I’ve followed City for almost 40 years and the majority of that time I have had a season ticket. During that time, as many of you can imagine, I’ve been ‘right there for’ so many key, very stressful games where a result hinges on us either going up or, far worse, surviving in a division.
But, as I said to someone the other week, the last few games that have included three, narrow 1-0 wins and a tense affair also in a local derby where we finished 2-0 victors have, in many ways, felt far more stressful.
Why would that be?
Well, there could be other factors that I’m
not about to list but I think one of the of the reasons is that, not long ago, a
lot of us Blues actually began – and dared
– to dream about the possibility of actually winning all FOUR trophies
and although one of those was snatched away from us in the dying seconds; still the thought of the prestige of us possibly
completing the domestic treble is mouth-watering and it would be a blow if we
were to stumble in our last week of the season.
Another reason is close to a lot of Manchester
City fans’ hearts, which is the retaining of the Premier League trophy, a feat that comes with a lot of kudos in
the world of football both here and abroad.
Liverpool, to their great credit, have pushed us so, so hard this season that
the banter we Blues have watched from the side lines for many-a-year between
the Merseysiders & Trafford has now drifted our way. Last season we
finished 25 points ahead of our title rivals; this time, huh…in
case you don’t realise, just 1 point separates our
great clubs as we go into ‘game 38’. That’s some catch up and that too has
added to the pressure a lot of City fans are feeling (Liverpool fans too, to a
great extent I’m sure with no league title in 29 years).
I would be gutted if we blew the league now
not only because we’ll have thrown away all of the hard work in a season where
we’ve had to show so much metal due to being plagued with injuries and loss of
form to key players but also, for me
anyway, if we do finish second, that-then takes the gloss off the up &
coming F.A. Cup final; in that the game then
becomes a pressured ‘must win’; hoping to avoid a season of 4 trophies morphing
into us “only” winning the League Cup.
You’re right, I’ll stop that
sort of talk now…
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| Falmer Stadium, American Express Community Stadium...or just "Brighton's ground". Take your pick... |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct
from starting line-up in the last game: 9/11).
Fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:
If I’m
correct, this starting 11 requires the shortest write up of the season. Basically,
I think our manager is gonna pick the same team who faced Leicester City last Monday.
A slight
change on the bench, however, which starts with Aro as the reserve keeper, with
Danilo, John & Nicholas providing a lot of defensive change options should
we feel desperate to ‘shut up shop’ at some stage. We could see Kevin return to
‘the 18’ should we need an injection of magic with Leroy & Gabriel
providing wing / striking choices from the side.
Notable
absences:
-
Benjamin Mendy – Apparently injured again with
a flare-up-reaction in the knee that was last operated on. I think he’s actually seeing a specialist in Barcelona.
-
Riyad Mahrez – The Algerian could…COULD be the one to make way completely for the
returning Kevin, which won’t improve his already sour mood in his first, underwhelming
season as a Manchester City player. I say could; it all depends on whether Pep wants
to load his bench with a lot of defensive options ‘in case needed’ - and as I’ve
predicted - OR go with a more ‘attacking
reserve’…’in case needed’.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
No, I’d start with
Leroy instead of Phil and have Raheem on the right and Bernardo in the middle
with David & Ilkay as a starting 11.
Result?
Well, I’ve talked about pressure but I also want to-now talk about experience.
Not only have a lot of these players won 3
Premier League titles with Manchester City as well as being triumphant in lots
of pressured semi-finals and domestic final victories but, let’s not forget,
the 2 previous Premier League title wins before last season’s 19-point chasm came
with a ‘must do’ in the last game (a lot of people forget about the West Ham United, last game of the (2013 / 14) season and although a lot would say that there was barely an enxious moment in that game, it was still a 'must do' moment).
Put another way, we’ve been here before and very
recently in our history too.
As for Brighton? It was looking a little ropey
to say the least for them a few weeks ago but 2 back-to-back draws that included
an impressive 1-1 away to Arsenal along with other results around them sees
them safe by 5 points going into this game.
That sense of relief could prove positive for
them and they may now wish to express themselves more than they would have if the
game had been crucial for their survival. If that’s the case, I think that’ll be
to our advantage and we would then, I’m
sure and in my opinion, pick ‘em off in the open spaces.
Then AGAIN…they could do what so many teams have
done to us in recent weeks and build 2 flippin’-big walls to try an’ keep us
out! It’s also the very last game of ‘their
Zabaleta’; with local, Spanish right-back hero,
Bruno, announcing his retirement with well
over 200 games under his belt for The Seagulls. He’ll want to have a good game
at the back…
Do I think we’ll blow it now? Well, I’d be
lying if I said there weren’t a few butterflies in my stomach and, especially,
after a crazy-wonderful week of
shock results & comebacks for our English teams in Europe (a ‘full English’ as one newspaper put it)!
However, although I know football isn’t
always logical; I just look at our players v theirs in terms of quality and
look also at both the experience they have in such games, along with how determined
and well we’ve been playing of late.
I have to put this down as a Manchester City,
trophy-lifting win.
Last season’s,
corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction: Win
Result: Win
Expected weather conditions during
the game: Although 13C / 55F doesn’t sound like the Bahamas, unbroken sunshine and just a little breeze before, during and after the game should make for a very pleasant day for all indeed…and I’m sure the temperature will be higher than that in the stadium. Dare I say also...party weather?
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