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The Royals versus The Citizens

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Currently London based and managerless Manchester City take on relegated Reading in the bid to secure the Premier League runners up spot…

Vital Quotes:

Nigel Adkins:
‘Some teams have bounced straight back from relegation. I’m sure there are many factors that get involved, from our point of view all we can do is focus on the stability of the football club. There is a togetherness and a cohesive unit, we have a focus and a desire – I certainly have, that is where I want to manage and the players have been made aware of the objectives for next season.’

MCFC:
– There has been no press conference for this game but Brian Kidd will manage the squad alone.

Reading Team News:

OUT:
Jimmy Kebe
Jason Roberts
Adam Federici

LATE FITNESS TEST:
Hope Akpan

Player to watch: Hal Robson-Kanu

Confirmed as down, Reading played at Fulham last week with an apparant sense of abandon and Robson-Kanu led the way to help secure The Royals first league win since beating Sunderland on 02 Feb.

Manchester City Team News:

OUT:
Scott Sinclair
Pablo Zabaleta

Player to watch: The Whole Team

A disgraceful collective no show at Wembley warrants payback to the travelling supporters who will make the effort again tonight.

Match Facts & Stats

THE NUMBERS GAME:
The Blues current total of 75 points is 8 fewer than at the same stage last season.

Joe Hart has 17 clean sheets to his name this season, the most of all Premier League ‘keepers.

The Citizens have not won away from home against a newly promoted side yet having drawn at West Ham and lost at Southampton.

The Royals have 28 points from 36 games and will finish the campaign with their lowest ever top flight points tally.

HEAD TO HEAD:
League: 8 City Wins, 2 Draws, 7 Reading Wins
League Cup: 1 City Wins, 1 Draw
FA Cup: 3 City Wins, 2 Draws 0 Reading Win
Total: 12 City Wins, 5 Draws, 7 Reading Wins

THIS COULD BE THE LAST TIME:
Sa 22Dec 2012 Man City 1 – Reading 0 PL
Su 13Mar 2011 Man City 1 – 0 Reading FAC
Sa 08Mar 2008 Reading 2 – 0 Man City PL
Sa 24Nov 2007 Man City 2 – 1 Reading PL
Sa 03Feb 2007 Man City 0 – 2 Reading PL
Mo 11Sep 2006 Reading 1 – 0 Man City PL

BETTING: City 1/3Draw 7/2 Reading 13/2 Racing Post Soccerbase

TV COVERAGE:
LiveOnSat.com

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE GAME LIVE IN THE VMC FORUM

Where Were We When We Were Sh*t?: MAN CITY v READING Saturday 3/2/07

Ref Watch:

Martin Atkinson of West Yorkshire 4th Official M Oliver -Last Season: Sa 10Sep 2011 Man City 3 – 0 Wigan , Sa 05Nov 2011 QPR 2 – 3 Man City, Su 27Nov 2011 Liverpool 1 – 1 Man City, Mo 16Jan 2012 Wigan 0 – 1 Man City, Su 08Apr 2012 Arsenal 1 – 0 Man City -This Season: Sa 27Oct 2012 Man City 1 – 0 Swansea , Su 09Dec 2012 Man City 2 – 3 Man Utd Sa 09Feb 2013 Southampton 3 – 1 Man City-2011/12: 40 Games, 146 Yellows, 11 Reds -2012/2013: 34 Games, 128 Yellows, 1 Red.

N.B. Across the past 28 months Atkinson has refereed Manchester united games on only 5 occasions, all away fixtures. He last officiated at the swamp in November 2010 when the rags played Wigan after which The Stretford Bin Man took him publically to task.

Match Prediction:

Johnny On the Spot: Where do you start? Ordinarily there is no better way to get a bad result out of a team’s system other than to get out there again quickly and City’s players who have delivered a recent series of going through the motions performances have that opportunity at Reading following an enforced stay in the South East following the Wembley nightmare…It will be interesting to see how the deposed champions respond to Roberto Mancini’s sacking. City’s Spanish hierarchy are in the ascendancy and many of the squad are either playing for their City futures or will take the field knowing they will be gone inside a month. Arguably, only a handful are absolutely guaranteed of staying at City such is the pace of change beginning to grip the club?Reading on the other hand have little to turn up for aside of a planned farewell lap of the pitch. I have absolutely no idea what the result of this contest will be but based on recent evidence suggest that City should secure at least the point required to seal that second placed finish. Reading 0 City 1

Next Fixtures:

all times East Manchester

Su 19 May 16h00 Norwich City, The Etihad, PL

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