Manchester City v Norwich City – Match Preview
Premier League leaders will be expecting to maintain their five point lead at the top of the table with victory over newly promoted Norwich at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Roberto Mancini’s men dropped points for only the second time this season with Joleon Lescott’s own goal gifting Liverpool a share of the spoils at Anfield last week. That draw meant City missed the chance to widen the gap between themselves and rivals United to eight points after the Red Devil’s were held at Old Trafford by Newcastle. That draw on Merseyside ended a run of seven consecutive wins that had catapulted City to the pinnacle of the top flight and made them firm favourites for the title. A majority of the credit for their unbeaten start to the season has to be laid at the doorstep of Mancini. The Italian has brought together a legion star names and moulded them into a finely tuned unit that puts in highly accomplished performances every week. Against the backdrop of the Carlos Tevez affair Mancini has kept his players motivated and focused on the task in hand which is testament to his man management skills. He’s worked wonders on the temperamental Mario Balotelli who has looked a shadow of the petulant teenager he masqueraded as for much of the previous campaign. The 21-year-old has been in sparkling form in front of goal and, despite his harsh sending off against Liverpool last Sunday, has enjoyed a relatively trouble free season thus far. The same goes for the likes of David Silva, Micah Richards and James Milner who have all become indispensable to City in the last few months. For now City are sitting pretty at the top although bigger tests are coming in the near future and it will be interesting to see whether they can sustain the momentum built up over the last 13 games during a packed festive programme. However supporters will be expecting victory on Saturday against a Norwich side who they’ve lost just once against in the last six meetings.
The Canaries returned to winning ways last week with a hard fought 2-1 win over QPR at Carrow Road but will be preparing themselves for a backs to the walls job in the blue half of Manchester. Paul Lambert’s side ended a run of one win in six with victory over Rangers but knows his side will have to perform much better if they are to come away from the North West with points under their belts. Halting the City express is arguably their biggest test since winning promotion back to the top flight and one that the Norwich players are sure to relish. They’ve performed well against three of last seasons top four despite losing each game they’ve come away with a sense of pride after taking the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea right to the wire away from home. I doubt anyone expected them to be sitting comfortably in 10th place going into December although that is likely to chance when they come up against City. However it would be wrong to count out Lambert and his side before a ball has even been kicked at the Etihad. Performing above expectations and confounding the critics has become somewhat of a speciality in Norfolk over the last few years with back-to-back promotions and a strong start to life in their first Premier League campaign in seven years. Their is a feel good factor flowing around Norwich at the moment that is sure to generate enough positivity to assist them in staying clear of the relegation zone. One concur does remain for Lambert though and that is his sides propensity to concede goals. His side have yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this season and coming up against free scoring City isn’t the ideal time to try and correct the problem. Whilst a heavy defeat may be on the cards don’t expect the Canaries to just lie down and accept that.
Manchester City – 1st
Last Five: Drew 1-1 v Liverpool (A), Won 3-1 v Newcastle (H), Won 3-2 v QPR (A),Won, 3-1 v Wolves (H), Won 6-1 v Manchester United (A)
Potential Starting X11: 25. J. Hart 2. M. Richards 4. V. Kompany 6. J. Lescott 13. A. Kolarov 34. N. De Jong 42. Y. Toure 21. D. Silva* 7. J. Milner 16. S. Aguero 10. E. Dzeko
Injury News: Mancini has no new injury worries going into the game against Norwich with Owen Hargreaves the only man in the Etihad Stadium treatment room.
Key Player: David Silva
He is the man that makes City tick, the conductor of the sky blue orchestra. David Silva’s form this season has been nothing short of mesmerising and his importance in the side has grew substantially throughout. The Spanish midfielders creative influence has seen him become a major part of the way City attack with his elegance and vision cutting defences wide open time and time again this season. Norwich’s creaky back four will be no match for the Manchester magician and his enormous box of tricks.
Match Fact: This will be only the ninth time City have met Norwich in the Premier League era with their last encounter coming in 2005. Mancini’s side enjoy playing the Canaries though having won three and drawn four of their previous eight top flight meetings.
Norwich City – 10th
Last Five: Won 2-1 v QPR (H), Lost 2-1 v Arsenal (H), Lost 3-2 v Aston Villa (A), Drew 3-3 v Blackburn (H), Drew 1-1 v Liverpool (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. J. Ruddy 23. M. Tierney 20. L. Barnett 2. R. Martin [C] 25. K. Naughton 7. L. Crofts 4. B. Johnson 11. A. Surman 12. A. Pilkington 14. W. Hoolahan 5. S. Morison*
Injury News: Apart from long term injury victims Zak Whitbread and James Vaughan manager Lambert has no fresh injuries in his squad.
Key Player: Steve Morison
The summer signing from Millwall has performed superbly in his debut season in the Premier League scoring five goals and proving to be a real nuisance in and around the penalty area. To give you a measure of just how good Morison has been he is keeping the Norwich captain Grant Holt on the substitutes bench. The Welsmans’s physically intimidating approach up front will come in handy against a City defence that has hardly been troubled during the current campaign.
Match Fact: Norwich don’t enjoy playing in the blue half of Manchester winning just two out of their last 24 visits to City. The first of those came in September 1964 and they had to wait 33 years before winning their next in 1997.
Last Time at Maine Road
Premier League 1 November 2004
Manchester City 1-1 Norwich
Flood, 11
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Francis, 46
Attendance: 42,803
Referee: Steve Bennett
PREDICTION
City are unstoppable at the moment and the minor blip at Anfield last week will be corrected with a massive win against mid-table Norwich on Saturday. Maintaining that gap between themselves and rivals United is imperative going into the potentially damaging festive period that will be a true test to their title mettle. Norwich on the other hand will be looking beyond this game although thats not to say they won’t give the league leaders everything they’ve got on the day. Their leaky defence coupled with City’s razor sharp attack should see them slide to a defeat.
Score 4-0
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