MCFC PREVIEW
After the highest point of exultation since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over the Lads, we are back down to earth with the bread and butter that is the Premier League campaign. The Lads play their last game before the lengthy international break, and it’s another one that most folk outside of us think we are doomed to lose before the first kick-off. We’re on the road, and off to the Etihad to face Manchester City.
LAST MEETING
Last season’s meeting of the two sides was the first one between them for nine years, and predictably enough it was City who took the win with a 3-0 success. The Lads kept Pep Guardiola’s superstars at bay for 31 minutes before Portuguese defender Ruben Dias broke our resistance. Four minutes later Josko Gvardiol added a second. City’s third didn’t come from a certain Erling Braut Haaland, but from Phil Foden midway through the second half. Haaland was substituted in the 69th minute but we finished with ten men when LO9 was shown a straight red in the final stages, he’d only been on the pitch two minutes!
OUR OPPONENTS
City these days are undergoing LAP, that is Life After Pep. The Spaniard managerial legend, and it’s true he is one of the modern day greats, left the Citizens at the end of last season having accumulated an astonishing 20 trophies in his 10 year stay. The new head honcho is Italian Enzo Maresca, a former member of Guardiola’s staff at one point, and latterly the boss at Leicester City and Chelsea where he departed acrimoniously in December 2025.
The biggest danger is of course the afore-mentioned Haaland who seemingly scores goals as if they are his breakfast. Yet he’s just one of many internationalists that City in their squad that can be seen as match winners. That Irish Portugeezer Bernard O’Silva (deliberate pun intended) is like Mr Guardiola, no longer present, but Frenchman Rayan Cherki certainly has the abilities to unlock any defence so we will have to keep a very close brief on him. England internationalist Phil Foden will not feature after being red carded in last Sunday’s Manchester derby.
City have a 100 per cent record going into Sunday and only sit behind Arsenal on goal difference. The Gooners are on plus seven, City are on plus six.
THE LADS
The Lads go into this game feeling rather good about themselves. An unfortunate 2-0 home reverse by the Champions has been followed by that splendid UEFA Europa League win over AZ. However, the odds are certainly stacked against us taking anything out of Sunday’s fixture but as we know with the Lads: anything can happen when you least expect it.
Once more I got the majority of the starting eleven right, and I’m expecting RLB to stay true and faithful to his 4-2-3-1 formation despite thinking he would go 5-2-2-1 in Europe. Just goes to show what my predictions are like. I, therefore, would not be shocked if he goes with the following starters on Sunday lunchtime:
Roefs
Mukiele – Danso – Ballard – Methalie
Xhaka – Sadiki
Hume – Le Fée – Fofana
Brobbey
REF WATCH
Sunday afternoon’s official is Robert “Rob” Jones from Chester. He has been on the Premier League select one list since December 2019, and four years later was added to the FIFA officials list. Robert’s last game featuring the Lads was our 32nd league game of last season when we defeated Spurs 1-0 at the Stadium of Light thanks to Nordi’s deflected effort in the 61st minute.
