Roberto Mancini currently stands at a crossroads in his career at the helm of England's richest club. This season the Italian must deliver unprecedented success with the East lands outfit or face being discarded at the first opportunity. A humbling exit in the League Cup on Wednesday at the hands of West Bromwich means even more onus will now be put into success in the more important competitions. That City can dismiss that defeat and suggest it will help in their fight for the Premier League title is demonstrative of how the club is mixing it with the big boys now, and they will have to mix it with one of the biggest when champions Chelsea visit on Saturday. Recent history is in favour of the light-blue billionaire's club in this fixture, with City beating Chelsea home and away last season, ending a run of eight successive defeats at the hands of the Londoners. However, Mancini will have to prepare his side to face a particularly lethal Blues side this time, with Carlo Ancelotti's men enjoying an exceptionally free-scoring run up to this game in the league. The Citizens will have to rely on their impressive defence to shut out the Blues, and with only two goals conceded in their last five fixtures, will offer their opposition a sterner test than they have faced so fa Ancelotti will be well aware of the tactical astuteness of the man in the opposition dugout on Saturday after years of sparring in the San Siro. And it is no doubt that City represent the first real test for the Blue juggernaut that has steamrolled over all opposition thrown in its path in the Premier League so far. 22 goals scored with only a single conceded leaves little doubt as to who is the Premier League's form team at the moment. The club is firing on all pistons, but it is yet to be seen whether it can carry momentum into matches against the stronger sides and the Blues will have to do that to keep up their perfect league start with a sixth win. Certainly some momentum was lost when Chelsea, like their opponents this weekend, were sent crashing out of the League Cup at the hands of Newcastle inside Stamford Bridge. But, much as Mancini excused City's exit in that competition, so did Ancelotti Chelsea's. This particular Italian tactician has the not inconsiderable task of defending the Premier League title and winning the Champions League this season, after — two feats that he will be quick to remind his old foe are not achievable at Manchester City just yet. Team news Manchester City::::Mancini has voiced his concerns that the Citizens are facing an injury crisis ahead of Saturday's showdown. With Aleksandar Kolarov, Jerome Boateng and Wayne Bridge sidelined and Micah Richards struggling to recover from a hamstring injury, the Italian may face issues over who to station at left back. In attack, Adebayor's continuing injury and Roque Santa Cruz's ineligibility mean the Citizens will again have to rely on Carlos Tevez and Jo as their only striker options for the match. Chelsea::::Salomon Kalou and Yossi Benayoun both pulled up injured in Chelsea's defeat against Newcastle and both seem certain to miss the trip to Eastlands. However, Ancelotti will be boosted by the return to fitness of John Terry
Posted: at 24-09-2010 12:05 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
atamajim at 24-09-2010 01:19 PM (13 years ago) (m)
hahahahahaha the great bridge was pulled down by little Newcastle, why won't the Money bag city beat Chelsea at home. The clash can be renamed, Money bag(man city) vs goal poachers(Chelsea) hehehehe, anyway, good luck to Chelsea fans
Posted: at 24-09-2010 01:19 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
sammyleecuc at 24-09-2010 06:39 PM (13 years ago) (m)
i just hope and pray city does the rest of us a great favour by defeating the so called goal poacher Chelsea,i'm pretty confident city wil come out tops
Posted: at 24-09-2010 06:39 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Good morning chelsea fc!good morning chelsea fans all over the world!! well am an undisputable chelsea fan,nothing in life will make me leave my source of hapiness(chelsea)like mancity coach said,tomorows match will be tuagh but it will not determine who will win the league. last season i was beaten home and away by mancity but finally i got away with the league plus highest goal scorer performed by (LION OF AFRICA) thats what matters. every team is good in premer league but the best team is chelsea which everybody knows. so lets enjoy the match. DROGBA 11 MALOUDA 15 KAKUTA 44
Posted: at 25-09-2010 12:36 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie
dollar22 at 25-09-2010 05:34 AM (13 years ago) (m)
City had only won two out of 24 Premier League meetings with Chelsea before beating the Blues home and away last season. No other team has won more Premier League games at Manchester City than Chelsea (10 wins)
City have only won three of their last 10 Premier League matches.
They have failed to score in five of their last 10 league games. Carlos Tevez has scored 24 goals in his last 28 Premier League outings and five in his last four against Chelsea
Chelsea have scored 54 goals in their last 13 Premier League games, and have conceded just five. Salomon Kalou has scored eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances, despite starting just five of those matches. Didier Drogba has assisted five goals this season, a league high, and scored five.
Manchester City Tevez: 3 goals (3 league); Jo: 2 goals (0 league)
dollar22 at 25-09-2010 05:37 AM (13 years ago) (m)
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Manchester City (W2-0 v Wigan, a): Hart, Richards, Kompany, Toure, Zabaleta, De Jong, Toure Yaya (Jo 74), Barry, Silva (Adam Johnson 72), Milner, Tevez (Wright-Phillips 88). Subs Not Used: Given, Santa Cruz, Vieira, Boyata.
Chelsea (W4-0 v Blackpool, h): Cech, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Alex (Bruma 71), Cole, Essien, Mikel (Benayoun 77), Ramires (Zhirkov 74), Kalou, Drogba, Malouda. Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Sturridge, Anelka, Kakuta.
nothing will stop the BLUES from wining man city today
Posted: at 25-09-2010 05:37 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
djosh4cesc at 25-09-2010 10:16 AM (13 years ago) (m)
I think Chelsea will miss the drive and steel of Frank Lampard in this game.Manchester City also have injury problems of their own but i see a draw written all over this match.Coming from an unrepentant Arsenal fan
Posted: at 25-09-2010 10:16 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
vicejike at 26-09-2010 06:34 PM (13 years ago) (m)
Any how all hope is not loss for chelsea, there is no team that is indispensable. I know waves are inspiring, Not because they rise and fall; but because each time they fall, they never fail to rise again. I know for Ancelloti and the players is another opportunty to map out strategy on how to defend the title... Chelsea for Life
Posted: at 26-09-2010 06:34 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
atamajim at 27-09-2010 11:59 AM (13 years ago) (m)
hahahahahaha so finally the money bags had their way,Chelsea loosing two matches in a row, is this the beginning of Chelsea fall? lets find out this weekend agaist the toddlers
Posted: at 27-09-2010 11:59 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
atamajim
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Doncas
KROOOOOOOOK
dollar22
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djosh4cesc
Adikpe
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