Barclay Premier League: Big Match Manchester City vs Chelsea 2015

Big Match Manchester City vs Chelsea 2015

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is fit despite being substituted at West Brom because of a slight groin problem.

Full-back Gael Clichy may return following an ankle injury, but Fabian Delph and Fernando are both ruled out.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois serves a one-match ban and will be replaced by summer signing Asmir Begovic.

Midfielder Oscar is doubtful after suffering a minor injury in training.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Guy Mowbray: "Last season's corresponding fixture came too soon to be a blockbuster, and this being even earlier feels something of a waste.

"On last weekend's displays, City are favourites. Their performance at West Brom was magnificent and Vincent Kompany's goal celebrations and post-match words outlined a point to prove to those who've written them out of title contention. Some will have already changed their minds!

"Overshadowed by 'medicgate', Chelsea were a level down from their best against Swansea. They'll have to be better to get the point Jose Mourinho would gladly take here. If they don't, he might need a doctor."

Twitter: @Guymowbray

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: "I said the first day I arrived here I have my differences with him [Jose Mourinho] but... I always shake hands with him."

"We are not thinking about the title in the second game but we are thinking about trying to win our points at home, especially as we are playing against the champions and one of the teams that has a lot of chances to win the title."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "We are speaking about 38 matches. It is an eternity, a marathon that started last week."

"I cannot say [this match] is not crucial, I cannot say it's not very, very, very important.

"They are title contenders so three points are important, but I cannot say that a win will mean anything significant."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I rarely tip Chelsea to lose a game under Jose Mourinho but I don't think things are quite right with them at the moment. This is definitely a good time for City to play them. Lawro v BBC 6 Music presenter Mark Radcliffe

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head :

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games against Manchester City (W2, D2).
However, Chelsea have won just one of their previous seven games at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions (W1, D1, L5).

Manchester City

• Manuel Pellegrini's side have won their last seven Premier League home games, keeping clean sheets in six of those matches.
• The last time they failed to win a top-flight home game was on 7 February, when they drew 1-1 with Hull City.
•  City completed 693 passes against West Brom - 212 more than any other team in the opening round of Premier League fixtures.
• David Silva has provided 47 assists since making his Premier League debut in August 2010, more than any other player in that period.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have not lost any of their last 28 Premier League games in the month of August (W23, D5) since a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in 2006.
• The last time they failed to win either of their opening two Premier League games was in 1998.
• The Blues have only kept one clean sheet in their last six league games.

Premier League predictions: Lawro v BBC 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe

BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.

Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Mark Radcliffe.

Radcliffe, who also hosts The Folk Show on BBC Radio 2, is a season-ticket holder at Manchester City and is backing them to beat Chelsea on Sunday.


Radcliffe has been a City fan since he was a boy and watched them regularly since 1976 when he moved to Manchester.

"It is difficult to pick out one moment as the highlight of my time following City," he told BBC Sport. "It is tempting to pick the glory days and I suppose when Sergio Aguero scored that goal to win us the Premier League in 2012, I was there watching it and wondering 'has that actually just happened?'

"It seemed impossible. It was so surreal and the sort of thing that never happened to City.

"I suppose that is my greatest moment although I am always drawn back to Paul Dickov scoring at Wembley, with his famous 95th-minute equaliser in the play-off final in 1999, because I do think that was the key moment in the City story of recent times.

"Lose that, and we were staring into the abyss but we won and it felt like we were on the way back. So my head would say Aguero but my heart would go back to Dickov, on his knees at Wembley."

You can hear more of Mark's tales about following City on Football Focus at 12:15 BST on Saturday on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.

Our scoring system has changed this season and a correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is now worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

Last weekend, Lawro got two correct results from 10 Premier League games, with no perfect scores.

His score of 20 points saw him draw with former England cricketer Graeme Swann who also picked two correct results.

The Premier League team top of the Predictor leaderboard after week one is Watford, with an average score of 57 points, while the 13-15 age-group has the highest average score of 55 points.

(http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football)

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Barclays Premier League table, current & previous standings

Barclays Premier League table, current & previous standings

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West Brom 0-3 Manchester City Premier Result

West Brom 0-3 Manchester City: Yaya Toure's first-half double gives Manuel Pellegrini's side commanding lead before Vincent Kompany ensures visitors begin Premier League campaign in style

The big screen was trailing a Psychic Night to be held at The Hawthorns on September 25. To be fair, about five minutes in, gifts of precognition were not required to foretell what was going to happen here. Manchester City were all over the home side from the start.

Clairvoyant Diane Lazarus would have seen a tall, dark stranger — about eight of them in fact, all bearing down on West Brom’s goal.

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany celebrates putting his side into a 3-0 lead against West Brom on Monday night

PLAYER RATINGS BY LAURIE WHITWELL, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

Toure cut a troubled figure at times last season and the damaging machinations of his agent have hardly helped his standing at the club — but here was a wonderful return to form for a player who is close to unstoppable on his best days. Toure is a Chris Gayle of a player, capable of taking the game away from teams as expertly as the West Indies captain does with the bat. Manchester City were dominant from the get-go here, but it was Toure’s drive and ambitious eye for goal that had the game won inside 24 minutes.

There was some disagreement over the identity of the first Manchester City scorer, so Toure left nothing to chance with the second.

While commentators were still debating whether the opener belonged to him, David Silva or West Brom’s unfortunate Craig Dawson, the Ivorian let rip with a shot that brooked no argument.

And that was it, match over. A third was added after half-time but from the moment City went two clear, it was plain that there was no way back for the home team.

If City did not maintain their early momentum it was only because they did not need to. They play Chelsea on Sunday, so City conserved energy, but the first-half numbers told the story: 11 shots to Albion’s one, 71 per cent possession and 417 passes, more than all but three Premier League teams completed in the entire 90 minutes of the opening weekend. By the end of the game, City had racked up 692, 211 more than any rival.

At the heart of it all was Toure. The first goal probably belonged to Silva — and if it does not right now, the Dubious Goals Panel should right that wrong — but Toure’s thrust made it possible.

Toure is surrounded by his City team-mates despite the fact that Spaniard Silva actually got a touch on the midfielder's effort.

The second? Well, that was Toure’s alone. He started it, he finished it and you won’t see too many better between now and May.

West Brom were understandably wary of City’s front-line and massed numbers in their own half, but Toure still blasted a path through.

The opening goal, after nine minutes came after a pull-back from Jesus Navas on the right. Toure marched onto it and shot, the low ball getting a direction-changing flick from Silva and a final, hapless deflection off the boot of Dawson.

Its roll over the line was almost comically slow, but goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was so bamboozled by its pinball progress that he seemed powerless to move.

Was it going in before Silva’s intervention? Possibly not. Was Silva’s touch deliberate? Undoubtedly so. Was it on target thereafter? Looks like it. So did Dawson’s touch make a difference? Only in the angle of entry, not the accuracy.

So it sounds like Silva’s goal to me, although it was announced as Toure’s (not much chance of Dawson claiming it).

With immaculate timing then, 13 minutes later, Toure claimed one that most definitely bore his signature.

It was his run and well-struck pass to Wilfried Bony that got the move going, the striker laid it back to him and Toure struck it, quite magnificently, from 20 yards out, with curl but also pace, Myhill clutching air, utterly defeated.

Those who have faith in portents will note that the last five league champions have begun their campaign on the first Monday of the season, but the biggest sign was City’s supremacy rather than any reading of runes.

It is hard to tell whether West Brom were weak or simply overwhelmed. Once Toure arrived with his gander up, there was only going to be one winner.

He is some player, when he wants to be.

So, two up, City coasted, but made sure of victory with a fine set piece in the 59th minute.

Silva whipped a curling inswinger of a corner, met by captain Vincent Kompany, who completely outjumped his former team-mate Joleon Lescott, the ball clipping his shoulder and going in at the far post. It had been an underwhelming weekend for the title contenders thus far. Manchester United at best efficient, Chelsea lucky to draw with Swansea, Arsenal defeated against all expectations by West Ham.

This was different.

Here was a performance of pure class from a team that has hit the ground running.

Manuel Pellegrini could even afford to keep his main striker Sergio Aguero in reserve until midway through the second-half and still have complete command.

It might be argued that West Brom were ineffectual compared to some of the opposition faced by the elite this weekend, but it was more that City allowed them to be nothing more.

They were physically superior, technically impressive and clinical. Albion retreated, Albion got 11 behind the ball, but were rarely in the contest.

It is far too early to make assumptions about who is the team to beat this season, but City look to be in a better place than their rivals right now.

Of course, all eyes were on Raheem Sterling, City’s £49million acquisition from Liverpool, and a young man who came to encapsulate all that is wrong with English football for a brief period this summer.

His first touches were greeted by boos from those on the moral high ground over the manner of his departure.

A deliberate trip by Craig Gardner after five minutes was even more joyously received. The biggest cheers, however, were reserved for the 41st minute when Sterling missed a sitter.

A lovely, angled pass by Fernandinho put him through on goal with only Myhill to beat, but his finish was weak and too near and was comfortably saved, James Chester sweeping in to mop up the rebound.

It wasn’t the worst debut by any means, but better is to come.

Sterling was withdrawn after 75 minutes for Samir Nasri, Pellegrini’s eyes no doubt by that time on the Chelsea game. He will be needed for that more than he was last night.

West Brom? Berahino got the ball in the net, late in the first half, his chance well-taken but offside. It was the only time Tony Pulis’s team really threatened.

Before the match, an excitable stadium announcer cornered a young fan. ‘Where do you think we’ll finish?’ he asked. ‘Fifteenth,’ came the reply.

Maybe he’s psychic, too

Sterling walks over to the City fans before handing over his shirt following his new team's impressive win

Read more article about : Leicester City Striker Apologises for 'Racist Slur'

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Leicester City Striker Apologises for 'Racist Slur'

Amie Vardy: Leicester City striker apologises for 'racist slur'

Leicester's Jamie Vardy has apologised and his club have promised to carry out an investigation after claims that the striker made a racial slur in a casino.

The Sun on Sunday has published a video showing the alleged incident, believed to have taken place on Sunday, 26 July.

"I wholeheartedly apologise for any offence I've caused," Vardy, 28, said.

"It was a regrettable error in judgement I take full responsibility for, and I accept my behaviour was not up to what's expected of me."

Vardy scored the opening goal in Leicester's 4-2 win against Sunderland on Saturday.

He has scored 26 goals in 98 league games for the Foxes and made his international debut for England in June.

A Leicester City spokesman added: "We expect the highest standards from our players on and off the pitch and for them to set an example as role models in our community.

"We have noted Jamie's apology and will begin a process of investigation into the incident imminently. There will be no further comment until this process has concluded."

Two months ago, Leicester sacked three players after they took part in a racist sex tape filmed on the club's end-of-season tour of Thailand.

Tom Hopper, Adam Smith and James Pearson - the son of former Foxes manager Nigel - had their contracts terminated following an internal investigation by the club.

Leicester City: Three players sacked over racist sex tape

Leicester City have sacked three players, including manager Nigel Pearson's son, after they took part in a racist sex tape filmed on the club's end-of-season tour of Thailand.

James Pearson, 22, Tom Hopper, 21, and Adam Smith, 22, had their contracts terminated following an internal investigation by the club.

The offending video was obtained by the Sunday Mirror.

The three development squad players apologised for their behaviour.

Tom Hopper, James Pearson and Adam Smith have all been sacked by Leicester

A club statement said Leicester City "is acutely aware of its position, and that of its players, as a representative of the city of Leicester, the Premier League, the Football Association and the club's supporters".

It added that it is "committed to promoting a positive message of community and family values and equality" and "to upholding the standards expected of a club with its history, tradition and aspirations".

The Premier League team were on tour in Thailand, home of the club's billionaire owners, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and son Aiyawatt.

Of the three men, only defender Pearson has made a first-team appearance this season.

He played in the Capital One Cup loss to Shrewsbury Town.

(http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/)

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