City vs chelsea pre match thread.

[eversince 76]

Really funny to read the prematch posts on this one. The replies towards opposite fans hold far more confidence. We can discuss whats good and bad about our club, but as soon as an outsider interferes we all stand together and bash them to shut up and fook back (in this case to London). Just the way it should be.

As for the upcoming game, I do think we will win as the players kind a feel invinceble right now. But Mourinho will always put up a team and plan to get the maximum result out of the 90+ minutes. Sometimes by intelligent tactics, most of the time by simply parking the bus waiting for the opposition to make a fatal mistake, and when he's really desperate he will turn his players' head for using every trick to try and get a result in the most unworthy way possible only for people to forget about it after a few weeks and with a few more games being played. We all know how he transformed Real into a side that did everything to stop Barcelona and it had very little to do with football (although Barcelona put in their part as well).
It will be a difficult game, but one Pellegrini will go in to thinking about further polishing his team' style of play rather than get into a streetfight. It's just the one game that doesn't decide anything other than bragging rights on the day. And Pellegrini stays way off that kind of behaviour.

I hope the players wil do the talking on the pitch. They, as us, will remember Mourinho behaving like a teenager when Chelsea got their X-mas present in the final minute at their place. That would be enough to put that tiny bit of extra motivation into them. It more likely will be another Liverpool-result, not an Arsenal one. But I'm confident we wil win. How can anyone not be at the moment ...

 

[cheddar404]

Chelsea Should comfortably win 3-1, City only knows how to attack, but cannot defend in solid shape, attacking in waves will play to our strengths because we will pick them off on the counter, the same way we did against Bayern Munich in the Super Cup but penalties was our undoing on that particular evening.

That's an interesting opinion, lets explore it. You seem to think that you are better equipped to deal with the open and expansive sides rather than those who sit back and defend (let's assume that the leagues expansive sides are the current top 5 - City, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, and Chelsea). As you're one of these sides, that means you'll play expansive sides 8 times this season, and you'll pick each of them off on the counter, the way you did against Bayern in the Super Cup.

Spurs 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

So far you've played 4 of those games, averaging 1.25 goals per game, excluding these 4 games from your other PL fixtures, you've scored 38 goals in 19 games, averaging 2.00 goals per game - this would indicate that playing expansive sides actually doesn't play to your strengths, and you certain don't pick them off. You score an average of 0.75 goals per game less against these sides. Just for fun, lets have a quick look at ours.

Man City 6-0 Spurs
Man City 6-3 Arsenal
Man City 2-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Spurs 1-5 Man City

So we've played 5 of those games, averaging 4.00 goals per game, excluding these 5 games in our other PL fixtures we've scored 48 goals in 18 games, an average of 2.66 goals per game - this would indicate that expansive sides actually play to OUR strengths, and we tend to pick them off. You made a great observation, but just picked the wrong team to make it about.

Let's now look into your comment that we only know how to attack, and therefore we can't defend in a solid shape. we've scored 68 goals, while conceding 26, that means we concede 38.2% of the goals that we score. You've scored 43, but conceded 20, so you concede 46.5% of the goals you score. This suggests that actually, we have MORE balance than you between our attack and defence. While we've conceded 6 more goals in total, our balance as a team to attack and defend in the correct manner is more efficient than yours.

If we do the same calculation and consider that City are at home, and Chelsea are away, like the upcoming weekend, the stats move even further in our favour. Our attack defence balance at home would be 19.0% using the same method, while yours away from home is 61.1%. I'm not saying you don't have a chance of picking up points, but if your going into the game thinking these are your strengths then you're mistaken.

Chelsea aren't an expansive team though.

 

[FactsorFiction]

I'm a Chelsea fan, I believe Manchester City are favorites for this match. Manchester City may have a considerably better balance between attack and defence, but Chelsea too has a pretty decent attack, and arguably the best defence in the league, aswel as in the Champions league. With that being Said I know many are going to point at Tottenham that was outplayed at the Etihad when they came there with the best defensive record that was shattered but Man City, but unlike Tottenham, Chelsea has a settled and much more Solida fence, in total, Against Tottenham, Man city, Man Utd(x2), Arsenal, Liverpool, liverpool, We have only Conceded 4 goals 7 matches. Compared to Man City that conceded 7 goals against Man utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, liverpool & tottenham(x2). So surely Chelsea has a better Chance of beating Man city compared to all the other teams in the league. Regardless of City having the best attack they were shackled decently at Stamford Bridge..

 

[FactsorFiction]

A team that 'Parked the bus' Managed 46% possession? you're surely a bright spark mate. Anyway goodluck indeed. :-)

Yes, a team that parked the bus did manage to have less possession that the attacking team. I'm glad we agree.

I don't think A team with 46% possession Cannot be classified as parking the bus, your arguement would have been much accurate had the possession stats for Chelsea been perhaps less than 40%. But they were not parking the bus, Man City was just better than Chelsea at retaining possession in that match.

 

[vintiz]

5-2 city wins !

 

[FactsorFiction]

Chelsea Should comfortably win 3-1, City only knows how to attack, but cannot defend in solid shape, attacking in waves will play to our strengths because we will pick them off on the counter, the same way we did against Bayern Munich in the Super Cup but penalties was our undoing on that particular evening.

That's an interesting opinion, lets explore it. You seem to think that you are better equipped to deal with the open and expansive sides rather than those who sit back and defend (let's assume that the leagues expansive sides are the current top 5 - City, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, and Chelsea). As you're one of these sides, that means you'll play expansive sides 8 times this season, and you'll pick each of them off on the counter, the way you did against Bayern in the Super Cup.

Spurs 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

So far you've played 4 of those games, averaging 1.25 goals per game, excluding these 4 games from your other PL fixtures, you've scored 38 goals in 19 games, averaging 2.00 goals per game - this would indicate that playing expansive sides actually doesn't play to your strengths, and you certain don't pick them off. You score an average of 0.75 goals per game less against these sides. Just for fun, lets have a quick look at ours.

Man City 6-0 Spurs
Man City 6-3 Arsenal
Man City 2-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 2-1 Man City
Spurs 1-5 Man City

So we've played 5 of those games, averaging 4.00 goals per game, excluding these 5 games in our other PL fixtures we've scored 48 goals in 18 games, an average of 2.66 goals per game - this would indicate that expansive sides actually play to OUR strengths, and we tend to pick them off. You made a great observation, but just picked the wrong team to make it about.

Let's now look into your comment that we only know how to attack, and therefore we can't defend in a solid shape. we've scored 68 goals, while conceding 26, that means we concede 38.2% of the goals that we score. You've scored 43, but conceded 20, so you concede 46.5% of the goals you score. This suggests that actually, we have MORE balance than you between our attack and defence. While we've conceded 6 more goals in total, our balance as a team to attack and defend in the correct manner is more efficient than yours.

If we do the same calculation and consider that City are at home, and Chelsea are away, like the upcoming weekend, the stats move even further in our favour. Our attack defence balance at home would be 19.0% using the same method, while yours away from home is 61.1%. I'm not saying you don't have a chance of picking up points, but if your going into the game thinking these are your strengths then you're mistaken.

Bam! If only more posters put down opposing fans as respectfully and completely as this! However, I can see the way ChelseaRep is thinking. In Eto, Oscar and Hazard, they have players who can definitely hurt. We will no doubt be aware of this and Pellers and Co. will be planning accordingly.

I can't see Chelsea having the courage to have a go so I think it will be a tight and tough game which we will edge 2-1..... unless we get an early goal........

It'll be a tight game indeed. If Aguero misses out, tough luck, because I believe he would've been the main thorn in Chelsea's defence, However I believe Negredo and Dzeko are more than decent to prove a genuine threat especially the former. Chelsea themselves have pretty good attacking Threat, Its easy to predict the outcome when Demichellis has to deal with hazards pace and Trickery, or even Oscars class, or Willians Pace, however, in Vincent Kompany, city probably have the finest Centre half in the league.

 

[Blue Shield]

Anybody noticed that the team with the best defence always seems to have bit had their passports stamped at the Etihad
yet? Didn't arsenal and spurs have the best defences when they visited too?

 

[FactsorFiction]

Anybody noticed that the team with the best defence always seems to have bit had their passports stamped at the Etihad
yet? Didn't arsenal and spurs have the best defences when they visited too?

Bayern Munich too had the best defensive Record when they came to the Etihad. I believe not every team will leave the Etihad unscathed, but Bayern did & Chelsea can emulate that.

 

[Sigh]

What's our goal difference at home since start of 2010/11 now? Plus 140 is it? It was +125 at the turn of the year. Still only lost 4 since 2010/11. Yeah Chelsea might win, but confident? Really? I think they're either lying, blind, or mad.

 

[FactsorFiction]

What's our goal difference at home since start of 201/11 now? Plus 140 is it? It was +125 at the turn of the year. Still only lost 4 since 2010/11. Yeah Chelsea might win, but confident? Really? I think they're either lying, blind, or mad.

Chelsea is unbeaten in tha last 12 games in all competitions, so theres a reason to be confident, but theres no reason to rule out a Man City win Imo.