[NoSkillz]

Sat. January 4, 2025

Barclays Premier League
Dover (14-3-3, 45 points, 3rd) vs. Manchester City (13-6-2, 45 points, 2nd)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Manchester City: 13-8
Past Meetings: 5W 2D 8L

We already own two wins against City this year, beating them 3-1 in the season opening Community Shield and also besting them 1-0 at the Etihad in early season Premier League play. The Jose Mourinho-led squad has been very strong this year and haven’t lost in league play since that game against us. They also made it through the group stages of Champions League play and will face Juventus in the first knockout round. Jelle Hoegee is back to his old self this year and has 28 goals in only 25 games, just staggering numbers. Central defender Salah Abbes is second with 8 - simply put, if we stop Hoegee, we likely win. Mario Brito is also a dangerous midfielder. City have a few key injuries but they will be a formidable foe today.

We’ll be going with essentially our main starting roster but Paul Moses is still regaining match fitness and will be on the bench to start. I’ll definitely bring him in early in the second half. Salim Loucif is back to full fitness and will start at right fullback while Benedikt Raab gets the call over Neil Cairney. Back to a flat 4-4-2 today and a control mentality to start at home and as slight favourites.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, B. Raab, Jose, G. Bolis
S - A. Broomes, Chiquinho
Bench - Emerson, S. Nasri, A. Rocca, N. Cairney, M. Pedersen, G. Allan, P. Moses

City are in a 4-2-3-1 with Hoegee alone up front. Antonio is their keeper and he is a good one. Lets play well for the home supporters today!

10’ - A pretty even start, with chances for both teams including a Broomes blast off the crossbar. We get the ball at midfield and Gianluca Bolis feeds a pass to the middle to Benedikt Raab. He dribbles in a couple steps and from 35 yards out, sends a kick WITH VENOM toward the goal. Antonio can’t get to it quick enough and it’s IN! Spectacular shot from distance from Raab and we lead! DOVER GOAL 1-0

13’ - We have possession deep in their end once again and after some give and go passing between Jose and Bolis, it’s Jose feeding a pass into Chiquinho. Against claims of offsides, Chiquinho turns and is about to fire but he’s taken down. I’m expecting a diving call but the ref points to the spot and awards a PENALTY! It’s Raab who steps up to take it and he makes no mistake, putting it into the right corner of the goal for his second of the game! Wow! DOVER GOAL 2-0

18’ - City have a free kick from just outside our area but the kick is sent into our wall and we start a counter attack with Chiquinho and Andy Broomes on a 2 on 1. Chiquinho sends Broomes in all alone but his shot is blocked by the City defender. However, the bounces are going our way and the ball goes right to Chiquinho and he has an empty net to shoot at and makes no mistake. This is nuts! DOVER GOAL 3-0

30’ - My God we are on fire. We score again with a wicked blast from Claudio Contreras off a failed free kick but it’s called back due to an offsides call.

31’ - And that’s a big moment, as shortly thereafter, City win a corner and Mario Brito’s cross is headed past Wilke and into the net by Anthony Pattison. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 3-1

34’ - Oh boy. Jelle Hoegee sends a through ball to Jonathan Bottone and our defence is no where to be found. Arsene Bamba, our left midfielder, chases him down but Bottone’s shot deflects off Bamba and is past Wilke and IN! Oh my goodness…an OG for Bamba and our lead is cut to one. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 3-2

HALFTIME - We are playing great but they cash in on their only two chances, as we hold 57% of possession and a 13-6 (3-2 on target) shot advantage. Claudio Contreras takes the blame for the Bamba own goal and has a 5.4 rating at half. We make one change and that’s to bring in Paul Moses for a nervous Andy Broomes. I tell the team I’m pleased with their play and tell Moses I expect him to pick up where he left off in his last game.

63’ - Boy, City are playing VERY AGGRESSIVELY right now and we’re holding on for dear life at the moment.

69’ - City continue to send men forward without hesitation in an effort to tie the game and we decide to pull back into a counter attack mentality. I also pull out a tired Arsene Bamba and bring in Mads Pedersen.

70’ - IMMEDIATELY after the change, City throws the ball in and get it into Bottone in our area. Contreras tries to tackle it away and sends the ball into our net. A SECOND OWN GOAL and City come back from THREE GOALS DOWN TO PULL LEVEL. Disaster. MANCHESTER CITY GOAL 3-3

We move back to a control mentality. This is nuts.

Wow. What an epic collapse.

Dover 3 - 3 Manchester City
Goals - B. Raab 2 (8.8), Chiquinho (7.9)
Assists - Gianluca Bolis (7.7), Chiquinho
Man of the Match - Benedikt Raab
Other Dover Notables -
Attendance - 23,000 (Sell Out)

We end up in a dead heat in possession, as City really pushed hard all half in a successful attempt to pull even. We outshot them 20-13 (6-7 on target). I decide to sympathize with the club in the locker room. Our two central defenders, Hamon and Contreras, were horrible all game but ended up with 6.7 ratings.

-- We had our chance to move up in the standings, as United lost at home to Chelsea but in the end we only gain a point on them. Sheffield United upset Arsenal 2-1, Middlesbrough draw 1-1 against Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday draw 1-1 against Liverpool.


BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE - STANDINGS
(ALL TEAMS HAVE PLAYED 22 GAMES UNLESS NOTED)

1. Manchester United - 51 points (after 21 games)
2. Manchester City - 46 points
3. Dover - 46 points (after 21 games)
4. Chelsea - 46 points
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5. Middlesbrough - 37 points
6. Sheffield Wednesday - 36 points
7. Arsenal - 36 points (after 21 games)


U18 Update

-- In U18 Cup Quarter Final play, we edge Everton 3-2 behind two goals from Ben Patterson and a single from Neil Evans.



Premier League Update

-- Interesting. Man United can only manage a draw on Tuesday against one win Blackpool so with a win against Derby on Wednesday, we can pull to within three points of the league leaders.



Loan OUT

-- After receiving a loan offer from PSG in France for the services of midfielder Paolo Secchi, we offer him around to other clubs and only Fiorentina comes calling. So with two clubs to choose from, Secchi chooses to go home to Italy and he’ll spend the rest of the season in Serie A with Fiorentina. We pick up a cool £375,000 in up front fees.



Next Up

-- We head to Pride Park to face relegation candidates Derby.