#ARSMCI

The start of the Christmas games sees us at home to Manchester City, the current league champions.  

For a number of years since they were bought out by the Middle-East Oil Barons we never really considered them to be anything other than "just another game".  Their years of mediocreness came to an end with the arrival of the billionaires.

Contrary to what Arsene Wenger maintained - money does buy success in football.  Manchester United mixed talent from their academy and scouting youths with potential with big buys.  They try to deny it but £30 million for Rio Ferdinand?

Once Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea the same happened. A billion or more spent on players which resulted in trophies that they had rarely had hold of or had been in touching distance from!  In fact 50 years between league championships. Until 2005 I had never seen them raise the trophy at the end of a season, as they won it seven months before I was born!

The City came along and repeated the whole thing.  But this year they have proved to be almost a spent force. Trailing both Leicester and league leaders Liverpool by a massive points difference.

And they arrive on our doorstep on Sunday 15th December... With the way we are playing with one win in nine games and sitting uncomfortably in mid-table things aren't looking good.

With games against Manchester United and Chelsea over the Christmas and New year, this might just be the first of a disastrous run.

Update. December 15th. 6.30pm

Lost 3-0. Low expectations for the game and these were met.

All three goals could have and should have been avoided. At one point City had three shots on goal, three on target and... You guessed correctly, three goals.