The teams involved in this fixture both have pressing needs to grab all three points in this fixture at opposite ends of the table.
Reading will be desperate to try and find a 3 points from anywhere so they don’t lose touch with the chasing pack as they try and stave off relegation.
Manchester City will be under slightly more pressure you suspect though with the fans expectant of a win and a goal glut against an indifferent Reading side.
Roberto Mancini’s men still lie six points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester United and will be looking to close that gap wherever possible.
They surrendered their long unbeaten record at the Etihad Stadium to United a few weekends ago but firmly got themselves back on track at St. James’s Park last time out.
An impressive display and a 3-1 fixture ensured that they regained the momentum they had before their derby day loss.
The Royals sit rock bottom at the foot of the Premier League and haven’t won in six matches and a trip to Manchester would not have been on their Christmas wish list. McDermott as a consequence remains the favourite with the bookies to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked.
Vincent Kompany the club captain for City is expected to massively lift the side return from injury. Mario Balotelli may have taken the headlines midweek over his wage docking but misses out on this one with a virus. Samir Nasri (hamstring) has been ruled out and full-back Aleksandar Kolarov (knee) is unavailable too.
Reading look set to be without striker Jason Roberts for the trip to the Etihad stadium. Jem Karacan (knee), Jimmy Kebe (groin) and Danny Guthrie (thigh) all come back at a crucial time as options for the Royals. Sean Morrison and Alex McCarthy remain out for a significant period of time.
Reading have faced more shots than any other side in the top five European leagues this season and can expect more of the same in this fixture.
Prediction: Man City 3-0 Reading
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