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Aguero
Sergio Agueri not at his very best Getty

Manchester City host Hull City at the Etihad on Saturday as Manuel Pellegrini's men look to get back to winning ways after recent losses to Arsenal in the league and Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

Where to Watch

Kick-off is set for 3pm GMT. Highlights of the game will be available on BBC Match of the Day at 10:30pm GMT on BBC One.

Overview

The defending Champions are currently winless in four consecutive games in all competitions and need to push forward if they have to bridge the five-point gap between themselves and Chelsea.

The Citizens had a brilliant chance to pull the gap down to two points in their last game, when they travelled to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but they failed to press the initiative in the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa.

Davis Silva equalised after Loic Remy had opened the scoring for the Blues but Sergio Aguero was not at his best, with the Argentine missing a deluge of good chances, which could have made the title race more interesting.

Pellegrini will be pleased by the imminent return of Yaya Toure and new signing Wilfried Bony after the African Cup of Nations, where Ivory Coast take on Ghana in the finals.

Toure's arrival will give them a new dimension in midfield, while Bony will be able to replace the ineffective Aguero, who needs more time to get his goalscoring boots.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce's team are still languishing in the relegation zone, a point from safety following their 3-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend.

They are already out of the FA Cup, owing to their third round loss to Arsenal at the Emirates and need to put all their resources into staying up, which looks a distant possibility with every passing game.

Dame N'Doye, their new signing, is likely to be put directly into the mix against City and hope for the best, especially with City's lack of form coming into the fixture.

What Managers Say

Manuel Pellegrini: "We have no injuries, we have a full squad. Mangala and Nasri are fine and will be in the squad. Samir Nasri is important for the team but we cannot just think that because he can play we will win. Other teams will drop points. The last two times this team has won the title, they've come from behind. It was not a good January but I believe that the game against Chelsea can be the switch for our performances."

Steve Bruce: "I can't worry about speculation in newspapers. I'd think if I was in trouble then the chairman, with the relationship we've got, would tell me. He's backed me with a new assistant manager and a striker. If he was going to get rid of me, he'd have done it before that."

Betting Odds (By 888Sport.com)

  • Manchester City Win: 2/11
  • Draw: 108/17
  • Hull City Win: 16/1

Team News

Manchester City

Possible XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Kompany, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Navas, Silva, Milner; Aguero

Hull City

Possible XI: McGregor; Elmohamady, Bruce, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Livermore, Huddlestone, Quinn; Ramirez, Jelavic