Don’t tell anyone I suggested it but I’ve had this feeling in the last couple of days that a side is due a right hammering, goals wise, and I THINK it might be our visitors from Nottingham this afternoon.
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| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 9/11).
A very fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3:
____________________Haaland____________________
_Doku__________________________________Alvarez_
____________________________Foden_____________
_____________Nunes____________________________
_____________________Rodri_____________________
Gvardiol__________________________________Walker
____________Ake________________Akanji__________
____________________Ederson____________________
Subs: Carson, Ortega, Gomez, Lewis, Dias, Phillips, Kovacic, Bobb & Grealish.
I believe we might see a full quota on the bench for the first time in 3 games, of the now-recognised 9 subs, so here goes…
Ed in net.
A little shuffle of our defence from our last outing to keep things fresh? I think that could be the case. Therefore, I’m going for Josko & Manuel to come back into the starting 11, with Kyle & Nathan ‘going again’; giving Ruben a little rest.
Rodders is the ‘steady Eddy’ ahead of those, while our more-advanced quartet of midfielders & wingers consist of Jeremy, Matheus, Phil & Julian.
Erling ‘up top’.
Two keepers on the side in the form of Scott & Stefan; the improving Sergio, Rico & Ruban make up the defenders in that 9. Kalvin, a returning Mateo, Oscar and a returning-also, Jack make up the midfielders & wingers on the side.
Notable absences:
- John Stones – Still out with a muscle problem of some kind. Still no return date issued.
- Bernardo Silva – Out with a little, undefined injury and could be missing for another week, possibly two.
- Kevin De Bruyne – Recovering from a torn hamstring / surgery. Expected return around December / January.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Result? I don’t often do ‘bluster’, as I have done in my opening statement - I think that if you’re not careful it can come across a little arrogant and that’s just not me. It can also lead to moments of ‘egg on yer face’ too, of course.
I’ve suggested that we might “hammer” the ‘Tricky Trees’ this afternoon and I said that knowing that they ‘sucker punched’ us at their ground last season after we dominated the match; leading to a late, 1-1 equaliser for The Reds. I said it also in the knowledge that that they have better players in their squad this season and can most-certainly counter attack their opponents to ‘good end’; albeit they’ve only registered 7 goals from 5 played in the league. Still, we need to be careful of that for sure.
But I can’t go against my instincts, which is to believe that we’re going to turn our fine start to our season – and it has been most-definitely fine to say the very least – into a real ‘statement result’ this afternoon.
The Manchester Evening News did a piece in the week just gone asking the question why we’re wasting so many chances and my posted comment read:
For me, ‘on target’ from shots hit is more important and apart from one game that stands out as being poor, which was Newcastle at home, the rest look fine to me.
Starting at Burnley with 17 shots and 8 on target, we then had 23:7, 14:4 (the Newcastle game), 30:9, 7:5, 29:15 & 37:16. It’s when we start hitting wayward, high & wide more often that I’ll show some concern.
The best stats so far are, by the way M.E.N., P5 league games, W5, D0, L0. F:14 (best in the league), A:3 (best in the league), GD: +11 (…best in the league).
I believe Erling Haaland might fancy himself to have a more productive afternoon and we have, also of course, Julian Alvarez; a player who is really ‘on fire’ at the moment and continues to be the excellent player most Blues thought we were getting when we signed him in January 2022.
I’m going for a City win and, just to repeat, I expect to see a fair few goals flying into our visitor’s net…but be prepared also for a possible frustrating period and a possible early’ish scare, Blues. 3-more points to us is my prediction.
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: After a REAL mixed bag in the region all week, things settle down nicely on match day. Dry, 15C, sunny intervals and just a light, south-westerly breeze. Can’t really ask for more going into late September. Happy Autumn equinox, by the way.
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| Solidarity |
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