Football: English Premier League Round 21: Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers

Man City - Ready to break the Top Four

Just two weeks ago the richest club in Europe sacked manager Mark Hughes following seven consecutive Premier League draws. He was quickly replaced by ex-Internazionale boss Roberto Mancini who has surpassed the expectations of even his biggest supporters.

Although the competition has not been top quality, Manchester City have impressed by winning their last four games in all competitions. Most recent was a 1-0 FA Cup win over Middlesbrough FC in which Mancini rested many key players. City have adopted a more defensive strategy since Mancini took the reigns and this approach appears to be paying off.

Just yesterday the Blues signed 33-year-old midfielder Patrick Vieira from Internazionale Milan. The French international played under Mancini at Inter and is highly regarded for his achievement at all levels of the game. Vieira is positive about City's chances this year: "We should not be afraid to say that we are good enough to win the league because we are and as a team we should believe we can do it." He believes that ten points are not unattainable with half of the season yet to be played.

A win on Monday will allow City to break into the Top Four and put them just seven points behind league leaders Chelsea FC. If history is any guide, the blue half of Manchester will be celebrating another victory against a weak Blackburn side. Not only have City won their last 4 matches, but are undefeated when playing at home. The added motivation of jumping Tottenham will inspire the team to play their very best.

Blackburn - Relegation worries?

Rovers have performed well considering the small budget given to Sam Allardyce in the summer transfer window. However, they have been slipping recently and were unable to record a win in the last 7 matches. Blackburn is currently placed 13th but are only 3 points from the relegation zone.
If the northwest club doesn't fork out some money for new players this January, relegation may become unavoidable.

The players will not be in high spirits after a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa saw Blackburn out of the FA Cup last week. To add insult to injury, attacker Hadji Diouf picked up an unnecessary red card after seeing his team go down 2-0. The only selection concern that Sam Allardyce must deal with is that of midfielder Vincenzo Grella, who is out with a pulled groin.

Blackburn has had particular trouble with road performances. They have won only once and drawn twice in ten matches. Weakness at the back appears to be their Achilles' heel as they have conceded an astounding 2.4 goals per match. Allardyce will adopt a defensive formation as he is unlikely to get 3 points from City and will hope to score from set pieces and the counterattack.

Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers
Monday January 11, 2009
Kickoff: 21:00 CET
Venue: Eastlands (Manchester)

Tip: Manchester City (1X2)
Best Odds: 1.45 @ Betsson

Archive