…for our visitors could add a different dimension to this fixture to that of a week or so ago.
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| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 10/11
Fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 (possibly 3-6-1 at times):
____________________Haaland____________________
Grealish__________________________________Mahrez
____________Silva______________De Bruyne________
_____________________Rodri_____________________
Ake______________________________________Stones
____________Dias_______________Akanji___________
____________________Ederson____________________
Subs: Ortega, Gomez, Lewis, Laporte, Walker, Phillips, Gundogan, Palmer & Alvarez.
Pretty much the same, I would say, and that’s thanks to a near-as-damn-it 4-day gap either side of this fixture and with us-having a 3-goal lead ahead of Wednesday night’s, 2nd-leg clash. However, if I’m right with that predicted line-up, I expect a good number of substitutes quite early on in the match should circumstances feel right to do so this evening…
Ederson is ‘between the sticks’…as much as he stays there, of course. 😊
Same back-4 (3’ish)? I’d say so, although Aymeric might get to stretch his legs from the start for this one. But I’m going for Nathan, Ruben, Manuel & John to continue ahead of our Brazilian stopper.
Rodders to ‘go again’ from the start but, as I’ve suggested, he could well be a good contender to be replaced as soon as is possible.
Jack, Bernardo, Kevin & Riyad are my guesses as attacking midfielders / wingers and all in support of Erling who, once again, might get an early rest with Alvarez replacing the Norwegian international at some point soon after the half-time break.
Stefan continues to provide keeper insurance; Sergio, Rico, Aymeric & Kyle are the defenders on the side. Kalvin, who I expect will be given some minutes, Ilkay & Cole are the midfielders / wingers in ‘the 9’, while Julian is the reserve striker.
Notable absences:
- Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.
- Phil Foden – Still recovering from an appendix operation and, apparently, as yet to return to training. He sounds close to doing so, though. The initial assessment appears to have been a little optimistic and your guess is as good as mine about a return date but for what it’s worth, we might see the 22-year-old in line for inclusion in a match-day squad in a week’s time or perhaps a wee bit longer.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Yes.
Result? So, all wasn’t / isn’t going well at all for Leicester City and they very recently brought in a new manager / team. Seasoned football fans know what that can-all-too-often mean, which is a resurgence in both effort and fortune.
The side from East Midlands have some talented players; particularly, I would say, in the attacking midfield department. Should, therefore, the new man at the helm and his assistants get an ‘instant tune’ out of ‘em – plus the ex-City forward & ‘Vardy factor’ we have to be mindful of also - this one could…COULD be now classed as a slightly tricky one for us, dare I suggest.
Will they ‘hit the ground running’ under their new stewardship or will they just…hit the ground?
Now, having said all of that, we’re ON FIRE at the moment and if we address this clash with the correct attitude; it should be another 3 points to us. There might be a wobbly moment or two as our lads come down from yet-another terrific performance and result in midweek but I’m going for a home win and another vital 3 points.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:
Prediction: Win
Result: Won
(Pre-match blog posting from that game)
It’s not something I usually do but when I very-quickly glanced at my pre-match blog-posting for that game, I thought I’d throw out a few facts from the last time we faced The Foxes in the league at the Etihad (26.12.2021), which was a CRAZY 6-3 ending game…
· It was one of a very few number of Premier League fixtures that was able to go ahead during that Christmas period due to the fact that so many players from so many clubs were testing positive for Covid-19. That was just 16 months ago but Covid was SO rife at that time that it was still wreaking havoc with sporting fixtures and life in general.
· Not only were Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling & Gabriel Jesus all in the squad but for this match, a certain Ferran Torres was still registered as a Manchester City player…just about anyway. Remember him?
· When this fixture was played, the 3 subs “only” rule was still in place. That seems like forever-ago! That rule was to change not long after this fixture because of the pandemic and would remain ‘as standard’ afterwards.
How [many] things change in just a fairly-short space of time…
Expected weather conditions during the game: Decent. In fact, after a rather dull ‘n’ cloudy but dry day (although there isn't a cloud in the sky as I type this at 7:47am on the day of the match - ?), the evening kick-off (5:30pm BST) sees the better of the weather; with the sun popping out and with the temperature at a reasonable 13C. There’s barely a breeze either.
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| Solidarity |
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