CHELSEA v MANCHESTER CITY - INTERESTING STATS FROM OPTA
Manchester City haven't got a great record at Stamford Bridge, but after what they did at Old Trafford recently, Chelsea will be wary...
Of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea, the Citizens have failed to score in nine and the eight goals scored in the other four games were all scored by strikers who have created controversy at City (Robinho 1, Tevez 4, Bellamy 2, Adebayor 1).
Manchester City have failed to score in eight of their last nine league visits to Stamford Bridge.
The Londoners have scored a 90th-minute goal in three of their last four home Premier League games against Manchester City.
Chelsea have scored in their last 14 Premier League home games and scored more than once in 10 of the last 11, but the clean sheet against Wolves ended a run of eight without a shut out on home soil.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League away games, winning six.
Juan Mata has now assisted seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Chelsea - only David Silva (8) has more assists this season.
David Luiz has been booked in four of his five Premier League appearances this season.
Man City have made the best ever start to a Premier League season with 38 points from their opening 14 matches.
Sergio Aguero has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season.
Mario Balotelli has scored seven goals in his last nine Premier League appearances.
No Mancini sympathy for AVB
City boss thinks Chelsea will remain in the title race regardless of result
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini thinks Andre Villas-Boas needs to learn to accept that criticism is a part of the pressure of being Chelsea boss.
The two will go head-to-head on Monday night, when Chelsea will attempt to cut a 10-point lead to Premier League leaders City.
Villas-Boas has said Chelsea will be out of the title race if they lose and has also accused the media of holding a premeditated agenda against his club.
The former Porto boss, who took over at Stamford Bridge this summer, has also suggested City have an easy ride from reporters.
But Mancini said: "When you lose, you receive criticism, that is normal. Also when you lose, you have to work more.
"When we win, the media will say you are a top team, when you lose, you get criticised. This is our life.
"It's not easy to manage a top squad. He was manager of Porto and they're a top club. I don't know about his situation there.
"But if you choose this job then you should accept criticism, it's normal when results don't go well."
Mancini has also dismissed Villas-Boas' claim that Chelsea's title chances will be over if they lose to City.
He said: "Yes, they are still contenders. Remember last year Chelsea were nine points ahead and United still won it by seven or eight points.
"The Premier League is very hard. In these two months every team will be playing every three days. They are 10 points behind us but it's too early to say no. There are a lot of games to go."
Balotelli has Barton backing
Rangers midfielder is a fan of controversial youngster
QPR midfielder Joey Barton has defended Manchester City man Mario Balotelli, insisting the striker's exploits get "blown out of proportion".
Balotelli has caused a stir since arriving in the Premier League from Inter Milan last year after being involved in a string of controversial incidents on and off the pitch.
Barton is no stranger to being in the headlines for the wrong reasons himself, and the Rangers man has voiced his support for the 21-year-old.
He told The Sun: "I find him really amusing. He's just a young boy trying to find his way in life.
"Some of the things he has done are petty but they get blown out of all proportion.
"On the flipside of that you've got golden boy (Arsenal midfielder) Jack Wilshere, who's done a lot worse things than Balotelli yet it's massively played down.
"He and Balotelli are having the same sort of problems off the pitch but one is perceived to be a goody two shoes!"
Manchester City fear wage claims by Roma's Daniele De Rossi will thwart summer deal
Roberto Mancini fears Daniele De Rossi’s wage demands could ruin Manchester City’s hopes of capitalising on the Italy midfielder’s contract stalemate with Roma.
Mancini is a long-term admirer of the 28 year-old and enquired about his availability in the summer, but was told a transfer was not possible.
But with De Rossi continuing to reject Roma’s attempts to renew his contract, which is due to expire next June, Mancini is considering a new move for the player in January. His transfer value is expected to be no higher than £5million due to his contract situation.
An established Italy international and regarded as Roma’s most important player, De Rossi believes he can secure a pay deal in excess of £200,000 a week, either at the Stadio Olimpico or elsewhere, but with Manchester City mindful of their need to comply with Uefa’s Financial Fair Play regulations, Mancini accepts the demands are excessive.
However, the City manager is keen to bolster his midfield options, due to uncertainty over Nigel de Jong’s future at the club, Yaya Toure’s month-long involvement with Ivory Coast at next month’s African Cup of Nations and Owen Hargreaves’s failure to prove himself fit enough to cope with the demands of regular first-team football.
Roma general manager Franco Baldini has said the club are determined to thrash out a deal to keep De Rossi.
Henry Winter: hold back the Premier League obituaries
Baldini said: “I will only say that De Rossi, as a man and as a player, is a person we need. Why are there so many difficulties? We are talking about a player, scouted all over the world, with only six months left on his deal.
“He is an intelligent man, at the top of his career, tempted by many offers. That is the difficulty. He is legitimately evaluating all the options and I hope he won’t decide to leave.”
Mancini is comfortable with the prospect of not adding to his squad in January, but the Italian is known to be an admirer of Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha and is keen for the club to continue to monitor his development at Selhurst Park.
Zaha, an England Under-19 striker, caught the eye during Palace’s Carling Cup win at Manchester United earlier this month, but he has been watched by City on numerous occasions this year.
GB looks forward to Blues clash
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is preparing for a fierce tussle with Chelsea on Monday.
City may travel to Stamford Bridge as leaders of the Barclays Premier League but Barry has noted the Londoners' return to form over the past week.
Chelsea followed up a win at Newcastle by producing their best performance of the season on Tuesday to crush Valencia and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
City, by contrast, endured the disappointment of elimination from that competition but Barry feels spirits are still high after at least beating Bayern Munich in the final group fixture.
Barry said: "It is set up for a great game on Monday.
"They have picked their form up and have had two great performances and two big wins.
"We were watching them on Tuesday, they played some great stuff.
"It is going to be a tough game for us at Stamford Bridge, it always is.
"We are disappointed after Wednesday but we won the game so we can still go into the Chelsea game with confidence."
Monday's game is followed by a home clash with another of the Premier League's giants in Arsenal.
With an imposing January schedule ahead - which includes three games against Liverpool and further dates with Manchester United and Tottenham across three competitions - ambitious City are entering a critical phase.
January will be made tougher by the loss of midfield inspiration Yaya Toure - as well as his defensive brother Kolo - due to the African Nations Cup.
Manager Roberto Mancini believes his team will take some stopping if they can come through that period unscathed.
Mancini said: "We have done well but the season is long.
"Now we have two difficult games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
"I have said before the next two months will be important months.
"Yaya is an important player for us - we don't have any other players like Yaya.
"We will probably lose an important man for one month at a crucial moment.
"For this reason I think if we do well in January, and we are top after January, it will be difficult to lose."
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[/spoiler]OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United will not be forced into the January transfer market despite defender Nemanja Vidic being ruled out for the rest of the season. Metro
But Liverpool are set to sign replacements in January, with Porto's Fernando Reges seen as ideal cover for Lucas Leiva, who will also miss the rest of the season. Daily Mail
Alejandro Faurlin is a wanted man, with both Arsenal and Tottenham eyeing a move for the QPR midfielder, who wants £50,000 a week to stay at Loftus Road. Daily Mirror
Newcastle are tracking defender Taye Taiwo's situation at AC Milan with a view to making a loan move for the Nigerian in January. talkSHIT
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to continue his clear-out, with Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh and Sebastien Squillaci all said to be available. Daily Mail
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp could be set to move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka if the Frenchman decides against a move to Shanghai Shenhua. talkSHIT
But one player Redknapp insists won't be going anywhere is Luka Modric, after the Spurs boss warned Manchester United against making a January bid for the Croatia midfielder. Daily Express
Arsenal are also eyeing their own Chelsea targets, with Wenger believed to be plotting a January move for Alex and Salomon Kalou. Caughtoffside
Arsenal target Mario Gotze has been voted European Golden Boy by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, succeeding Mario Balotelli as the holder. Inside Futbol
Sunderland's Kieran Richardson insists talk of relegation is still premature - despite his side standing just one place above the drop zone. Newcastle Chronicle
Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish wants his side to ignore all the negativity around the team and create a siege mentality when they take on Bolton. Birmingham Mail
Gary Cahill has said he bears no grudge against referee Stuart Attwell, despite being shown a red card last weekend, which has since been rescinded. Bolton News
Chelsea players have been told by manager Andre Villas-Boas that they must include him in goal celebrations in an attempt to display solidarity at the club. The Sun
Referee Howard Webb will use a special sixpence for the coin-toss at Emirates Stadium, when Arsenal host Everton as part of the club's 125-year anniversary celebrations. Metro (apparently it will be the coin Demento gave him the first time he reffed at Old Toilet)
more B*ll*x shortly ....
