₦airaland Forum

major466:
Wetin I go do?

major466:
Up Leicester United.

pamcode:
luvola this one wey u dey open thread for rival clubs e be lyk say u wan collect abi

Southampton midfielder Steven Davis will be assessed before Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Manchester City.

The Northern Ireland captain has been struggling with a hamstring complaint in recent weeks and manager Ronald Koeman will make a decision when he trains with the group on Saturday.

James Ward-Prowse (foot) and Sam Gallagher (knee) remain two or three weeks away, while Jay Rodriguez continues his rehabilitation from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Meanwhile, Koeman believes "something special" can be achieved at Southampton this season if they can prove their mettle in the coming weeks.

An unparalleled talent drain in the summer led to much doom and gloom around St Mary's, yet the response has been nothing short of astonishing.

Koeman's side are second in the Premier League after their best-ever start to a top-flight season and boast the tightest defence in English football.

That form has led to much discussion as to whether Saints can actually see off the traditional giants and qualify for the Champions League - a feat Koeman believes could become more realistic over the coming weeks.

"We try to play game by game and prepare ourselves in the best way for every game," the Dutchman said.

"We know our possibilities but we have played 12 games now and I didn't see one team better than us in these 12 games and we played against Liverpool and Tottenham. Maybe Sunday but we will see.

"(Man City) will take this game very seriously. They know that we are strong.

"It's one of the qualities is the organisation in the team and if you don't have that organisation it's not possible to concede only six goals in 12 games.

"They know, for sure, they have to be good to win against us and the challenge for us is to beat a good team in the Premier League.

"We have the supporters at our back and that will be important for Sunday."

On stopping in-form City striker Sergio Aguero, Koeman added: "I think that the best player to compare to Aguero is Romario.

"I played with him but sometimes you think he is sleeping and in one split second he is scoring. That's a big quality because that means a lot of concentration for the defender.

"He's always fast, he's always on the shoulder of the last defender and that's his best quality."

Manchester City midfielders Yaya Toure and Fernandinho return to the squad for the champions.

The pair were both suspended for the dramatic victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Playmaker David Silva (knee), striker Edin Dzeko and defender Aleksandar Kolarov (both calf) remain on the sidelines through injury.

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini hopes his side can kick on and build momentum from their stunning defeat of Bayern.

City kept their Champions League hopes alive as Aguero completed a hat-trick with two late goals and snatched a dramatic 3-2 win over the German giants on Tuesday.

City now want to follow that up, not only by securing their place in the last 16 of that competition, but by launching a charge in the Premier League.

The champions' form this term has been patchy and they won just one of their six games in all competitions immediately prior to the mid-November international break.

That set back their title defence but they started to get back on track with victory against Swansea last weekend, although they remain eight points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Pellegrini said: "I think one thing we never lost was the belief. The only thing I think we cannot complain about in this team, in this moment or the last three weeks, was the spirit of the team.

"We always fight to the end. We started losing against Swansea and we scored two goals, we did the same thing against Bayern.

"So I think now we must improve the trust of the team. It grows immediately when you have good results.

"I hope that after these two games, especially the game against Bayern, the way we won it, it will give trust to players to continue doing the right things. I hope we can see that this week."

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea's Diego Costa is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card on Saturday and is likely to be replaced by either Loic Remy or Didier Drogba.

Defender Nathan Ake (hamstring) missed the weekend game at Sunderland and is unlikely to be included.

Tottenham defender Kyle Naughton is available after a two-match ban.

Emmanuel Adebayor faces a late fitness test after a virus and a back problem, while Etienne Capoue and Danny Rose are also struggling with knocks.
MATCH PREVIEW

A season which is in danger of becoming a procession became a little more interesting over the weekend with Chelsea dropping points at Sunderland and Manchester City putting in arguably their strongest performance of the season in winning at Southampton.

The gap at the top is now six points; and although Chelsea must still be considered big title favourites, maybe, just maybe, the contest will still actually be a contest in the spring.

Arsenal's Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are doubtful with knee problems, while Kieran Gibbs is struggling with a ankle injury.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (hip) and Mikel Arteta (calf) are both still out.

Southampton will be without Morgan Schneiderlin, who injured his thigh in Sunday's defeat to Manchester City.

The midfielder could be replaced by Jack Cork, who has recovered from illness or Harry Reed could also be called upon.
MATCH PREVIEW

Southampton suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at home to Manchester City on Sunday but this midweek fixture gives them a chance to bounce straight back.

And with Manchester United next up, and Chelsea to come later in the month, Saints will not want to suffer back-to-back defeats for the first time this season at the Emirates on Wednesday evening, although manager Ronald Koeman denies his side are feeling the pressure.

"We will not be nervous after Sunday's result, or nervous to be high in the table: situations are always changing so fast in football," said the Dutchman.

"It means a lot to the start of our season, how other teams are looking at us. They realise it's difficult to beat Southampton."

That much is certainly true, with Saints conceding just nine goals, fewer than any other Premier League side, a defensive record that Arsene Wenger himself has highlighted.

"[Considering] the exodus that happened at the end of the season, their form is a surprise. But if you analyse their team, they have the stability defensively," said Wenger.

Stability is something Arsenal should possess, given that their manager has been at the club for 18 years, but as a section of fans showed last weekend (by holding up a banner urging him to quit following consecutive league defeats), a manager is only deemed as good as his next result.

History is at least on Arsenal's side for this match as they have never lost at home to Southampton in the Premier League.

But Saints have already won at the Emirates in this campaign, knocking the Gunners out of the Capital One Cup in September.

Another victory on Wednesday will put Southampton's mini-decline firmly in the past, and also spark further questions about Wenger's future.

Rityben:
Yes I am. Thanks I appreciate

modelmike7:
When I read some things about this nation, my mouth just drop open involuntarily! Just imagine, a person being awarded a certificate (a PHD for that matter!) she never applied for!!! What a Nation!!!

ginajet:
looserphool disgracing EPL teams since 100AD

ginajet:
Am so ontop of the EPL table...... I can't hear what looserphool fans are saying.... nigga u need to shout coz the gap is just too wide for some fools to catch up......... dondi luvola number 1 and number 11 or 12 have got no business with me., you are not a title contender, go find Leicester City fan dey argue with... I can only argue with city or man u fans...... get a life....... my mb is too precious to be wasted on a low life like you....... bye bye...... if you still keep hating after diz....... mbok go and die

ginajet:
see what joblessness, poverty, frustration can cause for a boy....... biko even if na shoe shiner work go learn and keep yourself busy....... toothless chicken wey dey talk of trouble dey sleep...... wasted sper.m of a boy..... your mama for just drink postinor piss u trowey cos u are not worthy to be called a man

ginajet:
ogbeni go hustle hard..... poor thing..... nairaland can't change your story..... I showed your profile pic to my friends and they had a very good life...... I know your problem...... I really pity your condition..... I wish i can help but sorry you lack home training...... grow up fool besides diz will be the last time I will reply you...... am sure you did enjoyed the little fame I gave you...... don't drag me to ur level..... oloshi rada rada