Five games in fifteen days, three games two draws and one win, Five points from possible nine is not good enough. We are eight points clear of Arsenal and Arsenal have a game in hand. Manchester city are knocked out of the championships league yesterday makes this game more difficult. This is a game we cannot afford to lose neither city wants to lose too. Experience referee Anthony Taylor has been confirmed as the referee. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Assistant Referees Accompanying Anthony Taylor on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon is an assistant referee pairing of Gary Beswick and Lee Betts, the Premier League have confirmed. Video Assistant Referees From the VAR Hub at Stockley Park, the Premier League have confirmed that Stuart Attwell will take up the role of Video Assistant Referee for Manchester City against Liverpool, with Adam Nunn in the Assistant Video Assistant Referee position. GAME: MANCHESTER CITY V LIVERPOOL DATE: SUNDAY 23/02/2025 VENUES: ETIHAD STADIUM TIME: 16:30 TV: LIVE ON SKY SPORTS {MAIN EVENTS}
We have what we have. An 8 point lead but arsenal play before us so just assume a 5 point lead. This is a big big gsme and we are not hammering city. Why? Because we are sitting off if we get a lead rather than continuing to play. Anyway Basically I want to not see what I saw v villa Alisson Trent konate vvd Robertson Gravenberch macallister Salah Szoboszlai diaz Jota Not more jones filling in please. Just use as a sub. Hopefully ganpo will be fit to make the bench and come on for jota with Diaz moving to 9 and we can just try that. My subs would be endo, Jones and gakpo to come on after 60. Tretn may just have to suck it up now.
There are very few games I would consider a draw to be an "ok result" and I never would play for a draw, or settle for a draw... but this game, I won't whine too much if we get a draw even though it could potentially put Arsenal very close to us.
We are just have to play our own games, not depending on other result. Arsenal are going to drop points, difficult to say where.
We are on 61 points and running at 2.2 points per game over both a 10 gsme and 5 game average. If we took 2.2 over 12 games we would end up on 87 points. My prediction for us over a month ago was 83 points. Arsenal have 53 points so at most can get 39 more or get to 92 points max. To get to 83 they need to go at 2.3 ppg. (That's 9 points from every 12 or 3 wins in 4.) Imo lfc are not capable of going 9 out of 12 or in other words to win 3 out of 4 in the final 12 games. It's up to arsenal to go deliver that form. Pretending like they can't will only leave people very disappointed. It's the run in and they will try their hardest ot do it. Lfc need to win 3 out of 4 Next 4 (7 or 8 out of 10) City (d) Newcastle (tough but home??) Southampton must win Everton. Will be a dog fight but must win Next 4. 9/12 possible. More possible. Fulham tough Leicester must win West ham hard to call home Spurs home tough and thry will want to prove a point Final 4. Chelsea a tough Arsenal h. Do or die brighton. A tough. Palace h tough. That's a nightmare final 4 tbh. 7/8 out of 12 would be good. Basically the next 4 and last 4 could be 14 points out of 24 If we took 24 more points that's 85 and arsenal would need to win 11 out of 13 to get thst. If we simply "don't lose" that would push us on. We need some wins. Newcastle at home. Massive. Everton at home. Massive. Spurs at home. Massive. Arsenal.at home. Absolutely do or die. Home crowd will be crucial imo. Anfield can deliver.
I'd suggest your predictions are slightly off. Take spurs for example, they are absolutely ****e, getting a beating most games, can't defend, can't score, why are they suddenly a tough game game because they play us?
We will also be bang up for this, and we should treat it exactly like we did last time. If we’re on it then we will dominate this lot and force many mistakes. A win here will really kick start that belief again and then there are 11 left with 7 at Anfield.
With citys recent needle with Arsenal there may be a case where they would rather us win it then Arsenal.
no yes, big crucial factor imo Football genius. They are inconsistent but have all thier players coming back and IMO the worst case scenairo is madisson and solanke as fit along with the cbs so they will give us a game as its big for the title. Yes they have been absolute pants for the past while but wedon't play until end of april and they will be on one game a week (out of europa imo) so when the media scrutiny comes on them about not losing to help a rival of arsenal then they will have to put in a big show. They have just easily beaten utd ( if they could have put the ball on target) and beaten brentford so with vicario back, danso settling in, maddison back and tel settling in plus solanke to come theres every chance they are sudden top 6 form but nowhere in the league and thus well abel to turn in a spursy worldie performance agasint us. Ideally they fold like a spursy deck of cards but theres nothing o nthe game for them so thats exactly when spurs show up.
2 goal margin needed or we willjust end up in trouble. Again my issue is with Salah. If we stop playing and sit back he will simply stand around messi like on the half way line not helping defend. We are seeing central players drawn wide and gaps appearing as a resutl. IF we want to "sit back" then IMO Alisson Trent konate VVD robertson (please block some corsses ffs) Szobosalai Gravenberch Macallister Diaz/gakpo Salah jota Just send sala and jota on as a pair in the middle up top to faux press and the rest sit in two strong banks of 4 and those wid eplayers focus on getting the **** back and stopping overloads o nthe full backs. Konate shoudlnt' come out of the middle in this scenario and trent shouldn't wander off anywhere he wants Now IDEALLY the team would continue to play high up and control the ball so this is not needed but our main defensive issue is the RIGHT SIDE and drawing gravenberch out wide to try double up where salah should be is cutting us open in the middle. same for konate going out there. The middle is wide open. even the simple example of midweek. Free kick conceded by macallister who shouldnt even be out there. few balls thrown across and szobo at back stick can't clear. Then the second is an overload odwn that side of 3 on 1. the only time they managed those numbers but we swithced off then compounded it by trent following a run into the middle and leaving a free cross. Again konate drawn near post so theres two in the middle and the ball is right on watkins head. We are being pulled out of shape because there is a huge hole in fornt of trent that we are trying to plug by pulling other players out of it. IF you really want to stop playing after 1 goal you must plug this gap with a wide man aka szoboszlai and move salah to a place where he can stand and watch and play on the counter. Gvardiol and doku or whoever will play lw are going to have a field day.
Manchester City injuries...Haaland currently been assessed for Sunday. Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante Knee Injury Jan 03: 'It is important he recovers well. If at the end of the season will be good. This is the target.' Player Page ▸ 01/06/2025 Not Available Ruled Out TRACK Manuel Akanji Thigh Injury Feb 14: 'Surgery on Saturday. 8-10 weeks.' Player Page ▸ 26/04/2025 Not Available Ruled Out TRACK Erling Haaland Knee Injury Feb 19: 'Erling trained yesterday. I believe the images we have done are fine, but he has discomfort walking and, for example, on stairs. We spoke yesterday and this morning, and he said he didn’t feel good, didn’t feel ready.' Player Page ▸ 23/02/2025 Currently Being Assessed 50% TRACK Oscar Bobb Calf/Shin/Heel Injury Jan 10: 'He's training already with the team, partially. It's good news for us... I don't know [when he will be back], but it's not muscular. It was a bone, a fracture, and one that is already fixed, so it's fine. Now it's [his] physical condition.' Player Page ▸ No Return Date Currently Being Assessed 50% TRACK John Stones Other Knock Player Page ▸ No Return Date Currently Being Assessed 25% TRACK Manchester City - Premier Injuries
CHRIS SUTTON HAS GONE FOR AWAY WIN ! 1:3 Etihad Stadium, 16:30 GMT Manchester City basically waved the white flag at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night and, without Erling Haaland, lacked belief against Real Madrid from the off. Let's be frank, it was a shambolic performance from Pep Guardiola's side, with a real lack of intensity. Part of the pickle City found themselves in was down to the way Pep had set them up. I don't know how many times Abdukodir Khusanov had played at right-back before, but it cannot be many, and the combination of Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan in central midfield alongside Nico Gonzalez just didn't work. They didn't have the legs to cope with Real. It ended up being really disappointing as a contest. Real were always favourites but when City lose, you at least expect them to go down fighting. Instead, it was over after less than five minutes. They never believed they could win and how many times have you said that about a Pep team? Liverpool had a tricky time of it against Villa in midweek but they must think they can get at this City side too. Sutton's prediction: 1-3 Bradley's prediction: I don't know about this one - it is such a huge and exciting game. City have got something to prove against Liverpool and although they had a bad result against Real, they did not look short of confidence against Newcastle. Liverpool are consistent at the moment, in terms of not being beaten, but their form is not exactly phenomenal either. Until a couple of weeks ago, I would have looked at the form Liverpool were in and thought it was all swinging in their favour, but City are much better now than when they lost at Anfield in December. City are going to come out really, really strong, like they did against Newcastle, but if they sit back, I feel like Liverpool will get back into the game. I'm going for a draw. 2-2 JONES KNOWS BEST HAS GONE FOR AWAY WIN TOO ! 1:2 Manchester City vs Liverpool, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £1M! please log in to view this image Man City have been the hand that has been feeding me this season, but they've given me a couple of slaps in the face over the last week. I was all over Newcastle to get a result at the Etihad last week and was stunned at how cohesive, dangerous and watertight out of possession Man City looked. It did make me sit up and take note. Were they back? But that answer is a resounding no based on their midweek showing in Real Madrid. They were so lacklustre again and lacked intensity without possession. Madrid were just toying with them. Man City news & transfers | Download the Sky Sports app So what do we do now with City? Real Madrid were well backed on Wednesday in the end by the sharp money that makes the market, so any move for Liverpool here should be taken seriously. The 5/4 with Sky Bet for the away win is certainly a price to keep a close eye on. SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
We won't win this game by a 1 goal margin. Not a chance. Has to be by 2 clear goals as we will just cough up chances and city won't miss them
