BUSINESS AS USUAL
Manchester City face Newcastle after winning streak broken
MANCHESTER City will be aiming to resume business as usual when they face Newcastle United at the Etihad stadium in the Premier League tomorrow.
City’s 4-3 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday allowed Manchester United to close the gap to 12 points and ended Pep Guardiola’s team’s 22match unbeaten run in the league this season.
Liverpool’s energetic high pressing and sharp and decisive finishing exposed weaknesses in City’s defence but it would be a major surprise if Newcastle were to even attempt to replicate such an approach.
Rafa Benitez’s side, 15th in the league and without a win in their last three games, have only managed 21 goals in 23 games.
City’s lead remains a comfortable one and all United, who travel to seventh-placed Burnley, can do is to keep collecting the points.
United’s 3-0 win over Stoke City showed they have recovered from their festive wobble.
Burnley secured a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Boxing Day but they have not won in their last six league games.
Antonio Conte has frequently complained of his team feeling the pace but they will expect three points from their trip to the south coast to face 16th placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Promoted Brighton have picked up just two points from their last four games and are three points off the relegation zone.
However, Chelsea had not won in their last four games and had failed to score in three before Wednesday’s FA Cup third-round replay victory on penalties over Norwich City following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool are at bottom club Swansea City on Monday and after their vibrant display against City will be looking to extend a run of four straight wins.
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Southampton having crushed Mauricio Pellegrino’s side 5-2 when the teams met at Wembley on Boxing Day. — COMPETITION for places at Orlando Pirates is key to taking the team’s performances to the next level‚ according to coach Micho Sredojevic.
He says playing friendly matches has been vital in giving his wider squad game-time in recent weeks‚ not only to keep them match-fit‚ but also to push those that are currently in the starting XI to keep their level high and not slip into a comfort zone.
Pirates were in action against the Zambian squad that has gone to the African Nations Championship in Morocco last week‚ and also have a friendly against a team from Mozambique.
Sredojevic says these games‚ even in the midst of a busy Premier Soccer League programme‚ are vital in making sure he has players that are ready to be drafted into the team in the case of injury‚ suspension or loss of form.
“Because you never know who will go out [injured]‚ the power of a team is how good is your bench‚ so that when one player is out‚ you have an immediate replacement‚” Sredojevic said.
“So having competitiveness between the players in every position‚ two to three players fighting‚ is something that is lifting the quality of the team and providing what is needed.
“You need to have players that are playing‚ and those that are pushing the players who are playing [in the starting XI]. If the ones pushing are not pushing enough‚ then the players starting will fall into a comfort zone.
“This is the nature of being at a big club like Orlando Pirates.” —