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Premiership Football News: Draw City's best option

Marc Fox

As records go, Manchester City's seven-match sequence of straight draws is hardly illustrious.

But you have to think that City supremo Mark Hughes won't be complaining too loudly if his megabucks outfit claim an English club record eighth consecutive draw over the weekend in the clash with top-of-the-table Chelsea.

Given Arsenal's humiliation at the Emirates at the hands of Carlo Ancelotti's rampant title hopefuls last Sunday, a draw at Eastlands this Saturday might even be a little fanciful for Hughes, the former Chelsea striker.

Certainly, midweek Carling Cup results might suggest otherwise, with City beating an experimental Arsenal team while Chelsea were knocked out by Blackburn Rovers.

But Hughes knows that this seven-match streak of 14 dropped points could well cost his new-look side a Champions League spot come the end of a year in which so much is hoped.

The bare facts make it clear that City remain just three points off third-placed Arsenal heading into December and the hectic Christmas and New Year fixture list.

Hughes is steadfast in saying that his side are still in the running. "We're very much in touch at the top of the league," he maintained after the record-equalling 1-1 draw with Hull City last weekend.

"We're disappointed, obviously, with the return of late because we've been in situations that we could have won. And the longer these drawn games go on the more anxiety the players will show."

It is in defence where City look most anxious despite the reinforcements recruited over the past 12 months including Shay Given, the Ireland goalkeeper, and central defenders Kolo Toure and Jolean Lescott.

Last Saturday's stalemate with desperate Hull was one of four games in this drawn run in which they have relinquished a lead, and even though a dubious penalty played a big part in hauling the Tigers back into the game, Hughes admits his revamped backline isn't as watertight as he'd like.

Left-back Wayne Bridge, another player with Chelsea connections in the City ranks, has also come under pressure because of mounting media criticism and speculation over his position as Ashley Cole's deputy in England's World Cup squad.

Bridge and his fellow defenders will face a stiff examination of their Champions League candidacy against the Blues this weekend.

Chelsea lost their quarter-final Carling Cup tie on penalties against Blackburn, but that meaningless loss in many eyes was only their third defeat of Ancelotti's reign since taking charge at Stamford Bridge in the summer.

The Italian has this week attempted to play up the danger of City's talent-laden squad. "We have to play against a dangerous team, because Manchester City has a lot of players with very good technical quality, top players," he told the club's official website.

"They didn't win the last seven games and they want to win against Chelsea because we are top of the list. They will have very good motivation to play against us and we have to pay attention to this."

But many feel Chelsea have been head and shoulders above their Premier League counterparts for the first four months of the season, and they can move a whopping 17 points ahead of City with another victory on Saturday.

Marc Fox

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