MAN CITY v Swansea – THE PREVIEW: City’s Probable Team

Fancy a flutter? City to win 4-1 is great value at 66/1, whilst David Silva to score the first goal is 6/1. Feel confident that you can predict the outcome? Got an instinct who will score first? Click HERE to bet on the game.

The start of the 2011/12 Premier League season. It’s time to knuckle down and get ready for what will be a gruelling and punishing season, yet one filled with excitement, adventure and hopefully success. After such an exhilarating end to the last campaign when we clinched the FA Cup and secured third place, we must start afresh. It will be a season where emotions are tested, hopes may be fulfilled and it begins with the visit of newcomers Swansea.

The comparison of millionaires and paupers, haves and have-nots, title challengers and relegation battlers is all to easy to make, but it does apply to this fixture. Swansea will be playing in the Premier League for the first time ever, having achieved promotion last year with a brand of easy-on-the-eye, attacking football but whether or not they can survive in ‘the best league in the world’ remains to be seen.

The Community Shield defeat to Manchester United last weekend shouldn’t impact too heavily on Roberto Mancini’s selection for this match. With another week of training under their belts, the players should be ready now for the new season and the loss on Sunday will hopefully spur the team on, acting as a kick up the backside.

New signing Sergio Aguero will again be on the bench as he looks to build up fitness, but his countryman Carlos Tévez will miss out altogether, having only just returned to the city of two restaurants in the past week. Gael Clichy faces a battle with Aleks Kolarov for the left back slot and Gareth Barry will hope to displace James Milner in midfield, but otherwise the team picks itself. Mario Balotelli, David Silva and Edin Dzeko will lead our offensive efforts, with Yaya Touré slightly deeper than last year.

Here is the team I expect Mancini to select:

The visitors are lead by one of the brightest young managers in the game, Brendan Rodgers, who, despite serving under José Mourinho at Chelsea, is determined to make a name for himself as a manager. His squad looks slightly threadbare on paper, although the signing of Leroy Lita, a player who often does well against City, to partner Danny Graham up front looks like a decent bit of business.

Key Players: Edin Dzeko and Leroy Lita. With Aguero and Tévez still lacking fitness, this game presents another opportunity for Dzeko to leave an impression. He scored a good goal against United and generally looked better than he did last year, and he should view this game as a great chance to notch another couple of strikes. Lita, despite his short stature, is a physical beast and scored twice for Reading against City a few years ago. Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott will need to be at their best to contain him.

Referee: Mike Dean – One of the better officials and very highly regarded. Pedantic though and loves to give a penalty.

Prediction: MAN CITY 3 – 1 Swansea – The odds are firmly stacked against Swansea and I can’t see them returning to Wales with anything from this game. We should have enough to see them off comfortably. Goals to be scored by Edin Dzeko, David Silva, Adam Johnson and Leroy Lita.

Fancy a flutter? City to win 4-1 is great value at 66/1, whilst David Silva to score the first goal is 6/1. Feel confident that you can predict the outcome? Got an instinct who will score first? Click HERE to bet on the game.