PREVIEW: MANCHESTER CITY v CARDIFF CITY

A comprehensive look at Saturday's game at the Etihad

Manchester City v Cardiff City
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Date: Saturday, 18th January, KO 3pm
Nav it: M11 3FF
Match-tag:#MCICAR (Live tweets on @CardiffCityFC)
LISTEN LIVE ON CARDIFF CITY PLAYER

The Bluebirds travel to the Etihad Stadium for the first time as they take on Manuel Pellegrini’s Premier League title challengers.

MATCH FACTS

- This is the first time Cardiff have visited Manchester City in any competition since March 1985 when they escaped with a point after a 2-2 draw.
- Cardiff came from behind to beat Man City 3-2 earlier in the season with all five goals in their 3-2 win coming in the second half.
-Manchester City have won their last 10 straight Barclays Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium and won 15 of the last 16. Their only defeat in that run came when they had a caretaker manager in charge on the final day of the 2012-13 season against Norwich City.
- The Citizens have scored 38 goals on home soil this season, five more than any other team in Premier League history in their opening 10 home matches.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjær had only been manager of Molde FK for four days the last time Man City failed to score in a Premier League home game (Nov 13th, 2010 v Birmingham City).
- Manchester City have made more errors leading to goal (9) than any other side this season.

KEY PLAYER: Yaya Toure



The only player to have played in 20 of Manchester City’s 21 Premier League games so far this campaign, Toure remains the heartbeat of the Manchester City engine room this campaign adding thirteen goals to the Citizens 99 goal tally in all competitions this season. 

IN-FORM PLAYER:  Alvaro Negredo



An FA Cup brace in midweek saw Alvaro Negredo score goal number 20 in all competitions for City this season and make it six goals in his last four appearances. On the top of his game, Negredo has quickly settled into life in the Premier League since his summer move from Sevilla.

RECENT FORM (ALL COMPETITIONS):

Cardiff City: LLDLWL
Last time out: Cardiff City 0-2 West Ham United – Saturday, 11th January, Barclays Premier League.



Goals from Carlton Cole and a late Mark Noble strike saw the Hammer claim all three points at Cardiff City Stadium last weekend, despite an improved second half performance from the Bluebirds.

Team - Cardiff City: Marshall; Theophile-Catherine, Hudson (C) (Cornelius 78), Caulker, John; Whittingham, Medel (Eikrem 65), Kim, Noone; Campbell, Odemwingie (Bellamy 45). Subs not used: Lewis; Turner, McNaughton.

Manchester City:  WWDWWW
Last time out: Manchester City 5-0 Blackburn Rovers – Wednesday, 15th January, FA Cup third round replay.

Braces from Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko and a further goal from the returning Sergio Aguero sent City into the fourth round of the FA Cup with Budweiser.

Team – Manchester City: Pantilimon, Clichy, Richards (Huws, 77), Lescott, Nastasic, Milner, Navas, Garcia, Fernandinho (Kolarov, 45), Dzeko, Negredo (Aguero, 72). Subs not used: Zabaleta, Hart, Lopes, Demichelis.   

BETTING

Bet with our official online betting partners SkyBet and back your club! www.skybet.com/cardiff

Manchester City: 1/9
Draw: 8/1
Cardiff City: 20/1

Match Special: Cardiff City to beat Manchester City 1-0 come at odds of 40/1! Place a £10 bet and win £400!

LAST COMPETITIVE MEETING:

2013/14: Saturday, 25th August 2013, Barclays Premier League - Cardiff City 3-2 Manchester City



A stunning double from Fraizer Campbell and a first ever Premier League goal for the Bluebirds from Aron Gunnarsson helped City secure three famous points in their first home match against Manchester City in August.

Team - Cardiff City: Marshall, Connolly, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Kim (Mutch 90), Gunnarsson, Bellamy (Cowie 83), Campbell (Cornelius 90). Subs not used: Lewis (GK), Hudson, Noone, Maynard.
         
REFEREE: Neil Swarbrick

After taking up refereeing at the age of 29, it took just six years for Neil Swarbrick to get promoted to the National List of assistant referees, and he has enjoyed a rapid rise up the officiating ranks since.

Swarbrick learned his trade in the Northern Premier League and Conference before he joined the Football League in 2005. He regularly officiated across the Football League for the next six years, as well as taking charge of FA Cup and League Cup matches during that period.

He last took charge of a Cardiff City game in November in City’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Cardiff City Stadium.

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