Sunday sees two teams who have totally contrasting ambitions for the season meet, as champions Manchester City host Premier League new boys Southampton at the Etihad Stadium (City 1/6, draw 13/2, Southampton 16/1 – Match Betting).
After dramatically winning the title last season, the Citizens will be desperate to get their campaign off to the perfect start but won’t have it all their own way against a Saints side that simply love upsetting the odds.
Despite not really strengthening his squad over the summer, Roberto Mancini has plenty of talent at his disposal and following their win against Chelsea in last Sunday’s Community Shield, knows his players are still more than capable of competing with the best.
After originally setting his team out defend, the Italian coach employed much more attacking tactics last season and, in full flow, his team truly are a sight to behold.
With the likes of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli up front, Mancini certainly has a number of options to play with but it is midfielder Yaya Toure (5/2 to score anytime) who is the real heartbeat of the team.
The team visibly struggled when the former Barcelona man went off to the African Cup of Nations earlier this year and his almost unique combination of power and finesse is what truly drives City forward.
The Ivorian will be looking to once again dominate on Sunday and don’t be surprised if he pops up with an important goal.
Despite their two successive promotions, Southampton are still one of the favourites to be relegated from the top flight. Boss Nigel Adkins has brought some good players to the club over the summer and of all the newly promoted teams, they maybe the best equipped to deal with the rigours of the Premier League.
Possibly the most influential of these will be midfielder Steven Davis (9/2 to score anytime), who arrived from Rangers and could add some extra guile to the engine room.
In a season where they’re likely to find themselves overrun by their opposition, the Northern Irishman’s ability to keep the ball and use it wisely could prove vital.
This could well be in evidence on Sunday, where he’ll be tasked with keeping the aforementioned Toure quiet and after four seasons in the SPL the 27-year-old will be looking to make an immediate impact on his return to the Premier League.
However, despite all Southampton’s hard work, it looks like it could be a very difficult afternoon for Nigel Adkins’ men.
City beat another newly promoted team in Swansea 4-0 in their opening fixture of last season and don’t be surprised if they record a similar scoreline on Sunday (City 17/2 to win 4-0).
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