***Official Swansea v City Match Day Thread***

[Beefymcfc]

Couldn't wait ;-)

Just watching SSN and Wedderburn's on doing a predictor on who will win the league. Six of Sky's Experts, ala Tiss, Mers, Redknob, Tommo, Smith and Nicholas have all done their predictions and all apart from Nicholas have tipped us to win (shocked, I know). But Wedderburn, smiling wide and uncontrollably finishes with '...it's going to be an exciting 11 games left of the season, and you'll notice, we didn't bother asking Gary Neville'. Well, it made me smile anyway.

[urlnp=http://mancityfans.net/news/]Onto the game then, make sure you check out the Preview, it's an excellent read and sets the day off very well - cheers BiB. Just click this sentence to see a couple of beautiful bird's!.[/urlnp]

[Mase]

Come on City! I'm stuck in work with a bunch full of munes. Don't let me down!

[Beefymcfc]

I always like to read the Beeb's Preview but lately they seem to have a slight anti-City/pro-opposition slant on each of their previews. Tell me if I'm wrong, I may just be being precious?

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TEAM NEWS

Swansea are without winger Nathan Dyer, who begins a three-match ban for his sending off against Wigan, so Wayne Routledge is set to deputise on Sunday.

Ashley Williams should play despite a stomach bug, but Andrea Orlandi is not ready to return from injury.

Manchester City will be without Vincent Kompany due to the calf injury he suffered against Sporting Lisbon.

Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott hope to be passed fit, but Pablo Zabaleta is definitely out.

MATCH PREVIEW

It's not a good time for Manchester City to be without their captain Vincent Kompany. He's set to miss this trip and Thursday's return Europa League tie with Sporting Lisbon, when City will have to come from behind.

Defeat in Portugal in the first leg followed a somewhat laboured victory over Bolton. With rivals Manchester United having the easier looking title-run in, some critics are predicting the leaders will falter, starting with a banana skin slip-up at the Liberty Stadium where Arsenal have been beaten and Chelsea held.

Kompany has been outstanding and, if Joleon Lescott is also missing, their hopes of keeping a fifth league clean sheet in a row in the top flight for the first time since April 1915 could be dashed.

Swansea may have failed to score on 11 occasions this season (the joint highest tally in the division) but Scott Sinclair's pace and Danny Graham's power can trouble City, although the suspended Nathan Dyer will be badly missed by the home side.

On the opening day of the season, when they were thumped 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, it was difficult to see how Brendan Rodgers' brand of open attacking football could keep them in the Premier League. But they've learned lessons quickly and just one more victory could be enough to see them safe. That would be some achievement by one of the brightest coaches around.

Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko are all likely to finish with more than 20 goals this season. Aguero, Kompany, Joe Hart, David Silva and Yaya Toure would all make excellent candidates for the Footballer of the Year award.

It's a daunting prospect for Swansea, who won't sacrifice their attractive style for defensive pragmatism. That should make it open and entertaining but it's a game Roberto Mancini's side have to win.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

•Swansea made their Premier League debut against Manchester City back on Monday, 15 August and were handed a 4-0 thrashing. Sergio Aguero scored twice on his debut. It remains the Swans' heaviest defeat of the season.

•Manchester City fired in 15 shots on target in that game, the most in any Premier League match this season.

•City did the double over the Swans in the second tier in 1983-84. Until this season they had not met since then.

Swansea

•The Swans have kept the same amount of clean sheets (10) as Liverpool and Tottenham in the league this season. Only the two Manchester clubs have had more.

•They have taken 19 points from 14 matches against top-half opposition - only the current top three have a better record.

•Swansea have failed to score on 11 occasions this season - the join highest tally in the division with Wigan.

Manchester City

•Manchester City's 2-0 win over Bolton gave them their fourth clean sheet in a row in the league, the first time they had achieved this in the top-flight since December 1977 to January 1978.

•They have conceded only two goals in the last nine Premier League matches in which Vincent Kompany played.

•City have only won two of their last seven league away games.

•They have scored 69 league goals and are just three short of their most ever in a single Premier League season, which was 72 in 2009-10.

[Ted Hughes]

Dyer being suspended is a bonus for us.

[Mase]

I hope Dzeko plays.

[ashton287]

This game can't come quick enough today.

[King Kev]

I'm a bit concerned about our preparation for today's game.

The team only left Portugal yesterday, I hope they have been training properly and not just pissing about in the sunshine.

Hopefully Mancini learned his lessons at the Everton game and will have our lads mentally and physically ready for this and my concerns will be allayed.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Won't be easy, Swansea are no pushovers. Got a feeling it will be a scrappy game won by a single goal.

[Ted Hughes]

There was a time when we would have run away with this game. It's time we started to show that form again away from home.

[Im_Spartacus]

Don't think that is negative Beefy. It pretty much states facts, losing Vinny is a big loss to us.

I am worried about this game, I wonder how well Swansea have learned from the previous game against us - however I think our trump card is that they are a footballing side and would find it extremely difficult to supress their natural instincts. This means they will either give us an open game that we should win easily, or shut up shop and try to defend for a draw - a game unfamiliar to them which will probably result in mistakes.

Either way, whilst this is a potential banana skin given their achievements this year, I think we will win this one provided we actually turn up (as opposed to not turning up at Lisbon)

[Beefymcfc]

I'm a bit concerned about our preparation for today's game.

The team only left Portugal yesterday, I hope they have been training properly and not just pissing about in the sunshine.

Hopefully Mancini learned his lessons at the Everton game and will have our lads mentally and physically ready for this and my concerns will be allayed.

I'm also concerned about our away form and their home form, I think we've only won 2 in our last 8 with most of the games finishing with just 1 goal.

I'm living in the hope that we will carry our form through from our first meeting and they'll be as open as they were back then.

[Mase]

I hope Kolarov plays today.

[Beefymcfc]

I hope Kolarov plays today.

Is he fit?

[kennyboy]

Have a bad feeling for a draw.. and dont get Sigurdsson a free kick
Tevez on the bench?

[Beefymcfc]

I'm routing for West Brom today, this could be Roy's big day.

[david yearsley]

There was a time when we would have run away with this game. It's time we started to show that form again away from home.

Agree

An awesome away display is loooooooong overdue

This is where Mancini earns his corn

Get to it City!

[Mase]

I hope Kolarov plays today.

Is he fit?

I hope so. I love it when he shoots from his own penalty area!

[Beefymcfc]

I hope Kolarov plays today.

Is he fit?

I hope so. I love it when he shoots from his own penalty area!

We played Micah and Clichy in the corresponding game so if fit we may try and keep the same line-up. I would.

[Mase]

I hope Kolarov plays today.

Is he fit?

I hope so. I love it when he shoots from his own penalty area!

We played Micah and Clichy in the corresponding game so if fit we may try and keep the same line-up. I would.

I'd play those two in every fixture unless injured to be honest.

[Beefymcfc]

Anyone care to make a prediction, I'm not sure I dare?

PS. Lee Mason reffing today, 1 loss and 1 draw this season with him in charge. Surely we're due a win.