Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers - 7M sport

Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers



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Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 by thesportscampus.com

Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Blackburn RoversOn Saturday, Manchester City welcomes Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers to the City of Manchester Stadium in what promises to be exciting encounter. City were left to rue missed chances against Sunderland last time around as Darren Bent scored a late penalty to break City hearts. Blackburn on the other hand gave Arsenal a run for their money last time around, making full use of their physical presence, but fell just short losing 2-1. City, however, are a different animal at home, and Big Sam will have to conjure up some magic if Blackburn are to come away with a result.

Manchester City

Roberto Mancini has been rocked by the news that Mario Balotelli will be out of action for upto 6 weeks through a knee injury. The Italian striker has had a frustrating start to life at Eastlands and he will have to wait a few more weeks to showcase his talents. The side looked sluggish in their defeat against Sunderland, especially in the 2nd half when an energetic home side overran them. Their away form is still a cause for concern and it will need a marked improvement if they are to break into the top four.

Their defence too is far from settled, with Jerome Boateng, Aleksandar Kolarov and Wayne Bridge all out through injury. Jolean Lescott has filled in at left back in the last few games and looks set to continue there this weekend. Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure in central defence have failed to instill confidence and the fact that City have started with three defensive midfielders so far indicated even Mancini isn't too impressed with the current defensive situation. Powerful right back Micah Richards is a good athlete but his defensive positioning at times has been abysmal.

The midfield trio of Yaya Toure, Gareth Barry and Nigel De Jong should be far too strong for Blackburn and what they lack in finesse they make up with solidity. But they need a creative player in midfield if they are to move to the next level. David Silva needs a few weeks to get accustomed to English football; the physicality and speed of the Premier League can be a shock to many. If and when he does settle down we might see him start on the left wing and James Milner drop into central midfield.

At the moment, they seem to have settled on a front three of Adam Johnson, Milner and Carlos Tevez. Johnson looked impressive for England in midweek as he combined speed and trickery to unsettle the Swiss defence. The departure of Robinho and Bellamy has finally put an end to the unrest behind the scenes and Mancini will be hoping they can move past it to forge a successful team.

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn have been embroiled in takeover talks over the past few weeks, with Ahsan Ali Syed tipped to buy the club. But recent investigations revealed the businessman of Indian origin had a long history of debt and may not pass the FA's "Fit and Proper " test. Allardyce has far too much experience to get carried away with populist claims made by the prospective owner and he'll ensure his players have their feet firmly on the ground for their short trip to Manchester.

Blackburn gave Arsenal a very hard time at Ewood Park and were unlucky to come away with nothing. Mame Diouf has impressed so far, scoring a hat-trick in the Carling Cup and adding a 4th goal this season against Arsenal. He is blessed with a quality that what was starkly lacking until this point at Ewood Park, pace. Between Diouf and Kalinic, Blackburn should be assured of another mid-table finish this season.

Michel Salgado and Ryan Nelson add experience to the defence while Paul Robinson seems to have finally weeded out errors from his game. Christopher Samba is a vital clog in the team and his ability to score goals has endeared the strong center-back to the fans. David Dunn, when fully fit, is a top quality midfielder but he's reached a point in his career where he can't play week in week out without picking up injuries. They have a hard working team but lack the quality to get consistent results away from home.

Head to Head:
15th August, 2009: Blackburn 0-2 Manchester CIty (Ewood Park)
11th January, 2010: Manchester City 4-1 Blackburn (City of Manchester Stadium)

Probable Line-Ups:

Manchester City (4-5-1): Hart (Gk), Richards, Kompany, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Yaya Toure, Barry, De Jong, Milner, Tevez, Johnson

The injuries to Kolarov, Bridge and Boateng have left Mancini with limited options in defence. The back five pretty much picks itself and the only real question for Mancini is whether he is gutsy enough to play two strikers up top against the weaker teams, dropping one of Yaya Toure, Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong to the bench. Tevez will be making a return from Buenos Aires, and it remains to be seen if he is fully fit. However, the Argentine striker is the new club skipper, and with the game having been played on Tuesday, should have enough time to recover.

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): Robinson (Gk), Salgado, Nelson, Samba, Givet, El-Hadj Diouf, Grella, Jones, Pederson, Mame Diouf, Kalinic

The Lancashire outfit has a settled back line, with Robinson in goal while Salgado and Gael Givet are expected to start as full backs. Samba and Nelson form a solid central defensive partnership and are a huge threat from set-pieces. City have to be wary of Blackburn's aerial threat and they have the ability to ruffle any defence with their physical approach. Morten Gamst Pedersen and El-Hadji Diouf should start in wide positions while Vince Grella and Phil Jones are expected to start in central midfield. City have the option of going with Mame Diouf and Nikola Kalinic in a familiar 4-4-2 or play it a little safer away from home opting for just 1 striker and David Dunn linking play in a 5-man midfield.

Prediction: Manchester City have far too much firepower for Blackburn, especially at home. Blackburn are notoriously bad travellers and will have to prevent Adam Johnson and Milner coming in from wide positions if they hope to take something out of the game. Blackburn will look to bombard the City box with long balls and City's defensive ability in the air will decide the fate of the game.

Predicted Scoreline: Manchester City 2-0 Blackburn Rovers



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