Official Match Thread: Manchester City vs Aston Villa Fa Cup

[MadchesterCity]

Note to Moderator - Please sticky (will update after Fulham game tomorrow)

Manchester City (City) vs Aston Villa (Villa)
2nd March 2011 19:45
City of Manchester Stadium - Capacity: 47,726
Roberto Mancini v Gérard Houllier

COMPETITION HISTORY

City - FA Cup Winners (4): 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969

Villa - FA Cup Winners (7): 1887, 1895, 1897, 1905, 1913, 1920, 1957

FORM

City Last 5 Form: W-L-D-W-W

Man City 3 - 0 Aris Salonika
Man City 5 - 0 Notts County
Aris Salonika 0 - 0 Man City

Villa Last 6 Form: W-W-L-D-D-W

Aston Villa 4 - 1 Fulham
Blackpool 1 - 1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2 - 2 Fulham
Man Utd 3 - 1 Aston Villa

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Aston Villa 1-0 Man City
Bent (18)

Man City 4-0 Aston Villa
Balotelli (8mins pen, 27mins, 56mins pen), Lescott (14mins)

NEXT FIXTURES

Man City v Wigan, 17:30
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Barclays Premier League

Bolton v Aston Villa, 15:00
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Barclays Premier League

KEY PLAYERS

City

Joe Hart "Backdoor Man"

Micah Richards "Flying Blue"

Yaya Toure "The Dominator"

Balotelli "The nuts"

Villa

Brad Friedel

Richard Dunne

Stewart Downing

Darren Bent

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Manchester City

Tevez: 21 goals (18 league)
Balotelli: 8 goals (5 league)

Aston Villa

Bent: 13 goals (10 league) - 11 goals (8 league) for Sunderland
Downing: 6 goals (5 league)
A Young: 6 goals (4 league)
Heskey: 6 goals (3 league)

POTENTIAL LINEUP

Hart, Richards, Kompany, Toure, Kolarov, Barry, Yaya Toure, Balotelli, Silva, Tevez, Dzeko

PREDICTION

Villa will be up for it after a good result against Blackburn, we will have to go after them straight from the off and play with a high tempo.

I would imagine Mancini would be keen to finish this off and not have to play a replay so we will be with our strongest team.

A hard fought battle; 0v0 at half time, 2 Balotelli goals in second Half.

City win 2v0

 

[Goaters]

I would change a few things about for this game, maybe give a couple of younger players a chance instead of the players who seem to be out of gas

--------------Hart----------------

Zab----Boyata--Lescott----Boateng

SWP---Milner----MJ( if fit)---Silva

------Mario----Dzeko-----------

Taylor, Toure, Kolarov, Razak, Assulin, Guidetti, Tevez

 

[MadchesterCity]

I would change a few things about for this game, maybe give a couple of younger players a chance instead of the players who seem to be out of gas

--------------Hart----------------

Zab----Boyata--Lescott----Boateng

SWP---Milner----MJ( if fit)---Silva

------Mario----Dzeko-----------

Taylor, Toure, Kolarov, Razak, Assulin, Guidetti, Tevez

We need to win this game, so wouldn't change too much!

The introduction of SWP may not be a bad idea, fingers crossed Vinnie and Micah are fit

 

[keemcfc]

What's with the gay player nicknames in the OP???

;)

Anyway...

_______________Hart________________
Richards___Boateng__Kompany___Kolarov
__________________________________
_______________Barry_______________
__________Milner____Yaya Touré_______
_______________Silva________________
__________________________________
___________Tévez___Balotelli__________

If Richards is out:

Boateng__Kolo Touré__Kompany__Kolarov

If Kompanys out:

Richards__Kolo Touré__Boateng__Kolarov

If they're both out:

Boateng__Kolo Touré__Lescott__Kolarov

60 mins - Džeko on for Balotelli if were winning, or for Milner if we need a goal.
75 mins - Zabaleta on if were winning, or SWP if we need a goal.
75 mins - M Johnson/Guidetti/Assulin/Nimely/Razak on if were very comfortable.

 

[simon23]

got to go with the best team we can put out for this one.

------------hart-----------

richards---kolo---vinny-----zabba

--------------dejong-------------

--------yaya--------milner/barry----

---------------silva-----------

--------tevez------Balo--------------


obviously there are ???? against the fitness of dejong, vinny, richards and silva

id like to see swp in there at some point in the game as well...add a bit of directness and pace

 

[cityboy1]

official city vs villa thread

----------------------hart-----------------------
richards(if fit)---boateng-----kompany---zabaleta
----------------milner-------barry--------------
swp-----------------silva--------------balo
-------------------dzeko------------------

hopefully 2-1 city

 

[Marvin]

Re: official city vs villa thread

According to reports Silva, Milner, Richards and Kompany are doubts

I wouldn't want to play any of them when we have a far more important game at the weekend.

-------------Hart-----------
Zab---Toure---Lescott-Logan
------------Barry----------
---Toure---Tevez----Kolarov
------Dzeko-----Balotelli-----

 

[intheknow!]

Re: official city vs villa thread

It's gonna be interesting to see Mancini's tactics because the one thing Villa have got that we haven't is pace. Downing and Albrighton on the wings with Ashley Young down the middle in behind Bent. The right back from Tottenham whose a speedy gonzales. But we've got a fantastic solid defense, where as that is their biggest weakness.

If they put out a weak side due to priority of Premier League then we'll walk it, if not it's gonna be a good match!

 

[citysky]

Re: official city vs villa thread

Downing and Albrighton on the wings with Ashley Young down the middle in behind Bent.

Bent cant play for them in FA cup, he already played for sunderland in this competition this season

 

[lionheart]

Re: official city vs villa thread

According to reports Silva, Milner, Richards and Kompany are doubts. I wouldn't want to play any of them when we have a far more important game at the weekend.

I disagree with you. It's a one-off FA Cup tie with the victors drawn at home in the Quarter Finals. No single league game is more important, except against Chelsea or Spurs perhaps.