Dare, that is, to take more points off us this season? They managed to deny us 5 points from a possible 6 last season and have had games in other recent campaigns where they deservedly grabbed points too.
We have been warned.
Quick word on the Newcastle game…
…a match I was able to watch in full surrounded by loads of Newcastle fans and just three other Blues, wife included, whilst on holiday.
Crackin’ game and a share of the spoils was fair, in my opinion, which would sum it up just fine, I think. A bit more detail would be to say that I thought we didn’t do enough to try ‘n’ take a hold of the game once we’d scored the opener to quieten the home crowd. And once we’d let ‘em back in and, furthermore, grab the momentum; they tore us to pieces at times. They had the better of the first half for sure.
Although a little jolted when they grabbed a third to make it 3-1 early in the second half, I was strangely-also instantly confident that we’d fight back and I was proud of the attitude from our lads when they did so. We could have won it too in, what would have been, a familiar 3-4 score-line at St. James’ Park (that’s one for folk of a certain age and / or those who know their City history).
I’m a bit concerned about the use of this occasional 2-7-1 formation where we push the wing-backs narrow and practically into midfield. Pep said, recently, that it’s a system he’s used before when playing with a ‘number 9’ but admitted also that he will…only use it against sides / team-systems he deems it right to do so. Did you think it was appropriate away at a Newcastle side with the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin in it and on the attacking flank (that’s not said in hindsight, by the way)? I didn’t. We looked really, REALLY exposed down the sides and Pep needs to think long & hard about when & where to use it in future, in my humble opinion.
Still, there’ll be a lot of sides who will come away from St. James’ with nothing this season so I suppose a point is not too bad - it’s just that I felt 3-points was there for the taking last Sunday, especially having taken the lead.
Anyway, moving on…
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| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game which, for me blog-wise, was our home game against Bournemouth: 11/11).
Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 (possibly 2-7-1 at times):
____________________Haaland____________________
Foden____________________________________Mahrez
_____________________________De Bruyne_________
____________Silva_______________________________
_____________________Rodri______________________
Cancelo___________________________________Walker
____________Dias______________Stones____________
____________________Ederson_____________________
Subs: Ortega, Gomez, Wilson-Esbrand, Lewis, Mbete, Gundogan, Grealish, Palmer, Alvarez.
Ederson has the gloves.
I think it’s a safe bet to suggest that we’ll see a back four of Joao, Ruben, John & Kyle this afternoon (3:00pm KO BST).
Rodders is the deeper-lying midfielder with Phil, Bernardo, Kevin & Riyad ahead of the Spaniard, I’d say (Gundogan could get ahead of either Bernardo or Riyad).
Erling is the man ‘up top’.
Stefan is the reserve stopper; Sergio, Josh, Rico & Luke are the 4 defenders on the side (will our manager put two left-wing backs on the bench?). Ilkay (possibly), Jack & Cole are the midfield replacement options on the side while Julian is the striker in reserve. A quick word on Jack - he was not part of the squad in our last league game, with Pep informing us that he had some niggles. Based on that and with no injury updates in yesterday’s pre-match press conference; I’m gonna assume that the ‘little niggles’ have been dealt with but that the 26-year-old is only fit enough for the bench.
As I say, Pep was somewhat guarded when asked what the state of play was with regards to available personnel; simply answering by saying, “We train this afternoon (Friday). Then I will know the situation of everyone. I don’t know at the moment”. That was all in the first half of the pre-match press conference, which I read the report on. Since then in the embargoed section, our manager decided to-then give reporters some detail but it's pretty much as I thought anyway, SO…
Notable absences:
- Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.
- Aymeric Laporte – Recovering from a knee injury / surgery. Expected return sometime at the end of September / early October.
- Nathan Ake – Presumably still injured following his withdrawal at Newcastle on 21 minutes with a groin issue. I’m sure he’s had that specific injury more than once before…
- Kalvin Phillips – After being a doubt with “niggles” prior to our trip to the north east last Sunday, where he eventually made the bench at least; the England international midfield is a doubt once more after suffering an arm / shoulder injury in our midweek charity match in Spain.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? As I’ve suggested in my opening gambit, this is most-definitely a tricky one for us, history suggests.
Bringing it to the present, their opening 3 league games reads, L D W - F4 A4, which is so Crystal Palace – unpredictable. But it also both suggests improvement and a fairly tight defence, especially when you consider the fact that they’ve faced both Arsenal & Liverpool already.
It might sound strange to say this but I think our little ‘bloody nose’ last Sunday will do us a favour going into this fixture and the next few matches that follow; a little ‘wake-up call’ in general, perhaps, and possibly resulting in close analysis by Pep and his team to see if they can fix / tweak their new system(s). That – and if we take these seriously and don’t leave sloppy gaps at the back – should see us grab ‘all 3’ this afternoon.
It’s a City win for me.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…
Prediction: Win
Result: Lost
(There was no pre-match blog-posting ahead of that game back in October 2021 due to me-being away on holiday).
Expected weather conditions during the game: Lovely. Perfect in fact. 70F, sunny intervals and a light breeze. Certainly no need for a coat and shades would be useful.
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| Solidarity |
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