A below-par season…

…to say the least for the Merseyside reds but they still pose a huge threat ‘on their day’. Just ask Manyoo…

v Liverpool

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: A poor 5/11 in a difficult-to-read F.A. Cup tie against a Championship side).

There was a bit of, ‘see how Haaland will be after Friday afternoon’s training session’ about Pep’s pre-match press conference, but…

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Haaland____________________

 

 

Grealish_________________________________Mahrez

 

____________Silva_____________De Bruyne________

 

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Ake______________________________________Walker

____________Dias_______________Stones__________

 

 

____________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Ortega, Gomez, Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Phillips, Gundogan, Palmer & Alvarez.

Ederson starts in net.

There are many options in defence and many combos too but I’m going for a back-4 of Nathan, Ruben, John & Kyle.

Rodders to ‘sit deep’; while I think we’ll see an attacking quartet in midfield of Jack, Bernardo, Kevin & Riyad all in support of Erling; who I’m guessing will have recovered from a groin issue / scare.

Stefan is the back-up keeper; Sergio, Rico, Manuel & Aymeric are the reserve defenders on the side. Kalvin, Ilkay & Cole are just 3 midfielders / wingers in ‘the 9’, while Julian is the replacement striker option. We COULD see Maximo Perrone ‘in there’ on the bench instead of, perhaps, Sergio Gomez…

Notable absences:

-       Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.

-       Phil Foden – Recovering from an appendix operation – possibly 2 to 3 week’s out, as I understand it.

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

Yep.

Result? A defence that all-too-often, this season, has shown signs of vulnerability; a midfield that is often found wanting and, according to many observers, is in desperate need of an overhaul in the summer BUT…an attacking force that can still tear sides apart if the opposition’s defence & midfield isn’t ‘on it’. That’s exactly how I see our visitors on Saturday afternoon. Apparently their away record isn’t great this season but that they do have a habit of ‘turning up’ at big away games / venues…

Being a ‘club over country’ supporter, I don’t much care for international breaks, generally speaking. I totally get why we have to have them of course and, in fairness, if England are played good opposition in a meaningful game then I will-often watch / support them.

But what I can’t stand following national team games BEYOND the anxiety that one or more of our key players might come back with a knock, or worse, is the nervous anticipation about how City as a team will ‘restart’ after the pause. And what amplifies that foreboding feeling even further is when that break in domestic play comes just as we happen to be in very good form. 🙄

Come back as we were just before the break and this is a City win. Come back and find that OTHER Manchester City side from this season who looked ‘out of sorts’ / ‘a little off’ and this is a Liverpool win. Therefore – and just like this fixture last season – I’m actually going for an “I don’t know”, fence-sitting draw.

If, like last season, I’m right, that would be a devastating 2-home points dropped in our continued pursuit of Arsenal. I hope in the right way, therefore, that I’m wrong…

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

Prediction: Draw

Result: Drew

(Pre-match blog posting from that game)

Expected weather conditions during the game: An overcast & murky day but there’s little chance of any wet stuff. 10C with just a light northerly breeze isn’t bad at all for the players exerting themselves on the pitch but it might feel a little chilly in the stands.

Solidarity

 

We need to treat this, largely, like…

…a Premier League game; a fixture that’s going to be just that very thing next season by the looks of it. Besides…a place in the semi-final is up for grabs!

v Burnley

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

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

Ordinarily, depending on who the opponent is, even at this stage of the F.A. Cup a Premier League Manager might try to shoehorn in a player or two who deserves ‘the minutes’ on the pitch but who, otherwise, doesn’t always get ‘em.

However, not just for the fact that, as I’ve already stated, we need to treat this like we would any league game; the players have had a 4-day break following our last match and, domestically at least for the men on the pitch, there’s now a 2-week break the other side of this fixture. Therefore, we might see very little, if any, change in what we’d expect to see when-facing Premier League opposition.

However, what’s making this prediction a little harder is the fact that our manager explained in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon is that he’s spent very little time with his players since our last outing and that he was, therefore, going to make assessments between that-very press conference and the actual match itself.

SO…

Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Haaland____________________

 

 

Grealish__________________________________Foden

 

_________Gundogan____________Silva____________

 

_____________________Rodri_____________________

Ake______________________________________Stones

____________Dias_______________Akanji___________

 

 

_____________________Ortega____________________

Subs: Ederson, Lewis, Walker, Laporte, Phillips, De Bruyne, Palmer, Mahrez & Alvarez.

One change is for sure and that’s Stefan in for Ederson.

There’s a decent chance that we could see some changes in the back 4 with, in particular, an actual right-wing back coming in but I’m going for ‘same as’; with Nathan, Ruben, Manuel & John making up that back line.

We could very well see Kalvin step in as defensive midfielder, as we did in the last round, but I’m going for Rodders to ‘go again’.

Ahead of the Spaniard, I can envisage Jack, Ilkay, Bernardo & Phil making up the attacking midfield department; although we might see Riyad over on the right and either Jack or Phil start on the bench.

Julian to start ‘up top’ is quite possible…but I’m going for Erling to start once more.

Ederson is the reserve stopper; Rico, Kyle & Aymeric are the defenders on the side. Kalvin, Kevin, Cole & Riyad are the midfielders / wingers in ‘the 9’, while Julian is the back-up striker.

Notable absences:

-       Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.

-       Sergio Gomez – Not selected.

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

Yep.

Result? Not only are our hosts 13 points clear of the 2^nd placed side in the Championship but stand a WHOPPING 19 points (as I prep this piece) clear of the 3^rd place team / the play-offs…in mid-March no less; hence this being an-almost certain Premier League fixture next season.

We, on the other hand, are on a very good run and are playing better and better with each game in this current patch.

Why am I, therefore, a little jittery about the outcome?

Perhaps it’s because, unlike many previous seasons, THIS Burnley side bang goals in for sure; with 74 from 37-league games towering above most in their division; with Middlesbrough coming by far the closest with 65 from the same number of games played.

I think it could be a cracker…but I’m going for us to progress. It’s a City win for me.

Sadly, this is a game that I am unlikely to see any minutes of and, if I somehow manage to catch any action at all; I doubt VERY much that I will see it out ‘til the end due to it clashing with a pre-arranged family event. I would have really liked to have seen this one… ☹

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

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

Expected weather conditions during the game: What little sunshine there will be for a 5:45pm KO (GMT) will be interrupted by occasional showers. There’s little in the way of a breeze and 11 or 12C should feel fairly mild /comfortable for all those in attendance. It’ll have been showery for most of the day, in fact, and so the pitch should be perfect for some zippy passing, which should suit us.

Solidarity