Barclays Premier League
Venue: City of Manchester Stadium Date: Saturday, 26 December 2009
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
**New Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini must field a makeshift defence, with Nedum Onuoha, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge all injured.**Micah Richards is doubtful with a knee complaint, while Shaun Wright-Phillips has aggravated an ankle problem.
Stoke have defender Robert Huth available after suspension.
Ryan Shawcross missed the defeat by Aston Villa last Saturday with a groin strain but could return to the squad on Boxing Day.
Man City
Suspended: None
Doubtful: Adebayor & Wright-Phillips (both ankle), Richards (knee)
Injured: Bridge, Johnson & Lescott (all knee), Onuoha (calf)
Stoke
Suspended: None Doubtful: Shawcross (groin)
Injured: Amdy Faye (back)
MATCH PREVIEW
If Roberto Mancini likes soap operas, it seems he has come to the right club. The Italian, who intends to improve his English by watching Coronation Street, takes charge of Manchester City for the first time at the end of a tumultuous week at Eastlands.
“It’s normal for players to feel bad when their manager goes and I hope they will feel like that about me in many years time when I go”
Man City manager Roberto Mancini
The sacking of Mark Hughes last Saturday reportedly triggered a player revolt, while media criticism of the handling of Hughes’ dismissal has clearly rattled Sheikh Mansour, the club’s owner.
City have banned newspapers at the training ground and been forced to insist they did not lie to fans over when they approached Mancini to become their new manager.
Nonetheless, even Mancini would appear to be wary. The man who guided Inter Milan to three league titles has apparently only agreed a contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend it until 2013.
He has set his sights on a top-four finish, which is in line with the club’s pre-season objective of reaching 70 points. Should City win their next two games they will be bang on target for that tally at the halfway stage of the season, a fact that will not be lost on the departed Hughes.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Stoke ended a four-match losing streak against Manchester City when the clubs last met, in January. James Beattie scored the only goal of the game at the Britannia Stadium.
• None of the last 14 meetings between the two teams have ended in a draw - Man City have won nine, Stoke have won five.
606: DEBATE
Have your say on this match
Man City
• City are unbeaten in their last 11 league games at home (W8, D3).
• They have conceded three goals in each of their last three matches and only kept one clean sheet in the league since August.
• Carlos Tevez has scored five goals in five league and cup games this month.
• Emmanuel Adebayor has made 99 Premier League starts.
Stoke
• Stoke have only won one of their last seven games and mustered just six points in that time.
• They have scored 15 league goals this season, the lowest tally in the division.
• The Potters have dropped an unsurpassed 12 points from winning positions.
• They last won on Boxing Day in 2000.
• Liam Lawrence has made 99 league appearances for Stoke.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Man City
Tevez: 9 goals (6 league);
Adebayor & Bellamy: 6 goals (6 league)
Stoke
Tuncay: 3 goals (3 league - 2 for Middlesbrough);
Beattie: 3 goals (3 league); Etherington: 3 goals (2 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Lee Mason
Assistant referees: Jake Collin & Paul Thompson
Fourth official: Dean Whitestone
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
**Man City **(W4-3 v Sunderland, h): Given; Richards (Zabaleta 22), Onuoha, Toure, Sylvinho, Ireland, Barry, Wright-Phillips (Kompany 52), Tevez, Bellamy (Petrov 87), Santa Cruz. Subs not used: Taylor, Robinho, Adebayor, Weiss.
**Stoke **(L0-1 v Aston Villa, a): Sorensen; Wilkinson, Collins, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Whitehead, Diao (Fuller 76), Whelan (Delap 84), Etherington, Sidibe (Beattie 84), Sanli. Subs not used: Simonsen, Cort, Lawrence, Pugh.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Stoke 1-0 Man City (31 January 2009)
Stoke scorer: Beattie 45