***Official Norwich v City Match Thread***

[Beefymcfc]

Let's be Havin' you!

I don't know why but I'm feeling confident today. Is it because the heat is off, the winning game on Wednesday, the return of Carlos Tevez or just because the sun is out? I don't know but I'm feeling good inside and hoping for a good day.

Anyway, seeing's there's no Match Preview here's a look at the Beebs. Apologies if not up to standards as I've just noticed it's been written by Jonathan (Robot Wars) Pearce who I always think puts a tainted slant on things:

TEAM NEWS

Norwich defender Marc Tierney will miss the rest of the season after undergoing groin surgery.

Zak Whitbread will again be absent with a calf problem, but Kyle Naughton returns after being ineligible for Monday's win at Tottenham.

Manchester City are hopeful midfielder Yaya Toure will return after missing the midweek victory over West Brom.

Mario Balotelli is again absent as he serves the second game of a three-match suspension.

MATCH PREVIEW

"Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on!" Delia Smith's famous rallying call to the Norwich fans during Manchester City's last visit to Carrow Road may have been echoed by Roberto Mancini to his players this week.

Delia's battle cry was to no avail. City came from behind that day in February 2005 to win 3-2. Mancini has already bizarrely admitted that whatever he says from now on in will also have no bearing because the title race "is over".

Despite the victory over the Baggies when they rediscovered their joyous flair of the autumn, City are still outsiders for the title. But they're not finished yet and Mancini's stark pessimism is premature.

The return to fitness of Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott is timely. David Silva rediscovered his spark in midweek. Without the irritant Mario Balotelli the team spirit was more positive, and another victory will keep Manchester United sweating.

Mind you, City will have to be on song to beat the Canaries, who've lost just one of their last seven home league games and looked very good at Tottenham over Easter. Most of their players have come up through the lower tiers of the Football League or the part-time game. They've all shown great appetite for the Premier League and appreciation for the position they now find themselves in.

Grant Holt has provided one of the most romantic stories of the season. The former tyre-fitter has netted against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle among his 15 goals. He can get another big scalp against City.

The title race pendulum swung towards Manchester United with their last-gasp winner at Norwich in February. Can it swing from them again at Carrow Road if City win? Nothing else will be good enough.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Manchester City thrashed Norwich 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium in early December.

• Before beating Norwich in 2005, City had only won on one of their last eight visits to Norwich.

• This is the 61st meeting between the sides. Norwich have won just 8 times, Manchester City 31 and there have been 21 draws.

Norwich

• They have lost just one of their last seven league matches at Carrow Road, and that was in the last minute to Manchester United.

• Against Tottenham, Norwich were only the second club - after Bolton - to have nine English players in their starting line-up this season.

• Winger Anthony Pilkington has now scored eight Premier League goals this season, the same as Luis Suarez and five more than Fernando Torres.

Manchester City

• Manchester City's recent away record makes for dismal reading, with eight points and only four goals in nine games. In their first six away games of the season they were unbeaten and scored 23 goals.

• Their points total after 33 games this season (74) is the 12th-best in Premier League history.

• Fifteen of Sergio Aguero's 19 Premier League goals this season have come at home and he is yet to score outside of Manchester or London.

• Samir Nasri now has more Premier League assists this season for Manchester City (nine) than he did in his entire spell at Arsenal (seven).

[mr_nool]

Jonathan Bloody Pearce has pretty much stolen my preview from the home game word for word. Prick!

Will miss this one. Gutted! Hope we can retain the form from Wednesday, but it will be a tough game, no doubt.

[Beefymcfc]

Jonathan Bloody Pearce has pretty much stolen my preview from the home game word for word. Prick!

Will miss this one. Gutted! Hope we can retain the form from Wednesday, but it will be a tough game, no doubt.

Not a chance, that was a quality read in the best Stephen Fry fashion.

Shame you'll miss it mate, I think this is going to be a good day. Still shitting bricks though!

[Crossie]

Thats a pretty impressive record we have against them.

I think they will score first, and we will mutilate their little yellow feathers 1-9

[Beefymcfc]

Thats a pretty impressive record we have against them.

I think they will score first, and we will mutilate their little yellow feathers 1-9

Their feathery asses!

[ruralblue]

Well just come back from footie training with my lad, there is a die hard rag who's lad plays with mine. He actually admitted this morning that he thinks we will do it and pip them to the post!

[Esky]

Hopefully they play the same way they did in the 5-1 game last December. No Balotelli shoulder goals this time, though.

[Beefymcfc]

Well just come back from footie training with my lad, there is a die hard rag who's lad plays with mine. He actually admitted this morning that he thinks we will do it and pip them to the post!

Ah, the old defence mechanisms are starting to kick in. Just wait and see if they pull clear again, he'll be blowing raspberries at you while slapping his hand across his chest onto the United badge.

Be warned.

PS. I'm feeling even more lucky today, Lewis Hamilton finished 2nd and was demoted to 7th. My 2 lucky numbers and also my date of birth. By that rationale I'm going for Norwich 5 v 71 City ;-)

[lets all have a disco]

Cant see anything but a draw despite the renewed sense of vigour around these parts.

[Elvistheblue]

The Teams in.

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Lescott, Clichy, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Tevez

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Milner, Dzeko, Johnson, Kolarov, Yaya Toure

[Beefymcfc]

The Teams in.

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany (C), Lescott, Clichy, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Tevez

Just one change then, Zab's for Micah. He didn't look right when he came off on Wed, looked absolutely shattered.

I think most will be happy with that team.

Norwich unchanged from their win at Spurs.

[Esky]

Very happy with that. Shame Pizarro isn't in the squad, though.

[lets all have a disco]

Im happy,which is nice.

[ruralblue]

I'm happy with that line up, taking caution with Toure I presume and might see him get a late appearance dependent on how the game pans out.

I think we will cruise it, they won't sit back and will come at us and give us the space we need for tevez and Silva to be too much of a handful.

Them1 - City 4

[Bluedj]

Yep, agreed happy with the squad, so now its down to the team to smash these Norfolk fuckers. Come on City!

[chips]

Lookin forward this one, should be an open game. Happy with the team, now we just need to show em whos boss! Come on city!

[Ted Hughes]

I'm really impressed that Bob has resisted the temptation to chuck Yaya Toure back in.

The team played really well together & (the magic word) 'gelled' on Wed so it's deffo worth trying it again.

Having Yaya & Dzeko plus AJ on the bench is a real game changing trio if things don't go to plan.

My only worry is defending set pieces with so many shortarses. It was a weakness when Hughes tried it & was the main reason Bob embiggened the squad after Stoke mauled us a few years back.

Hopefully we can cause so much shit at the other end that we don't need to worry about it.

[Dubciteh]

Is it not kolo not yaya on the bench?

[Ted Hughes]

Is it not kolo not yaya on the bench?

Is it?

Bugger. Not so many options then !

[brite blu sky]

I'm confident we have turned the corner and it is has to be said it is down to Tevez re-vitalising the attack. City won't let that slip now, we know what Tevez brings onto the pitch and it is what had been lacking, he will do that home or away, rain or shine. Bob has kept the same team bar Micah so that bodes well too for everyone.

The other thing is that Norwich are confident and that could be their undoing. They got thumped 5-1 at the Etihad and that will have been thought about at least, so if they go behind I'm convinced their confidence will shatter like glass.

That front 4 will be too much for them to cope with.