It’s not often we can say that we have some things in common with Burnley with regards to in-season statistics but there are, rather alarmingly for us I think, a few comparisons between the two sides coming together at the Etihad later today.
· Both have a minus goal difference, which is something I would NEVER have believed possible of a Pep Guardiola side after 8 league games.
· Both sides, respectively, are struggling to score; something that isn’t quite so rare for our opposition but is most certainly for us, compared to other seasons at this stage.
· Both sides sit in the bottom half of the table which, once again, I would have found almost impossible to get my head around if someone had told me that would be the case a 5th of the way into the season.
· Both sides have lost more than 1 of their 8-league games.
I’m sure there are more but I’m sure, also, that you get the point…
But I think what those basic stats emphasise, as if it needed to be, is that we need to start ‘putting sides to the sword’ by scoring more and most-definitely start to string a run of victories together; in order to put ourselves amongst…more familiar company, shall we say?
A few quick words on last Wednesday’s game…
Much better from us in terms of the intensity, I thought, which was back in our play. We are often all over the opposition and nearly always do most of the pressing in a game but I thought we did so last Wednesday night in Greece with a bit more ‘zing’ about us.
I’ve seen some City fans’ postings on-line to suggest that Olympiacos were a poor side and while they did offer nothing up front / we didn’t allow them many attacks; I thought they were an organised, hard-working & resilient side. I’m not sure if those same City fans knew this but our hosts were missing both of their strikers and both of their left-backs all through injury, so they had players playing out of position all over the place in order to make the adjustments.
When you look at it that way, we only JUST managed to score one goal against them so it’s either kudos to them or more concerning signs about our low ability to stick the ball in the net, despite high possession & pressing…
I thought Dias looked very good and Stones also whenever they were called into action. Not so much in terms of having to defend a lot but they kept sharp & alert and I was impressed with how they started some of the moves; linking up well with the midfield and passing very well.
Rodri too – a player under some scrutiny from a section of City fans of late – had a very good game.
And Cancelo looks a different player from the one I, at least, had some doubts about months after we signed him. I think Pep deserves praise for the way he’s nurtured the once-unsettled Portuguese wing-defender.
Most of the other players did okay too but I think Foden deserves the most praise and not just for his goal, which was the result of a very good, quick-passing move. He’s surely gotta be considered for a starting place by his manager this weekend and, I would suggest, more regularly and in the middle of the field too.
I was chuffed, the following day also, to read that we had 22 shots and 11 of them on target. I’ll take 50% as a good starting point of a hopeful period of improved accuracy…
v Burnley
 |
| Etihad Stadium |
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 7/11).
Fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:
I just wonder, for this one, does our manager ‘stick’ or ‘twist’?
- Stick: Keep using a defensive midfielder, as is ‘the norm’.
- Twist: Replace the usual, deeper-lying midfielder with an additional, attacking / creative one.
____________________Jesus____________________
Sterling_________________________________Torres
__________Foden___De Bruyne___Silva___________
Cancelo_________________________________Walker
_____________Laporte_______Dias_______________
___________________Ederson____________________
Subs: Steffen, Mendy, Stones, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Mahrez, Aguero.
Well, I’m definitely ‘sticking my neck out’ by suggesting something that I don’t think Pep has ever done before; certainly not from the start of a game at least. But I don’t think our manager would be risking it too much in this fixture if he were to do so…and I say that not wishing to sound disrespectful to our opponents whatsoever.
I don’t know WHERE this feeling has come from that he might do this and I could be ‘way off’, of course, but…
Ederson has the gloves.
With the rarity of-having 3 or more options on the left flank of the defence; our manager could go one of several ways. However, I’m going for ‘form’ over anything else and even though it’s not his preferred position; I think Joao ‘gets the nod’ as the left-wing back. Rested Kyle on his usual, opposite flank; Ruben to ‘go again’ in the middle and should be joined by rested [also] Aymeric.
Right…here we go – 3 across the middle in the form of Phil, Kevin & Bernardo gives us plenty of energy, creativity and attacking-goal threat and when you add Raheem on the left and Ferran on the right, if I’m correct that is; then that’s a pretty potent 5 to say the very least.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can call that ‘a 6’ when you throw Gabriel on top of all of those.
Zack is the back-up keeper; Benjamin & John the reserve defenders in ‘the 7’. Fernandinho & Ilkay provide midfield cover with Riyad & Sergio the wing / striker change-option from ‘the bench’.
Notable absences:
- Eric Garcia – Not selected.
- Nathan Ake – Back in training following a slight hamstring injury but this game comes a little too soon for the Dutch defender. We officially have no “injured” players and I, for one, can’t remember the last time we were able to say that!
- Oleksandr Zinchenko – Not selected.
- Rodri – Given a rest? I think that could well be the case for the Spaniard today but I’m ‘bracing myself’ to be wrong here.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Of course, we nearly always face an opponent adopting a defensive posture and, as I’ve alluded to, for that reason today and following a period of low-scoring; I just get the feeling that our manager will cut the brake cable on his own car this afternoon.
Result? No doubt we’ll face another few walls to break down as our visitors, understandably, ‘batten down the hatches’ in readiness of a high-pressing onslaught. And, for a while, they could be difficult for us to demolish.
But I’m not just saying this because recent history between the two sides shows that we have breached the claret & blue walls many, many times and much to Sean Dyche’s annoyance, I’m sure; but it just feels like we’re ‘revving up’ now and ready to ‘unleash’ in terms of goals.
Burnley’s cause isn’t helped by a few injuries to important players and I just can’t see anything other than a City win. I rarely add a predicted score but I’ve been thinking 4-0, or there abouts, for most of the week – as soon as the first one goes in, I think a few more will soon follow.
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: If there’s anyone at the stadium who likes really gloomy, dark skies, persistent drizzle and a proper-chilly temperature then they’re in for a real treat! 7C is as “warm” as it’s gonna get and it’s going to be so dull in the misty rain that the floodlights might even be on for the START of the 3:00pm KO (GMT).
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