Premier League: Match preview Hull City v Manchester City

A look ahead to this weekend’s at the KC stadium

Steve Bruce looks on from the touchline (GETTY IMAGES)

Two teams that have been involved in cup dramas over the past week will go at loggerheads in the early kick-off at the KC stadium on Saturday. Hull City overcame Sunderland to reach their first Wembley appearance in the FA Cup, while Manchester City's ambition of a Quadruple winning season has died, being on the end of a giant killing against Wigan Athletic and losing 4-1 on aggregate against a formidable Barcelona team.

Meanwhile, Hull will be looking on an improvement from their last home game, that eventful 4-1 win that was marred by the ridiculous antics of Magpies manager, Alan Pardew. Their chances of gaining something against the 2012 Premier League champions will be boosted with the return of strikers Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic, after they was cup tied for the 3-0 win against the Black Cats.

Manuel Pellegrini will look ahead into this fixture knowing that a bewildered Manchester City side can get their season back on track in the title race. Sitting in fourth place and nine points behind Chelsea, the Capital One cup winners league form has superb since the loss to Jose Mourinho’s on the first day of February, winning their last eight games, scoring 27 goals in the process.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 12.45pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS

Manchester City 2 (Negredo, Yaya Toure) Hull City 0, 31 August 2013

Hull City 2 (Altidore, Boateng) Manchester City 1 (Adebayor), 6 February 2010

Manchester City 1 (Wright-Phillips) Hull City 1 (Bullard,Pen), 28 November 2009

STATS

Hull City have won just one of their last seven Premier League home matches (W1 D2 L4)

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League away games (W5 D2).

A Hull City win could put them in the top half of the table.

Manchester City haven’t won away at Hull City in the league since their first ever meeting in October 1909. Since then, Hull have won four and drawn three of the seven home meetings.

Manchester City have won the most corners this season (199), while no team has fewer than Hull (120).

Hull have conceded only 35 goals this season, level with second-placed Liverpool

ODDS

Hull City win: 6.00

Manchester City win: 1.50

Draw: 4.33

CLASSIC MATCH

On the 28th November 2009, the City of Manchester Stadium witnessed one of the greatest celebrations from one of the greatest football personalities. The previous year saw Hull City go 4-0 against Manchester City at half-time which resulted in manager Phil Brown give his team talk on the pitch. One year one, the Tigers grabbed a valuable point from a Jimmy Bullard spot kick. After he dispatched the penalty, Bullard decided to rein act the Brown team talk on the pitch with his priceless celebration.

TV: Live on BT Sport at 12:45pm, highlights on BBC 1 10.30pm