City Look To Pressure Chelsea With Hull Win

Hull City will travel to Manchester City`s Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the club hoping to pull off an unlikely win that will see them escape the relegation zone. In reality, a solitary point against the reigning champions could see them exit the drop zone on goal difference, 17th placed Burnley facing off against West Brom on Sunday. A win for the home side, conversely, would see them put pressure on league leaders Chelsea who are currently five points better off than second placed City.

The last time Hull and Manchester City met was at the KC Stadium back in September, the home team losing out 4-2 to Manuel Pellegrini`s Sky Blues. Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko put the away club in the driving seat just ten minutes into the game before an Eliaquim Mangala own-goal and a Javier Hernandez penalty saw the Tigers level up before half time.

Steve Bruce`s men hung on valiantly until the 70th minute when Dzeko completed his brace before Frank Lampard put the game out of sight with three minutes left to play.

This comprehensive victory, their home advantage and superior league position means that City are the strong 1/5 favourites with most bookmakers to take all three points from tomorrow`s game. A correct score prediction of 4-2 to the Sky Blues, however, is a 65/1 shout with 32red, 888sport and unibet.

A draw seems unlikely with a trio of turf accountants (bet365, betfair, boylesports) offering 7/1 whilst an away victory is a massive 18/1 with the same three bookmakers.

Such a price is most probably down to the fact that Hull are yet to score in any of their four games since the first day of January, the last time they recorded a win in any competition. Bruce`s men fell 2-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup before failing to pick up points against West Brom (1-0), West Ham (3-0) or Newcastle (3-0) in the league. As a result of this profligacy, Manchester City are 4/6 with boylesports to keep a clean sheet tomorrow, 13/2 with Betvictor and paddy Power says that the Tigers will lose 3-0 for the third time in succession.

Hull`s have picked up four points from their five most recent league games on the road. A 2-0 loss at the hands of league leaders Chelsea preceding their defeats at the Hawthorns and Upton Park. The North East club did, however, pick up points in a draw against Everton at the start of December and a win over Tyneside rivals Sunderland on Boxing Day.

Sone Aluko equalised in the second half for Hull as Romelu Lukaku put Everton ahead at Goodison Park in the 34th minute. Meanwhile, Gaston Ramirez, James Chester and Nikica Jelavic all hit the back of the net to see their club come from behind to take down Sunderland 3-1 away from home.

Betvictor`s 90/1 says Hull can`t win from coming from behind once again.

Perhaps this could be the perfect time for Bruce`s boys to play City, however, Pellegrini`s side having lost their last two home games 2-0. Arsenal beat the Sky Blues by this score in the league before Championship side Middlesbrough put them to the sword in the FA Cup.

In their three home games from the 28th December to the 4th of December, City drew 2-2 with Burnley before beating Sunderland 3-2 and Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 in the FA Cup third round before their departure.

His brace against Wednesday means that James Miner is the club`s top scorer from their last five home games. He is 35/1 with paddy Power to score two or more goals again tomorrow. Meanwhile, 19-time scorer Aguero is the favourite to break the deadlock at 13/5 with bet365.

Go To bet365

#Ad

06/02/2015     © Frixo 2026