Manchester City are back in Premier League action as they host struggling Leicester City.
The Blues will be buoyed by their progression to the FA Cup semi finals for the seventh season in a row after beating Bournemouth on Sunday, whilst Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester are on a seven game losing streak and a five game goalless streak.
Here are five things to look out for as City clash with Leicester:
How do City adapt without Haaland?
AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final Photo by Harry Murphy - Danehouse/Getty Images
City announced on Monday that top scorer Erling Haaland is set to sit most of the rest of the season out with an ankle injury sustained during City’s FA Cup quarter final win.
The 24-year-old has been spotted in Barcelona, which is where City send all their players who have sustained serious injuries, and whilst Pep Guardiola said Haaland would be out for between five and seven weeks, it could well be worse.
There are only really two options for City to adapt - play Omar Marmoush up front or operate with a false nine.
The Egyptian forward’s best position certainly isn’t as a lone striker, but he’s a perfectly serviceable number nine and scored the winner against the Cherries at the weekend.
City have also won the league before with a false nine, with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden operating there, but this season City don’t have the numerous sources of goals, namely De Bruyne, Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling, either at the club or operating at their best level.
I think the most likely solution will be to see Marmoush play as a centre forward, and I’m hoping against Leicester we’ll see him bag a goal or two to increase his and the team’s confidence.
Pre-match protests
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-CRYSTAL PALACE Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
This game is the first in which we’re seeing fans take action against the numerous current ticketing issues at the club.
City’s announcement of a partnership with ticket touting company Viagogo was the final of many straws, meaning many fans are set to stay in the concourse for the first nine minutes of the game to show that football is nothing without fans.
Unfortunately, I doubt that it’ll make any difference to the club’s stance. But it’s certainly progress, and it’ll be interesting to see it implemented and reach the news on a wide scale.
A chance for Lewis or Nunes
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It could be the chance against weaker opposition for Rico Lewis or Matheus Nunes to stake a claim to start until the end of the season.
Both have had inconsistent seasons to say the least, but have also thrived at times particularly with a functioning team around them.
Lewis, I have always maintained, has never been City’s biggest issue and fits in like a glove when the team around him is performing, so I’d opt for him.
But Lewis is lacking in many of his physical attributes, whilst Nunes excels there.
I’d personally prefer Lewis to start over the two, specifically seeing as City showed signs of their old selves against Bournemouth, but I’d probably rather see Nico O’Reilly at left back with the rest of the back four shifting over one to accommodate him.
Rotation before the Manchester derby
Nottingham Forest FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
I do think there’s a possibility, however, that a few players will sit this one out.
Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden in particular are players I could see getting rested, considering they’ve played a lot of football and in the latter two’s cases struggled with fitness at other points this season.
Another alternative would be to rest them within the game - let them play for an hour before bringing on the likes of James McAtee, Vitor Reis and other lesser seen players for an extended cameo.
I prefer the latter option; every game matters between now and the end of the season in the top four race, and there’s no way in which the Foxes should be taken lightly.
A confidence inducing win?
AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
If City turn up again, however, I think they’ll win quite comfortably.
Leicester are floundering in the relegation zone and are almost certainly getting relegated along with Southampton and Ipswich Town, so don’t have much to play for, nor any real quality.
City, meanwhile, are slowly finding their mojo again. The new signings are finding their feet and will be needed to carry them through to the end of the season.
I think City will win and dominate. Whilst it’s not to be taken for granted, the quality of their opposition and the second half against Bournemouth has given me the faith that they’ll take another step forward in the push to secure top four.