City host Crystal Palace, as the Blues return to Premier League action following their midweek Carabao Cup exploits.
While City sit top of the table (on alphabetical order no less!), the Eagles lie bottom, and without a goal in the league this season.
in yesterday’s press conference, asserting his side will be one step closer to victory in the knowledge they could lose this afternoon.
His Palace counterpart Roy Hodgson is looking to draw inspiration from a previous triumph on City soil, as Fulham managed to perform ‘the Great Escape’ back in 2008.
As Dominic Fifield of the Guardian explains: “His team appeared condemned when, needing to win their last three fixtures to stay up, they were losing 2-0 to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Manchester City with 20 minutes to play, only to rally with a substitute, Diomansy Kamara, scoring Fulham’s winner in stoppage time.”
Hodgson recalled: “We were doomed, week after week, but we just kept believing.
“We had a nice campaign that Mohamed [Al Fayed, the chairman] started: ‘Keep the faith’, and the fans got behind us.
“We were roundly outplayed in the first half of that game, 2-0 down and it could have been more, but it was a rousing second-half performance.
“Had that scoreline stayed the same then we were relegated, even with two games to go, so maybe the pressure came off a little bit.
“But I remember saying to them at half-time: ‘Right, all we can do is try to win the second half.’
“We are forever grateful to Diomansy and Danny Murphy’s ability to score penalties.
“It does put Palace’s current predicament into perspective.
“We’ll have to live with that, with people writing us off and dooming us. Especially if these next three results don’t go our way.
“Realistically I can’t deny there’s a risk of that, because we are playing the top teams who are not even losing to the teams in their particular portion of the league.
“But, as far as we’re concerned, May is still a long way off. It’s up to us to keep improving, keep working hard and pick up some points along the way so we’re at the right end of the table come May. I refuse to believe we’re doomed.”
Fifield continues: “Palace will hand Mamadou Sakho his first Premier League start since returning to the club from Liverpool, with Timothy Fosu-Mensah expected to move to right-back and Luka Milivojevic drafted into defensive midfield.
“Christian Benteke, who has scored in only one of his past 10 Premier League games – like Palace – will lead the line, with Hodgson confident the Belgian’s form will revive.”
Fosu-Mensah has echoed his manager’s sentiments in a piece for Palace’s official website.
“The start has been disappointing but everyone remains positive and is working hard to ensure we can turn the current situation around,” he stated.
“We have an experienced manager who has a philosophy about the type of football he wants us to play and the training sessions have been good so I am looking forward to working under him.
“It’s important that the squad stays together and works for one another to get through this current run of results.
“Obviously we are all aware of the form that our opponents are in at the moment but as a group of players you always have to go into the games in a confident frame of mind and that is exactly what we will do.
“They have a very good group of players and as one of the top clubs they will be seen as strong favourites for the Premier League title.”
Unsurprisingly, Aguero has been highlighted as the dangerman.
Fosu-Mensah added: “He’s a very clever player with experience and someone whose record speaks for itself.
“As a player against him you have to concentrate for 90 minutes because he is so sharp and can make things happen in a game very quickly.”
On the subject of the Argentine ace, the Manchester Evening News believe Kun is in ‘the perfect position’ to take the Blues to the next level.
Writes Simon Bajkowski: “It would be extraordinary if Sergio Aguero does break the all-time record this week, but the striker has shown time and again he is no average player.
“With 14 goals in 17 league games for Manchester City since March and six in five this season, Aguero is running red hot and an early goal will whip up the Etihad to roar him on towards the record.
“Despite the talent running all the way through the team, all eyes remain on City’s star forward.”
Elsewhere Football Transfer Tavern’s Lee Connor has discussed the influence of another City star – and the significance he could have on the Blues’ title chances.
His article reads: “There is one man in the City squad though who is more important than anyone, and he does not fall into the realms of one of their attacking talents. That man? Midfield stalwart Fernandinho.
“In a system which is full to the brim of pacey attacking talent and relies on a high pressing style, the Brazilian midfielder is the glue which seemingly holds it all together.
“Fernandinho sits just in front of his back four, protecting them and doing an excellent job of disrupting opposition attacks, but he is also full of running, and is able to contribute up the pitch too.
“Fernandinho’s engine and fitness mark him out as a standout central midfielder in the Premier League in somewhat of a dying field of his type.
“His form, fitness, and performances in the middle of the park will be a crucial factor in City having any sort of success this season.”
Finally, Joe divulge the meaning of his much-discussed hashtag ‘Shark Team.’
Without further ado…
Mendy disclosed: “We’re the big shark and when teams swim up alongside us we gobble them up!”
So there you have it!
