It’s been a good couple of weeks to be Blue. Gaining five points on Chelsea in the space of two games and securing passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Now City must face a return to league action, with Leicester City the next opponents on Saturday.
When City kick off against The Foxes at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, it’ll be just shy of a year since the last game between the pair, which came in last season’s Capital One Cup. That game was also in Leicester, with The Blues coming out on top and eventually going onto win the cup. Aleksandar Kolarov scored one of his trademark free-kicks early on, before a Džeko double secured the win. Lloyd Dyer scored a late consolation goal to make it 3-1, but the win was still resounding.
That game was the first between City and Leicester for almost three years, with the two teams having been drawn against each other in the FA Cup Third Round in January 2011. City needed a replay, but eventually went through thanks to a sterling performance from Carlos Tevez – and The Blues went on to win the cup that season as well.
In fact, these two haven’t met in a league match in over a decade, not since Leicester were relegated from the Premier League. In that 1-1 draw away, Michael Tarnat scored the only City goal.
The win in Italy on Wednesday saw a number of players make their return from injury to take part in the brilliant 2-0 win. Saturday’s match could see even more returns, with Vincent Kompany set to be back fit from a hamstring injury after two weeks out. Matija Nastasić remains out with a thigh muscle injury, whilst City face their first full league game without Agüero after he was ruled out for a few weeks with the injury he picked up in last week’s win against Everton.
In the home dugout, there are also some returnees from injury. Richie De Laet (illness), Dean Hammond (calf) and Leonardo Ulloa (calf) all make their recovery in time to face the champions, whilst ex-Blue Kasper Schmeichel (fractured metatarsal) and Matthew Upson (ankle) are both absent ahead of the visit of City.
City are about to enter the very busy festive period of the season, making games like Saturday more important than ever. A dip in form at this time can be tragic, especially in a race that’s bound to be as close as the one between City and Chelsea in the league. Neither wants to give ground on the other, so games like Saturday can’t really be afforded to be messed up.
However, the loss of Sergio Agüero does dampen hopes somewhat. There were cries City would flake without their star Argentine, but the win in Rome earlier in the week showed us that in fact that’s not the case. Although Sergio went off very early last week against Everton, we’re yet to see City play a full game without him in the league since his injury, and some will still be questioning whether Jovetić, Džeko and Pozo is good enough to get City through this period.
In reality, City probably couldn’t be playing Leicester at a better time, regardless of whether it’s at home or away. Currently, City are the league’s form side, having picked up 16 points from the last six games – more than anyone else in the division, with United in second on 15 points. Leicester on the other hand, are bottom of the form table, lost five of the last six and picking up just a point. The ‘Typical City’ mindset states we’re destined to give them their next win, but are we just about passed that now?
