Premier League Stats
The Head-to-Head record in the Premier League era is still skewed in their favour overall with them having won 23 times against us (out of the 48) compared to our 15 wins; and the remaining ten being draws ... but the last five Recent Meetings record tells a different story where we have gone on and beaten them every single time, be it home or away. Actually, if you look back even further than the five league games and include all competitions, City has won ten out of last eleven (the exception being that one semi-final loss in the FA Cup; two season ago during that Project Restart summer).
The Head-to-Head record in the Premier League era is still skewed in their favour overall with them having won 23 times against us (out of the 48) compared to our 15 wins; and the remaining ten being draws ... but the last five Recent Meetings record tells a different story where we have gone on and beaten them every single time, be it home or away. Actually, if you look back even further than the five league games and include all competitions, City has won ten out of last eleven (the exception being that one semi-final loss in the FA Cup; two season ago during that Project Restart summer).
The Form Guide below includes three fixtures from last season so isn't all that relevant and their three green Ws in that list are all from the end of last season. More relevant to look at is the Season So Far stats (albeit they also cover cover just the two games each) but still more reflective of where the two teams stand. All these stats will provide better context after a another few gameweeks are played.
The Scheduling
Before you go on stating some of those same old clichés ... the likes of, oh but we don't wake up early on Saturday, or we are always slow to get going in these early kick-offs; this myth was debunked in one of my Pre-Match threads last season (and I am not going to go digging those stats up again, but if you are interested you can look them up in this thread linked here from last season). If anything, we are the kings of Saturday lunchtime kick-off for having the best win record in the Premier League at this timeslot.
I think more than us its Arsenal who has to worry about the schedule this week, given their 'before' game isn't that premier league clash with Chelsea that has just finished but they have another game to play this mid-week in that City Trophy ... I mean in the Carabao Cup.
Other than Arsenal, we have two cup draws to look forward to this mid-week ... The Carabao Cup draw for the third round will be just after that aforementioned Arsenal's mid-week game on Wednesday night around 10pm and then on Thursday evening we'll find out if Messi is coming to Etihad this season with PSG or Aguero with Barca ... and after the Arsenal game, there is that first international break which is already upon us.
Here's the schedule for the two clubs:
Arsenal
Wed 25 Aug | 8:00pm | West Brom (A) - EFL Cup R2
Sat 28 Aug | 12:30pm | City (A) - PL
Sat 11 Sept | 3:00pm | Norwich (H) - PL
Manchester City
Sat 21 Aug | 3:00pm | Norwich (H) - PL
Wed 25 Aug | 10:00pm | EFL Cup Draw - R3
Thu 26 Aug | 5:00pm | CL Draw - Group Stage
Sat 28 Aug | 12:30pm | Arsenal (H) - PL
Mon 30 Aug - Fri 10 Sept | International Break
Sat 11 Sept | 3:00pm | Leicester City (A) - PL
Review
Found the Winning Ways
With that Norwich win, we have finally found a win as otherwise I was getting sick and tired of the "three losses in a row" talk on radio, TV, podcasts and wherever else anything was written or said about City, including even on some of the City fan podcasts. The three losses being referred back to were one from this season, one from pre-season and one from last season (the first PL game against Spurs, Community Shield and the CL Final). While I won't necessarily link them together, I guess it was supporting a certain narrative so was conveniently adapted. And as far as City fans jumping on the same bandwagon, I think it was more to vent the frustration with the Kane saga running on and on in parallel (which is still dragging on) so that obviously hasn't helped.
Anyway, on the pitch we didn't look lethargic or slow at all and all of a sudden look decent again but then it was always a matter of players returning to full fitness and key players coming back in the starting XI. What also helps going forward is that those lagging a tiny bit (like Mahrez in last two games) were left out and Jesus performing on that wing would give him a bit of a kick up the backside. Same goes for Sterling or anyone else that was left on bench ... and with those who came in, performing so well would only promote a healthy competition within the squad going forward. I guess with just one more game to go now before the international break we don't have to worry too much about rotation in the squad as post that break, we'd be back to the regular two games a week schedule with mid-weeks being filled by the Carabao Cup and Champions League games all the way to end of the year.
Preview
Time to Build on that Win
After the first win under our belt it's imperative to build on it and get another win here ... especially with that international break coming right after this fixture. Anything less than a win and we'd have to chew over that result for over two weeks.
I fear for Arteta though and really hope Pep doesn't try to help out his pal here who is already under immense pressure to find their first win of the season, or even to get a draw. Their mid-week game against West Brom is no gimme either just before they play us where an easier fixture might have relaxed a slight bit of pressure on Arteta. I'd actually like them to win that because losing to WBA in the second round of the league cup will only pile on extreme pressure (on him) to a point where he might end up begging Pep for a point or three, and we all know how much Pep loves that fella. I say this slightly tongue in cheek before you start believing in such conspiracy theories, but thought I'd mention given there already are comments to this effect in the thread.
I doubt Pep will even give Arteta or his troubles a second thought. He is a serial winner for a reason and will not want to go into that international break more than three points behind the league leaders (whoever they may be by the end of next gameweek). And with Leicester (A), Chelsea (A) and Liverpool (A) all coming after this international break and before the next one, our fixtures simply don't allow for casual dropping of points.
On the pitch Arsenal are no better than Norwich at the moment ... okay, maybe slightly because Norwich is 20th in the table and Arsenal are 19th by the virtue of goal difference. They then also have Covid issues in their squad with Ben White now testing positive and having already been ruled out of the game against us. Earlier cases of Aubameyang, Lacazette, Willian and Runarsson should all be coming back from their Covid isolation and in contention for selection though.
It's very easy to say that if we show up like we did against Norwich, we'd walk it ... and if the City turns up that we saw at Tottenham Hotspur stadium then we'd simply be inviting trouble. In reality it'd be somewhere in the middle of the two games we have seen so far this season. Arsenal might be as bad as Norwich on paper but out on that pitch won't be as naïve and will give us a tougher game than last Saturday.
It is yet to be seen what side Arteta picks up for their Carabao Cup game on Wednesday but given the pressure he is under and their opposition being a strong one, he's bound to have at least half of the first team play there that he'd start against us. So having played late night on Wednesday to be followed up with travel on Friday for Saturday early kick-off against us will show in their legs in the second half. If we don't start too relaxed like we did in 'that' FA Cup semi-final and score early, it'd break their resolve quickly and make it easier for us.
I personally wasn't planning on attending this game at first, but my plans were forced to change after it came out that the Kompany and Silva statues are being revealed on Saturday before this fixture. There is a separate thread discussing the statues reveal, including early leaks, which you can access here.
Team Selection
With Pep already announcing that Laporte will play against Arsenal because he doesn't deserve to be rotated after having such a good game ... then surely so do Jesus and Walker as well. But obviously nothing can be taken for granted with Pep ... That Laporte comment has cast all the doubts on my FPL team now which has Dias in it; would he be the one making way for Stones now? Or is Stones still recovering from whatever mysterious injury that kept him out of the squad all together against Norwich?
I think we will see Sterling return to the starting XI, but with Jesus having played so well on the right will probably keep Mahrez out for this one as well, unless Jesus plays centrally. Grealish and Gundogan will retain their place in the midfield on either side of Fernandinho (or Rodri), simply because Foden and De Bruyne are still out. And at the back I think Zinchenko will be the only change in the back four in this coming game (or we might start with the same defence). The return of mid-week fixtures after the international break will see the squad being rotated a lot more frequently then on.
One final thought, which I had at some point during the Norwich game last Saturday ... if you thought we were at our fluid best then, wait till we get De Bruyne and Foden back in the mix ... and dare I whisper the K word?
Score Prediction
I am afraid the apprentice will have to wait a little bit longer to find their first league win this season ...
Manchester City 3 - 1 Arsenal