Easy Game With Swansea Should Help Man City Keep Lead
Man City, two points adrift of United, at the top of the league table, travel to Swansea on Sunday, March 11, 2012, for what should be a stroll in the park for Mancini’s wards.
To find out what time the match between Swansea and Manchester city begins, take a look at the EPL schedule.
Swansea have done reasonably well for the minnows they are and are currently 14th placed on the league table. With just two wins in their last six league matches, the Welsh outfit saw a measure of redemption in last week’s win over relegation-zoners, Wigan. Man City crushed Swansea 4-0 in their league opener at the City of Manchester. That said, Swansea’s home record has been commendable and they can be expected to fight it out against their stronger rivals, on the weekend. The Welsh squad have thrived on the watch of Brendon Rogers, and with a cushion of 11 points over Wolves, who are currently in 18th place on the table, Swansea enjoy a measure of safety from relegation.
Their win over Wigan was built on the back of a brace by Gylfi Sigurdsson who is again likely to be key against City, though Rogers is unlikely to have the services of his dynamic winger, Nathan Dyer, who is currently serving a suspension, after being sent off, with a red card, against Wigan.
City will be keen to put away three points from the Swansea game, especially as arch-rivals United have an easier run, in the league, leading up to the Manchester derby on April 30. By contrast, Mancini’s men have an away match against Arsenal, and home matches against Chelsea and Sunderland.
Additionally, while City have had a brilliant home record, their away record, this season, has not been as impressive, as they have struggled to score goals. They have registered just two wins in seven away matches since prevailing 3-2 over QPR, three months ago.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Kompany, Richards and Zabaleta are unavailable to Mancini, and Nasri, Johnson and Aguero could feature in City’s playing eleven. Though city have struggled recently, their all-win record in their last five matches contrasts with Swansea’s two wins and two losses in their own last five.
With Balotelli and Yaya Toure on the hunt, the Swansea defenders are likely to face their stiffest test at home. That said, an intriguing match is in the offing, and the Welsh team might yet play the spoiler to Man City’s title aspirations.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Jinxatious is the Chief Editor of SportingAttitude.com
An avid writer, on an eclectic range of subjects, he brings to bear editorial experience garnered with a national newspaper in South-East Asia. He also has sportscasting experience, as a cricket commentator, and his passion for sport extends beyond Cricket, to Football, Tennis, and Olympic Sports.
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