brazilian.

I thought Nicholas Otamendi had one of his better games, particularly with some very determined & brave shot blocking. If the pairing of him & John Stones was also to be used as a ‘points gathering exercise’ by Pep with regards to who might be staying a Manchester City player next season; then Nicolas leads slightly at the moment after that game, I would say…

The run in the team that Gabriel Jesus is getting at the moment is just doing wonders for him! Another goal and his confidence is growing for all to see. His work rate too, which has never been an issue but rather, in fact, one of his strengths, was incredible last Wednesday evening. At one point, he covered so much ground chasing down The Cherries’ defence and then the keeper, it caused them to flap a little and hit it anywhere they could just to get it away from his advances.

But one last comment regarding our last outing has to be about David Silva.

I think at some point – possibly more than once – I’ve suggested in my blog that we City fans should start an appeal to get the Spanish magician to stay another season. Well, it seems that it’s not just the fans who want that – Pep has recently admitted that he too has tried to convince David to stay on a little longer.

Of course, he’s going to slow down and would be used sparingly should he stay for an 11^th season…and perhaps it’s the momentum towards the end of the season and his City career that’s driving him on with 'extra vigour' at the moment.

But…flippin’ ‘eck! It was ANOTHER fantastic, man of the match performance from the 34-½ year old! And what a free kick!

And on the same night, wasn’t it a shame Liverpool lost and, therefore, can’t reach our record, 100-point total? Cheers Arteta!

v Arsenal

Wembley Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

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

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 3-6-1 / 4-3-3:

_____________________Jesus____________________

 

 

Sterling_________________________________Mahrez

 

___________De Bruyne_______B. Silva_____________

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Mendy___________________________________Walker

_____________Laporte_______Garcia______________

 

____________________Ederson__________________

Subs: Carson, Zinchenko, Cancelo, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Doyle, Gundogan, Foden, D. Silva.

Ederson, in a rare occurrence, grabs the gloves for a domestic cup competition.

Probably considered our strongest defence possible; Benjamin, Aymeric, Eric & Kyle are likely to be the 4 that start.

Rodders takes his place just ahead of those; dropping back as a 3^rd central defender at times and especially when Benny & Kyle ‘bomb on’.

My thinking here, which could be wrong of course, is looking largely at 'minutes played' just 72 hours earlier by certain players whilst, at the same time, considering the big pitch and forecasted temperature. So…I’m going for an attacking midfield / wing quartet of Raheem, Kevin, Bernardo & Riyad.

Gabriel continues his fine run of games as our only out & out striker.

Scott gets a Wembley spot on the bench as reserve keeper; Oleksandr, the-recovered Joao & Nicolas are the likely back-up defenders from the side. Fernandinho, Tommy, Ilkay, Phil & David make up a large midfield contingent in ‘the 9’.

Notable absences:

-       Claudio Bravo – Finally, we have some confirmation of the reason behind Claudio’s recent absence, which is official a small “muscular injury” that he’s failed to recover from in time. Whether it’s linked to the issues he had at the very beginning of the restart, I don’t know, and there are no further details as yet on how long he is expected to be unavailable for.

-       John Stones – Not selected.

-       Sergio Aguero – Recovering from knee surgery.

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

Yeah.

As I say regarding my predicted line-up, I’m including freshness / energy levels in my thinking and although I believe Bernardo can often be more effective on the right flank; I still do like him in the middle. Perhaps Phil might be better there instead? Either way, that’s a very good 11 indeed to send out to face The Gunners.

Result? I think it’ll be a hard game and all the talk from the press in the pre-match press conference about how well we generally play against Arsenal and at Wembley was making me a little jittery, I have to say.

London derby defeat aside, Mikel Arteta has got ‘em playing well since their back-to-back league defeats to us followed by Brighton.

But I think our players will enjoy the big, wide areas and as long as we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot at the back; over the 90+ minutes I think we’ll put those spaces to good use and our fine form will see us though.

It’s a City win for me and, if so, let’s hope it’s an all-Blue Wembley final, hey? Yes? No?

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

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: Well, all those pundits who were agreeing with the restart protocol of having a rehydration break half way through each half to aid the players who hadn’t played competitive football for so long but-have-since-been sarcastically slaggin’ it off during cooler times, MIGHT shut it for once this evening. As the starting whistle blows, the general temperature will be around 73F & sunny; inside the stadium it’ll probably be more like 80+.