Wet pitch, uncertain opponents and…

…a likely ‘tweaked’ City side.

v Aston Villa

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 7/11).

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-6-0 / 4-3-3:

______________________________________________

 

__________________De Bruyne___________________

__Sterling_______________________________Silva__

 

____________Foden_________Gundogan__________

 

____________________Rodri_____________________

Cancelo_________________________________Walker

 

____________Stones__________Dias______________

 

 

___________________Ederson_____________________

Subs: Steffen, Zinchenko, Mendy, Fernandinho, Doyle, Mahrez, Torres, Jesus, Delap.

Just 3 changes from the last game, I reckon…

Ederson is not one of those changes, though, and starts in net.

3 of the back-4 to ‘go again’ with Joao stepping on the left, I would say.

Rodders to replace Fernandinho as the defensive midfielder, with the Brazilian having-had a fine game but likely to be ‘game managed’.

An ‘attacking 5’ then, I think, with no natural striker, which includes Raheem, Phil, Ilkay, Bernardo & Kevin in a very fluid system.

Zack the reserve keeper and only 2 defensive replacement options of Oleksandr & Benjamin (both are left-sided but there are other defensive options there in the match-day squad). Fernandinho, Tommy, Riyad, Ferran, Gabriel & Liam make up the rather impressive midfield / wing / attacking options in ‘the 9’.

Notable absences:

-       Eric Garcia – Not selected.

-       Aymeric Laporte – Has progressed from light training alone to training with his teammates in recent days but is not yet ready following injury.

-       Nathan Ake – Still out injured.

-       Sergio Aguero – Fitness being assess following Covid isolation; having been in contact with someone with the virus. Not deemed ready for this one.

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

Yep, like it.

Result? Our visitors have had some serious Covid disruption recently and I don’t know whether that’ll leave them low on first team players and ‘out of sorts’ generally or whether it might…might, leave some of their players rested and ‘raring to go’.

Having played just 15 league games (4 games in hand on some teams and 3 over a lot too!); I find that I’m drawn to their defensive record, which reads a fairly impressive / just 16 leaked in 15 league games played; netting 29 times. Not bad at all.

Another game, therefore, for our lads to ‘knuckle down’ and work hard to both breach their defences whilst, at the same time, keeping out their ‘danger men’.

If we manage to build on our high confidence whilst at the same time not-get complacent & sloppy, then I see another 3-home points. That’s what I’m going for.

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: “Storm Christoph” should have dumped a fair amount of rain on the Etihad pitch leading up to the game to make it a bit…interesting. In fact, it continues to rain as the game kicks off (6pm GMT) - “Greasy pitch” is likely to be an understatement. Fairly mild for January in the north west of England at around 9 or 10C; a bit blustery too but I think it’ll be the wet grass that’s likely to affect the game the most – how much depends on how good the surface is at absorbing 60+ hours of rain…