The City of Manchester will celebrate Premier League match time when Wigan travel to take on Manchester City in match week 29, on Saturday, March 5, 2011, in the second game of a two-legged encounter.
The first leg, hosted by Wigan on September 18, was won 2-0 by City. Tevez put City ahead 2 minutes before the interval, and Yaya Toure scored the second on 70 minutes. The game was devoid of flair on a boggy pitch which had players slipping, and both the goals resulted from defensive errors. Apex Shed Wigan Tevez stamped his pedigree on a game that had many of City's best players injured though manager Mancini conceded that the team needed to be able to win without the Argentinian striker before harbouring hopes of winning the Premier League.
As it transpired, Tevez had a hand in both goals. He scored the first one capitalizing on an opportunity that arose after Hart's goal-kick the ball ricocheted off Diame's head. Tevez got the ball and all he had to do was to beat the goal-keeper Al Habsi with a chip. Yaya Toure's goal resulted from a sequence in which Tevez got hold of the ball inside the area after a failure by Wigan's Diame and Figueroa to clear the ball. Thereafter, Yay Toure latched on to Tevez's low cross through a crowded box to score at the far post.
Head to head, Wigan have established a 5-3 lead over City in their last 11 league meetings, with the remaining 3 games drawn.
Manchester City have won 5 of their last 10 games, while drawing 3 and losing 2. Wigan have won 2 of their last 10, while drawing 4 and losing 3. In 14 home games, this season, City have registered 8 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses; Wigan have won just 2 of their 15 games on the road, while drawing 6 and losing the remaining 5.
In match week 28, City drew 1-1 against Fulham at home, while Wigan lost 4-0 at home to Manchester United. On current form, Manchester City should be confident of banking full 3 points from this game.
Manchester City had the following men in their starting eleven against Fulham: Hart, Boateng, Toure, Lescott, Kolarov, Y Toure, Barry, Zabaleta, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko.