Match Day Thread Man City v Sunderland 17:30 13 Aug 2016

Sunderland's opening game of the season sees us travel to the north west to visit the Etihad Stadium. Both sides are enjoying similar premier league form with Sunderland slightly edging city with 3 wins and 3 draws from their last 6 (City W3 D2 L1) but last seasons form will likely have little bearing on a tough opening encounter for the Black cats.

Match Appointments:
Referee: ANDRE MARRINER
Referee's assistants: J Collin and S Beck
Fourth Official: Lee Mason

Key Men:

CITY: Aguero - The little Argentine striker needs little introduction. Can and does score regularly and causes menace for every defence he faces. Which is why I pick:


SUNDERLAND: Lamine Kone

Much speculation has surrounded the French born Ivorian centre half this summer and still does - this is no surprise as his no-nonsense, tough tackling game has won him many admirers. He will have to be sharp to stop the diminutive Aguero in this encounter (If he's still with us!)

Team fitness: (Taken from PHYSIOROOM)
MAN CITY: Without talismanic defender Vincent Kompany until the beginning of September and Iikay Gundogan

SUNDERLAND: Currently expecting a trio back fit by this Saturday's kick off (Jermaine Defoe, Jan Kirchhoff and Billy Jones) and have Seb Larsson missing with no current return date

Selected match odds (taken from www.oddschecker.com and correct at the time of posting)
Man City: 2/9
Draw: 11/2
Sunderland: 14/1

Scores (William Hill):
Man CIty 1-0 Sunderland 7/1
Man City 2-1 Sunderland 17/2

Man City 1-1 Sunderland 11/1

Man City 0 - 1 Sunderland 25/1
Man City 0 - 4 Sunderland 200/1

First full match day thread so please feel free to comment and suggest any changes - I'll expand on the opening paragraph as the season goes on and when I have a little more time!

 

Good to see a prem match thread finally and good job on it.

Saunderland doe.

 

Bollix!!! Amended as required (joys of being a Mod!!)

 

That's really good, mate. Happy with that standard

 

I'm surprised Kirchhoff is expected to be back. I thought he was going to be out for a few weeks.

 

Good start Marcus!!

 

So did I but he`s back according to the physio room.

Only Seb no return date.

 

Excellent job.

For absolutely no reason i have us down for a draw. Big Dave has turned me from pessimistic to optimistic.

 

Not sure why you were never that impressed by Allardyce... I think he was the best since Peter Reid.

Brilliant signings, good football, he had the crowd bouncing like we hadn't seen in 10 years. We have even got him to thank for the brilliant pre-season we have just had. Moyes is unknown to us. Just wondering that's all?

 

I dont know really. I never wanted him in the first place and never really got out of that rut. Some of his decisions and subs were shocking and to call Watford a six pointer with ages to go was ****.

We stayed up by one place. Big Dave gives me a bit more hope.

 

Good job
Cheers Marcus

 

14/1 to win in a two horse race! worth a pop especially as it is the first match of the season.

 

So long as we make it extremely tough for Citeh to break us down I'll be happy.

 

I will have a £5 on a 1-1 draw at 11/1 no bother. We are 1000/1 to win the premier so a tenner on them odds, you never know !

 

And then there were 3 - no reason why not ..... onwards

 

Probably a really good time to play us
Our preseason has been pretty poor,only had 3 games so they all appear to be a bit undercooked. We were dreadful yesterday against Arsenal,defensively all over the place

 

Would you gamble at 14/1?

Cheers pplf. Hope you're right but I'd be happy with a draw

 

Good job Marcus!

I'm having a punt on us as the odds are massive, but reality, I expect a narrow defeat but a performance of positives.

 

I've just thought, doesn't Moyes have a great record away at Man City?

I'm sure he always done well there with Everton. I mean, I know we aren't Everton, and now Man City have Guardiola, but still

 

So how are we looking?