Manchester City can boast the only flawless home record in the Premier League, having collected the three points in each of their eight matches thus far. Never mind that many of their opponents haven’t been particularly good, nor that the Citizens have ridden their luck on several occasions to land the spoils.
Saturday’s clash with Bolton might look straightforward at first glance, but the Wanderers are no longer playing like a relegation-threatened outfit. Victories against Manchester United and Wigan have elevated them out of the bottom three, while their 2-2 draw away to Bayern Munich has demonstrated that belief is returning at the Reebok.
The difference between the two teams could be a spark of creative genius provided by Elano. According to the City manager, the Brazilian is nailed-on to return to the team.
“Elano is almost sure to be fit for the Bolton game,” the Swedish boss told the Manchester Evening News. The plan is that he will return to full training today (Tuesday).”
It’s clear that City rely on their midfield playmaker, especially with a lack of cutting edge going forward. Although Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane saw the visitors play reasonably well, chances were scarce against a Tottenham defence currently low on confidence. With Elano back, Bolton will be wary of conceding free-kicks anywhere near their own penalty area, or in their own half…