Manchester City vs Hull City: Time for Man City to hold on to a lead
Manchester City could go fifth with a win against Hul City who have moved four points clear of the relegation zone in the last week.
Manchester City are unbeaten since the galling injury time goal for Michael Owen in the Manchester derby over two months ago. Unfortunately for much of that two months City have been drawing games, often from winning positions - 2-0 up against Fulham, ended up 2-2; 3-2 up against Burnley, ended 3-3; 2-1 up against Liverpool, ended 2-2. Those three equalisers all came in the final half an hour of the last three matches - and the six points lost mean that instead of being one point behind 2nd place Man United, Man City are two points above ninth placed Stoke. Liverpool seem certain to wake up soon and Tottenham are starting to build a gap - this is a must-win game if City have top four ambitions this season.
Man City are unbeaten at home this season.
Manchester City last 5 league games
Liverpool (a) 2-2
Burnley (h) 3-3
Birmingham (a) 0-0
Fulham (h) 2-2
Wigan (a) 1-1
Hull have benefited from back-to-back home games and being unbeaten in the last four home games - winning two and drawing two - just when Phil Brown seemed to be one more bad result away from the sack. A win today would move Hull up to 10th placed Fulham's 18 points and spread some significant optimism around that this season isn't going to end in disaster. This is the fixture last season where Brown infamously kept his players on the pitch at half-time to chastise them about their performance. Thereafter Hull went into free-fall and avoided relegation by the slimmest of margins. Whilst it would be fun if Brown repeated the trick, with Jimmy Bullard about the team is hardly likely to be as lethargic.
Hull have only picked up one point away from home this season.
Hull City last 5 league games
West Ham (h) 3-3
Stoke (h) 2-1
Burnley (a) 0-2
Portsmouth (h) 0-0
Fulham (a) 0-2
Manchester City vs Hull City; Kick Off 3:00pm 28 Nov 2009
Prediction Panel
Our panel contains both Squarefootball writers and readers, the writers are marked: (sqf).
Dave Blackburn : 4 - 0
Chris Cox : TBC
Graham Enwright : 2 - 0
Sue Gardener : 4 - 0
Chris Goodwin : 2 - 0
Paul Grech (sqf) : TBC
Colin Illingworth (sqf) : 3 - 1
Hugh Larkin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Peter Lee : 2 - 0
Don McMahon : 1 - 1
Antony Melvin (sqf) : 2 - 0
Paul O'Meara (sqf) : TBC
Dave Nash : 3 - 1
Stephen Orford (sqf) : TBC
Tony Ratton : 3 - 1
Peter Rendle : 3 - 1
Dan Taylor : 3 - 1
Andy Wakeman : 3 - 0
Isaac Williams : 3 - 1
Mark Williams : TBC
Panel Verdict
The panel is expecting a 3-1 Man City win.
Home: 14; Draw: 1; Away: 0; TBC: 5.
* Do we have it right, or do you know better? Please don't bother with derisory comments on the predictions after the match - unless you also pulled us up before it!
