Season 2011/2012 – Match 12
MANCHESTER CITY (A)
Date: Sunday 20th November 2011
Venue: Eithad Stadium
Kick-Off: 2am (AEST), 1:30am (SA), 1am (QLD), 11pm (WA)
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)
Australian TV: Live on Foxsports 1
Last 5 Form:
| Man City |
Newcastle United |
| PL – QPR (a) W 3-2 | PL – Everton (h) W 2-1 |
| UCL – Villareal (a) W 3-0 | PL – Stoke (a) W 3-1 |
| PL – Wolves (h) W 3-1 | CC3R – Blackburn (a) L 3-4 AET |
| CC3R – Wolves (a) W 5-2 | PL – Wigan (h) W 1-0 |
| PL – Man Utd (a) W 6-1 | PL – Spurs (h) D 2-2 |
Match Stats:
All time: Man City 55 wins, Draws 38, Newcastle 70 wins
Odds:
Brought to you in association with…
Man City $1.33, Draw $4.75, Newcastle $10.00
Did You Know?
It is 11 years since Newcastle United last recorded a victory away to Man City. Alan Shearer scored the only goal that day at Main Road back in September 2000.
Team News:
Newcastle Utd – On Thursday manager Alan Pardew said key midfieler Cheick Tiote still isn’t quite 100% ready to return from a knee problem and in addition he said Sylvain Marveaux requires a operation and will be out till the new year. Mike Williamson remains on the long-term injury list.
Doubts exist about both Gabriel Obertan (toe) and Leon Best (groin), while Yohan Cabaye came through the international break unscathed for France and is expected to start.
Man City - Midfielder Samir Nasri has been ruled out after being diagnosed with tendinitis of the knee. Striker Sergio Aguero is expected to play after being passed fit on his groin injury.
A panorama view of the City of Manchester Stadium
Match Preview
Manchester City entertain Newcastle United at the Eithad Stadium tonight as the only two unbeaten Premier League teams face off in a top-of-the-table clash.
Man City are without doubt the league’s best team this season. Their record of 10 wins and only 1 draw, including the most impressive 6-1 win at Old Trafford, makes them the most feared team in England these days. Summer signing Sergio Aguero has formed a lethal striking partnership with Edin Džeko, and along with fellow striker Mario Balotelli, the three strikers have scored 24 league goals between them already this season. Striking power is not just City’s main strength, the midfield form of David Silva, James Milner, Adam Johnson, and Yaya Toure will take some stopping for a Magpie team minus Cheick Tiote.
To make matters worse Newcastle have a recent poor record away at City with only two draws in the last eight games and our last victory come back in September 2000. But Alan Pardew’s Newcastle United are a team that never gives in and has a tremendous team spirit that has risen to the occasion more than once already this season.
In this instance the league’s meanest defence, conceding only 8 goals, will need to be bang on form and be well protected by it’s midfield. The defensive cover that Jonas Gutierrez gives down our left-hand side will be vital to assist right-footed Ryan Taylor at left-back. R.Taylor has been impressive this season so far, but you do feel he is one game away from being caught out defensively.
Danny Guthrie has shown some of his best form since coming in for Tiote and he will need to be at his blue collar best in the middle of the park again. Alongside him will thankfully be Yohan Cabaye who has recovered quicker than expected. His start to his Newcastle career has been fabulous and the classy French international has given our midfield some passing nonce that had been lacking in Kevin Nolan.
With Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux both out injured that leaves a hole in our right-hand side of midfield. Pardew basically has two options, either bringing new England U21 international Sammy Ameobi or Hatem Ben Arfa. My understanding is that Ben Arfa has been earmarked to play in the #10 role behind the striker and not in the wide positions, so I suspect Sammy Ameobi may get the nod and if Leon Best is injured then Ben Arfa should also start too.
My Starting XI:
Tim Krul
Danny Simpson, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor
Sammy Ameobi, Danny Guthrie, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez
Hatem Ben Arfa
Demba Ba
Nobody is expecting us to win, and my head says that our unbeaten run will end tonight, but football in a funny old game and if the lads play at their best again we could sneak ourselves a draw.
HOWAY THE LADS!
Andrew McTernan – Row ‘S’ Army
