Stoke City vs Man City: Victory within reach of Man City!

It is understandable that this genius strategist affirmed that. It is a humble but strong message when the performance of the Etihad team this season is quite stable, a comprehensive strength that is far superior to the competitors for the throne.

Man City is getting closer to the throne thanks to its superior strength. Photo: Internet

But Mr. Pep's statement is also based on another factor - the schedule and direct opponents in the next 4 rounds. Notably, among the 4 opponents, except for the chasing team behind Man Utd, the names Stoke City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton are not strong enough to stop the Man team from finishing early.

Even in the big match - the Manchester derby, coach Pep Guardiola and his team had the upper hand when playing right at the Etihad stadium.

Returning to the match tomorrow morning, it is clear that Stoke, even though playing at home at Britannia Stadium, cannot be a worthy opponent of Man City. This "fat prey" was "killed" 7-2 by the rich guy in the first leg. Can anyone be sure that such a terrible thing will not happen again at Britannia?

It is very likely that it will be difficult to repeat, that humiliating defeat could cause a Stoke City struggling at the bottom of the table, to rise up, not only to save some honor but also to find a small chance to escape the "death sentence" at the end of the season.

Indeed, in football anything can happen, even things that no one dares to expect. In welcoming Man City, coach Paul Lambert and his team are not without opportunities. Because, not only are they playing at home but also because their opponents are suffering from serious losses of force.

Sergio Aguero joins Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling on the injury list, who are all Man City mainstays.

“Stuntman” Jesus scored a double against Stoke in the first leg. Photo: Internet

However, Stoke City's ability to retain 3 points, or even 1 point at home, against Pep's excellent machine is a rare story. Although Man City does not have the strongest squad, they still have "substitutes" of enough quality to make Stoke City fear.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva would be the perfect replacements for Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling, while Gabriel Jesus has taken over Aguero's place.

In the “rage” of Man City in the first leg, the Brazilian player also contributed greatly with a double goal. Behind Jesus is the most creative midfield duo in the Premier League this season: David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

The 1-2 defeat to Basel in the Champions League did not seem to affect Man City much. Coach Pep Guardiola certainly did not care too much. Because the 4-0 victory in the first leg helped The Citizens to win a ticket to the quarter-finals from the first leg.

Meanwhile, Stoke City are in the opposite situation. Since the appointment of coach Paul Lambert, Stoke City's performance has not improved at all. They have only had 1 win, the rest are draws and losses. That only victory was against newly promoted team Huddersfield.

Early tomorrow morning, Stoke City will once again become the "fat prey" of The Citizens. Photo: Internet

If the defense is among the worst in the Premier League this season (conceding 54 goals in 29 matches, the second most in the Premier League), the attack is also in a similar situation with only 3 goals in the last 5 matches. With such a weak performance, who would dare to bet their faith on the risky coach Paul Lambert and his team?

Surely not, even their most loyal fans wouldn't dare to act rashly. Because, even Arsenal and Chelsea couldn't stop Pep Guardiola's army from winning, let alone a weak Stoke City.

In short, Man City are still almost unstoppable in the Premier League this season. Therefore, bringing 3 points from Britannia Stadium to Etihad is completely within the reach of Pep Guardiola and his team.