Manchester City v Stoke
15:00
Man City and Stoke both recorded solid if unspectacular 2-0 wins against weak opposition this weekend: Man City were too good for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and Stoke undid Middlesbrough at home. Stoke’s away record against top-six sides is dire, and they were given a stark reminder of the gulf between themselves and the top teams when they lost 4-0 at White Hart Lane a week and a half ago – they will do well to avoid a repeat of that afternoon here.
Stoke’s away record in recent weeks has not been helped by the fact that four of their last six on the road have been against current top-six sides, but it is woeful all the same: they’ve lost five of their last six on the road, and failed to score in their last two away games. They’ve lost all nine games they’ve played at top-six sides since the start of last season, and they’ve conceded at least two after the half in six of the last eight in that run, so the second-45 as Highest Scoring Half is worth a punt. Man City are undefeated in their last 10 against middle-third sides at home, scoring at least two in seven of the last eight– we expect them to run amok here.
With Leroy Sane in dangerous form and Man City scoring 12 across their last three in all competitions, we’ll back the hosts to cover a -2 handicap.
Man City -2 at 2.5 2nd Half Highest Scoring Half at 2.0
Betting intelligence provided by Football Form Labs
