Tomorrows trip sees us travel to the Britannia stadium to face a Stoke team that have made a good start to the season. We will be coming up against our former boss Mark Hughes and possibly our former Irish star Stephen Ireland, who will both have a point to prove against their former employers.
Stoke is always a tough trip to make and from what I have seen of them so far this season, tomorrow will be no different. Hughes has got them playing some good football, Stoke are notorious for their no nonsense, long ball and just down right basic football tactics and although it has served them well at times in the past, things seem to be changing. Hughes is clearly implementing a different style of football and so far he is doing a good job of it, his Stoke team have been passing the ball really well, their movement is sharper and basically all round they are a classier looking outfit.
The worry for me in tomorrows game is that Stoke revert to their old game plan and set up to shut us out, as is common knowledge we don't seem to know how to break teams down that put men behind the ball, couple this with the fact Stoke are capable of playing a passing game now and it could be the perfect formula to beat us.
As for us, I am hoping that the International break has given Pellegrini the time he needed to figure out why the team are not performing near to the level that they are capable of. We have to start performing, you do not win titles playing the way that we are. We are lacking in midfield, lacking in effort and we are certainly lacking a plan B, things that you would expect a top manager to be able to put right and quickly at that.
Man City Team News:
Our bad run of injuries continues with Kompany (groin), Silva (thigh), Clichy (thigh), Richards (hamstring) and Demichelis (knee) all missing out, Stevan Jovetic had a slight problem with his hamstring during the International break but is expected to be available for selection.
Stoke City Team News:
Marc Muniesa misses out with a groin injury whilst last minute signings Marko Arnautovic and Stephen Ireland are expected to feature.
Possible Man City Line Up: Hart, Zabaleta, Nastasic, Lescott, Kolarov, Nasri, Toure, Fernandinho, Navas, Aguero, Negredo.
Possible Stoke City Line Up: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters, Walters, N'Zonzi, Adam, Wilson, Etherington, Jones.
My Prediction: Stoke City 0 - 2 Man City.
Worth A Bet: Aguero scores the first goal in a 2 - 0 Man City win @ 22/1.
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