View From A Blue

After the international break, attention returns to domestic matters and this fixture against Spurs. Manuel Pellegrini faces a tricky choice between Joe Hart and Costel Pantilimon for the goalkeeper’s berth, although the manager has hinted that he’ll keep faith with the Romanian. A personal opinion is that he was right to drop Hart when he [...]

Vincent Kompany remains sidelined for this encounter, leaving Manuel Pellegrini with a tough decision as to who will be Matija Nastasic’s central defensive partner. The likelihood is that the Chilean will keep faith with the shambolic Javi Garcia, whose lack of mobility and inability to anticipate danger will delight Chelsea’s attacking quartet. Summer signing Martin [...]

Coming off the back of an international break and with the crucial midweek Champions League encounter against CSKA Moscow lurking, this fixture poses a tricky selection dilemma for Manuel Pellegrini. Does he try to arrest City’s bleak run of results away from home or will the temptation to rotate prove too strong to ignore? Yaya Touré, [...]

Rather than the result itself, it was the lacklustre, abject performance and manner of defeat midweek against Bayern Munich that was so striking. To that extent, there will no doubt be the temptation for Manuel Pellegrini to make a number of changes to the side which he sends out to face Everton. I’d expect Joe [...]

After a successful return from injury in the Capital One Cup in midweek, Micah Richards faces a battle with Pablo Zabaleta for the right-back berth. Christian Benteke’s injury reduces the likelihood of Joleon Lescott being called into the side for his aerial prowess, while Gael Clichy and Aleks Kolarov are vying for a spot on [...]