Perfect Prep for Man City

Bristol City verdict: Perfect prep for Man City, one cause for concern, James and Williams' form
All the talking points as the Robins deservedly maintained their momentum with a 1-0 victory over Hull City

They're arriving like buses.

After 469 days without a penalty, Bristol City have two in two weeks with Nahki Wells Johnny on the Spot once again to ensure the Robins' unbeaten run stretched to 12 games in all competitions.

It was a controversial decision and Hull manager Liam Rosenior can feel aggrieved on his return to Ashton Gate but City were overdue a slice of good fortune considering the number of decisions that have gone against them this season. Two of those came in the reverse fixture when City somehow left the MKM Stadium without a point so there was an element of justice involved yesterday.

City had to remain patient but the three points were fully deserved. Nigel Pearson's side were totally dominant in the opening 20 minutes and could have had two or three had they been more clinical going forward.

Defensively, Zak Vyner and Tomas Kalas were rarely tested and it quickly became evident why Hull were heading into the game having scored two goals in their last four matches. Apart from the scare in the second half when Benjamin Tetteh hit the woodwork, Max O'Leary had a quiet afternoon.

Here's the verdict as City rose to 13th in the Championship on yet another good afternoon on home soil.

Momentum to take on Man City
In case it slipped anyone's mind, there's the small matter of an FA Cup Round of 16 game against Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions on Tuesday. Their preparations have gone smoothly following a 4-1 victory at Bournemouth with Kevin De Bruyne fully rested having remained an unused substitute.

Perhaps someone has given the Spaniard the heads-up about the form of Matty James and Joe Williams in midfield following another dominant showing (more on that below). But it was just as important that City headed into the midweek match with continued momentum and confidence given the task at hand.

It goes without saying that City will need to be at their absolute best to come away with a result against Guardiola's side and they've already given themselves the best chance with a victory yesterday. Pearson briefly acknowledged the importance after the game by saying: "It's quite significant for other results too and it keeps us in contact with the top half of the league which I think is a really good thing too.

"It's also nice to go into a game like the FA Cup game on the back of a good result. 12 games unbeaten, whatever anybody says, is a real upturn in form for us."

What is a relief is the fact nobody seemed to pick up a knock ahead of the game. There were a few hearts in mouths when Alex Scott was on the ground following a clattering to the back in the second half but managed to continue.

Rob Atkinson and Kal Naismith will obviously be big losses and given both Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick are cup-tied, Pearson isn't exactly blessed with options. However, the team for Tuesday almost picks itself with Nahki Wells a cert to spearhead the attack.

Concerns about the pitch
Given the fact Manchester City are coming to Ashton Gate in just over 48 hours' time, the current state of the pitch might actually work in our favour if it hampers their free-flowing football. Perhaps I'm clutching at straws but there is a concern about the state of the turf at the moment.

The groundstaff were stabbing it with forks right up until kick-off following an action-packed week at Ashton Gate. During a rainy evening on Wednesday, BS3 played host to back-to-back matches in the Arnold Clark Cup including the Lionesses thrashing Belgium 6-1.

However, it certainly had an impact and there were plenty of brown patches where the grass has been ruined. It's also worth noting that Pearson was far from happy with Preston's pitch a couple of weeks ago which he felt had an impact on Kal Naismith's calf injury.

The Bristol Bears also play their home games at Ashton Gate and last played on home soil on Friday 17. So that's four games in the last eight days.

Pearson was in conversation with the groundstaff ahead of kick-off in which he revealed what was said in his post-match press conference, including his own thoughts about the pitch. He said: "I was speaking to the groundstaff before the game they have been very disappointed with all four federations of the Arnold Clark Cup.

"They were disappointed with the attitude of all four federations. We had the double header and I was at the England game, and they were disappointed with the lack of respect from all four federations including England gave to us and our ground.

"When we travel to clubs and they say 'we'd prefer it if you don't warm up in that area' you do follow their instructions. I'm afraid all four federations decided to do what they wanted.

"The pitch has taken some hammer and we already have us and the Bears sharing it so it would be nice when visitors come to show some respect."

Joe Williams and Matty James' form
Since Joe Williams has come in for the injured Naismith, he has been nothing short of outstanding. He's been handed his opportunity to earn his place in the side with Kal's misfortune and he's grasping it with both hands.

Once again yesterday, Williams was faultless alongside the consistently brilliant Matty James. The duo dominated the midfield battle that proved key to victory, including putting in the dirty work.

They complement each other really effectively. Williams has the energy to get around the pitch, throw himself into tackles and make timely blocks while James can put pressure on his opponents higher up the pitch.

What was notable about James yesterday, was the timing of his tackles and his ability not to concede free-kicks which helps relieve the pressure on the press. According to WhoScored, he was successful with five of his attempted six challenges - more than any other player in the City side.

As mentioned previously, they also provide the security which allows Alex Scott to roam forward and play with greater freedom. After the game, Pearson made a comment regarding James suggesting he sometimes doesn't get the credit he deserves.

He said: "I thought they were brilliant. Matty James, Joe Williams and Alex Scott were all very, very good again. I think James is getting better and maybe he'll get the recognition he deserves but our midfield has been a strong area of our field and they're playing well."

Game management
Such is the progress from last season, City are now closing out games without supporters chewing their nails with a familiar feeling they could concede an inevitable late goal.

It was a part of the game that the manager wanted to improve, asking that his side are more streetwise when looking to hold onto a result. The last 12 matches have shown City now have the ability to control games and run down the clock.

In the 1-0 victory against Norwich the Canaries never really threatened an equaliser and against Sunderland last week, it made a pleasant change to see City score in injury time and even carried the threat of a winner.

It was the same on Saturday. As the board went up for six minutes of added time, the ball stayed inside Hull City's half, without any threat of them going up the other end to score an equaliser.

That also comes down to the substitutions and the ability to bring on the likes of Jay Dasilva who can provide that protection and energy at the back. "The substitutes we made today were about getting energy on, and changing the point of attack a little bit," Pearson said.

"Jay is always a good person to look to and it means we can push Pringy on a little bit and still have width. It's nice to have positive permutations in what you can do with substitutes.

"I thought they all l did well when they went on and all added their own sprinkling of quality in their own way. It's not about like for like, it's just about having good options to change things."
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