please log in to view this image BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE Venue: Etihad Stadium Date: Saturday, 1 September KO 17:30 TEAM NEWS Manchester City will again be without injured trio Sergio Aguero, Gareth Barry and Micah Richards. Joleon Lescott and Jack Rodwell will hope for recalls after dropping to the bench for the 2-2 draw at Liverpool. QPR could give a debut to midfielder Esteban Granero, signed this week from Real Madrid. New goalkeeper Julio Cesar will not feature as he awaits international clearance, and Samba Diakite is also missing for personal reasons. MATCH PREVIEW This fixture will immediately evoke memories of the incredible scenes witnessed at the Etihad Stadium just 16 weeks ago. It was a pivotal day for both clubs and Manchester City will certainly hope they see a repeat of those title celebrations again soon. Queens Park Rangers, though, won't want to be involved in any more final-day survival drama, and the fact that they preserved their Premier League status in May has enabled Mark Hughes to continue his rebuilding work at the club. But for events at the Britannia stadium that day it could have been a different story and different division this season. As the campaign goes on it's going to be interesting to see how Manchester City find defending the Premier League title as opposed to trying to win it for the first time. They are now the team everyone wants to beat. They have hardly come charging out of the blocks. They trailed at home to Southampton and could have easily left Anfield with nothing last week. Their foundation last season was their defence and Joe Hart's 17 clean sheets but they've been unusually open so far. Julio Cesar's signing this week means QPR have brought in three recent Champions League winners in the last eight weeks and a whole new team since losing at City on 13 May. They will take time to gel and what the club needs now is some stability and consistency. Incredibly they have used 46 different players in the league in the last 15 months. Last week's point at Norwich was an encouraging response to their opening-day nightmare. Amazingly it was only Mark Hughes' second point away from home since taking charge and ended a run of seven straight defeats on their travels. That is an area that needs a distinct improvement if they are to be more comfortable next May. Only Fulham and Sunderland have left Manchester City with a point since December 2010 - if QPR were to join them it would raise a few eyebrows. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head Both of last season's fixtures ended in 3-2 wins for City, although Rangers led in each game. The London side have scored 10 goals in their last four league and cup games away to City, three of which were at Maine Road. Manchester City have won 21 of the 48 previous meetings, compared to QPR's 12 victories. Manchester City Roberto Mancini's men are unbeaten in 30 Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium, winning 28. Fulham (then managed by Mark Hughes) and Sunderland are the only sides to claim a point there since December 2010. It is City's longest unbeaten home run in league football since a 41-game streak between 1919 and 1921. They have netted 26 times in their last nine games in all competitions (including the Community Shield). However, they have conceded two goals in each of their last four matches. This will be Roberto Mancini's 100th Premier League game as Manchester City boss (W61, D19, L19). Queens Park Rangers QPR have gone 14 matches without an away win in the league since beating Stoke in November (D3, L11). Mark Hughes is still waiting for his first away win as Rangers boss. It is 17 games since they last kept a clean sheet in a Premier League away match (courtesy of a 3-0 win at Wolves in September 2011). Lawros prediction Man City v QPR (17:30 BST) I've seen both of City's games so far this season and they have maybe been a bit slow in starting. I don't think Roberto Mancini helped himself last week at Anfield with the formation he played and the way he incorporated his players within that. But everyone can see that Carlos Tevez is firing on all cylinders and when David Silva came on he showed how he is a game-changer. It looks like QPR are trying to break the record for players bought. Mark Hughes must sit at home and think how fantastic a job he's got because the chairman keeps coming up with the money and buying him players. It looks like what Hughes is trying to do is put players under pressure, which they've not had before. But the outlay - with wage bill on top - is amazing for a club of QPR's size. Everyone knows the story of that game on the last day of last season, but I think City will have too much and will beat QPR more easily this time. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro on Joey Barton "One thing that is good for QPR is that Joey Barton is moving to Marseille. Barton seems to be living in a completely different world. He is very good with words but the hardest word for him appears to be sorry. There is only one common denominator with everything that has happened to Barton and that is him." Loftforwords Full match preview - City and QPR contemplate importance of popularity http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/fb_news.php?storyid=18022&title=city_and_qpr_contemplate_importance_of_popularity_%E2%80%93_full_match_preview Opposition focus - Manciniâs grumbles underline nervous start to City title defence http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/fb_news.php?storyid=18016&title=mancini%E2%80%99s_grumbles_underline_nervous_start_to_city_title_defence_%E2%80%93_opposition_focus History - Memories of Sinclair, Richard Keys and dancing girls as QPR head back to City http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/fb_news.php?storyid=18014&title=memories_of_sinclair,_richard_keys_and_dancing_girls_as_qpr_head_back_to_city_%E2%80%93_history ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good luck to each and every one. Should be an entertaining day with lots to look forward to. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image COYR's!
Nice one Norway Don't reckon there's anything down for us, just hoping for a good performance, and not another embarrassing result.
Ok,weve signed some good players,but lets keep expectations down. We still got Hill and Anton flapping about,we are in trouble today. I really hope MH tries Magri/Nelson sometime soon.
So, are we going to be crying in our beer tonight, or popping the champagne? Would be fantastic if we could complete the job we failed to finish here in the final 2 mins last season. Man City has already shown weakness in their defence this season - let's hope we can exploit it.
Cat the kitman has tweeted a photo from Etihad changing room it shows the red away kit laid out for Taraabt, Granero, Faurlin, Hill and Bosingwa!!
Magri has never played a first team game, give him a bit of time! But I hope he, and the other youngsters, get a look in especially when all thoughts of the drop have been banished.
QPR FC ‏@OfficialQPR #QPR XI: Green; Bosingwa, Nelsen, Ferdinand, Fabio; SWP, Granero, Faurlin, Park; Zamora, Johnson.
-------------------Green-------------------- Bosingwa------Ferdinand---Nelson--------Fabio --------------------------------------------------- ----SWP-----Granero-----Faurlin----Park -----------Johnson------Zamora-------- So what do we think. Not keen on chucking Faurlin back in so soon, hope to god he doesnt get injured. Not sure on SWP either but he had a decent game against Walsall. Defence worries me as always!
Agree but he was slow and rubbish against Swansea and the same at Norwich. We need better now. Don't get me wrong i really like Hill but up against a quick skilled team like city that is also playing Dzeko does worry me.
