Town boss Kieran McKenna says the Blues will be facing one of the greatest ever club sides when they take on champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday (KO 3pm).

The Blues face the toughest test of their return to the Premier League on their first ever visit to the Etihad, illustrated by Betfair offering odds of 30-1 for a Town win, almost certainly the biggest ever for a Blues league match.

And not without reason, a trip to City, who became the first club to win four English top flight titles on the bounce last season, is daunting for any side.

They are currently unbeaten in their last 24 Premier League matches (won 20, drew four), winning the last 10.

They have won last eight against newly promoted sides and are unbeaten in 18, winning 17, while scoring 56 goals in the process.

At the Etihad, City are unbeaten in 44 games (won 37, drew seven) and are unbeaten in 93 games when leading at half-time and in 69 after scoring the opening goal.

City’s squad, worth according to some sources in excess of £1 billion, will be the most expensively assembled the Blues have ever faced.

Town boss McKenna knows it’s a massive challenge and says the team Pep Guardiola has built impresses him in numerous ways.

“There are so many things because it's one of the greatest club sides that's ever been built, no doubt about that, and they've been successful and consistently successful over a long period of time,” he said.

“They've done it with a really well-developed and attacking style of play, and they've evolved year by year as well, both in personnel and in terms of how they tweak their system and evolve their structures in possession, especially.

“They've evolved year by year and they're always looking to give the opposition different problems and different challenges to deal with, and we've seen that already in the early games in pre-season and this season.

“They're a wonderful side, there's no doubt they've been, in my opinion, the strongest club side in the world over a good number of years now and it's a great challenge for anyone to face them.

“I have the experience of going to the stadium and competing against them before [as a member of the Manchester United coaching staff] and hopefully we can utilise the experiences that we have in the building every week, and this week will be the same. 

“But there's no doubt it's a massive challenge. They're a fantastic team, but it's one that we have to embrace, it's one for us to look forward to, it's one that I think if we approach in the right way and we embrace the task, then I think we'll be much stronger for it.

“Similar to last week, having these two games first really does put us in at the deep end of the challenge, but I think that's the best and the fastest way to adapt to the level and to really feel the full force of what's ahead of us, but also for us to improve ourselves quickly. 

“I think it's another great game for us to have so early in the season. We look forward to it, the players are looking forward to it and all the supporters looking forward to it and we'll take the challenge head-on.”

Quizzed on how you go about preparing to take on a side like City and whether it’s a pleasant experience, McKenna said: “Yes, it is enjoyable. For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of the job is the preparation for the big challenges and the problems that the opposition will pose you and how you can account for those, and also how you can impose yourself on any opposition even if you know Man City may be the best club side in the world at the moment. 

“It's a great challenge and it's one I look forward to in terms of the difficulty of it. I think it's always about trying to strip it back to the base principles that the opposition work to and the base threats that they have.

“Of course, the personnel can change, the positioning can change and they can change their structure within the first five to ten minutes of the game if they're not getting the success in the spaces that they want to.

“But I think it's going, especially in the communication of players underneath that, to really trying to capture the essence of what the opposition want to do, where they want to try and get to and how we can try and stop them doing that as often as possible. 

“So, there's always that challenge with a team as strong as Man City and with the squad as deep that you can't fully focus on one individual threat or one individual area, but more so really focus on the essence of the opposition and on what they try and do and where they're going to try and hurt us and try and deal with that as well as we can.”

McKenna’s Town sides are always proactive and aim to play on the front foot, but may have to do so in a different way on Saturday, while concentration will be key with the Blues likely to be without the ball for long spells.

“Both of those things will be important,” he reflected. “We laid a stall out last week as a team that wants to be as aggressive as possible and be a difficult team to play against and try and stop the opposition early in their attacks.

“But that's very, very difficult to do against Man City for a number of different reasons. And no matter what your intent is, I know going there that for any team, let alone a team coming from our position, the reality is you're going to spend more of the game in your half and more of the game closer to our goal than to their goal. 

“It's about being aggressive in the moments when we can but also being compact in the moments that we have to be and making sure that we protect the key areas and protect the spaces that their key players operate in. We'll try and find moments to do both in the game and on the concentration part.

“Of course, that's one of the biggest areas of it. The ball is in play at the Etihad for longer than at any other stadium. They restart really, really quickly on throw-ins, on free-kicks, on corners and the ball comes back in play really, really quickly.

“It’s a physically demanding place to play, so keeping your concentration when there aren't too many breaks and the physical demand is really high, and you're not going to have as much possession as the opposition, that's a great challenge and it's one that we've prepared for as well as we can this week. It's one that we'll embrace in the game and again it's one that we'll be stronger for.

“We know every game in this league is difficult but every game isn't Man City away, so we know if we approach this one in the right way and embrace the challenge ahead of us, then it will be a challenge that can make us stronger for the games coming up and be stronger for the season ahead.”

Among City’s many threats is last season’s 27-goal Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland.

“I think he is pretty unique in world football really in terms of his physical attributes and his strength, his pace and his power,” McKenna said. “There's probably not anyone in the modern game who comes close on those aspects.

“He's an incredible striker and we've analysed this week and worked hard on how we'll try and give ourselves the best chance to compete against his strengths.

“But on the other hand, we know again that they have so many different strengths, they have individual quality in all different positions, they have different ways to utilise that individual quality with the different structures that they use on the ball.

“And we have to try and account for and try and prepare for all of those threats as well as we can, and we've tried to do that this week, while still reminding that we want to put some of our strengths in that pitch as well as we did last week. 

“For any team going to Man City, you know that you're going to have less possession than the opposition, you know that you're going to spend large chunks of the game in your own half and pretty close to your own goal.

“But we want to go and impose ourselves on the game in the ways that we can. We want to be as aggressive as we can when we can be and we want to be as positive on the ball as we can be when we can be.

“They're a team of fantastic strengths and we'll try and account for those as well as we can, but also try to make sure that throughout the 90 minutes we give the right account of ourselves and we show our identity on the pitch as well.”

Not too many coaches or managers have happy memories of away games at the Etihad but McKenna is an exception having been part of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United backroom staff when they won 2-1 in December 2019 in the Premier League, 1-0 in a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg the following month, although City won 3-2 on aggregate, and in March 2021, United won 2-0 at the Etihad in the Premier League.

“I think we had two or three seasons in a row where we had really good results at Man City, so I know how hard it is first and foremost and the ingredients to get a result at Man City are are pretty clear on what that usually looks like,” McKenna recalled.

“Of course, for us, it's different, we'll go in there in a different dimension as a team come from a different place.

“We're not going there as Manchester United, but if you look at any team who've had successful results at the Etihad, there's generally 99 per cent of the time pretty common threads to what those games look like, and I've had first-hand experience with some of that.

“We've looked at lots of other games and we know how difficult it is to get anything from the game there, but it's what we're going to try and do.

“Our mindset has to be that we go into every game believing that we can take points and that's going to be our mindset this week.”

Town’s first game on the road this season is in stark contrast to two seasons ago when they opened their League One away campaign with a trip to Forest Green, who now are in the National League. Two weeks ago this weekend, the Blues were at Shrewsbury.

“We've not spoken about it this week, I have to say,” McKenna said. “Two weeks ago [two years ago] we played Forest Green away with probably quite a few of the same players that are going to be involved on Saturday, and it was a tough game.

“We were 2-0 up at half-time, but we hadn't played all that well. In the second half we came under a lot of pressure, they got a goal back and had a goal disallowed to go 2-2 and we just about saw the game out at 2-1, so it was that was a difficult game as well. 

“And a lot of the boys are now going to play at the Etihad against Man City. Look, we spoke about it before the first game, we spoke about it before the season, we know the journey we're on and it's not something we're going to speak about every week, it's not something that we're going to focus on.

“It’s a group now that is in a different position in a positive way than they were, the players who are here we think have improved and made great strides and they've earned the right now to play in the Premier League and compete against these best teams. 

“That’s what we'll focus on. We'll focus on what's ahead of us. On top of that, we have new players in the group, who haven't been part of that whole journey.

“It's maybe a nice landmark because it's the first away game and it's a fantastic staging post to say that's our first away game, but I think, in general, our mindset now is we know what we've done in the past, we've taken the best bits of that, but it's about looking forward and moving on to the next challenge that is starting on Saturday.”

One of Town’s new boys who won’t be involved on Saturday is Kalvin Phillips, who is on loan from City and therefore ineligible. Has the midfielder imparted any tips ahead of the match?

“He's been good like that and I haven't put that pressure on him,” McKenna said. “I've had a few conversations with him, not just about this game but in general about Man City and how he's found the group there and what are the most important things for being successful against them.

“We've had a few good chats, but look, he's been really good in the group, he's fitted in really well, he's communicating with the players all the time and getting on well with everyone and I've got absolutely no doubt that a few of the players will have probably asked him a few questions about the opponents that they might face and he'll pass on any help to his teammates that he can.”

The Team

McKenna could have a decision to make regarding his keeper with Christian Walton having impressed on his Premier League debut against Liverpool last week in Aro Muric’s absence due to a calf injury.

The Kosovan returned to training during the week and McKenna was going to make a decision on his fitness today.

Axel Tuanzebe - who came on as a sub in Manchester United’s December 2019 victory at the Etihad - is likely to be on the right side of the defence with Leif Davis at left-back.

McKenna will again have a decision to make between Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson at right centre-half with Jacob Greaves, man of the match last week on his debut, on the left.

In central midfield, skipper Sam Morsy could be partnered by new signing Jens Cajuste, who he hinted might be ready for a debut in his press conference. That being the case, Massimo Luongo is likely to play a role from the bench.

McKenna will be forced into a change in the three ahead of the pivot with Wes Burns out for a number of weeks with a hamstring injury. Ben Johnson seems likely to come in for his full Town debut playing a more defensive role than the Welshman wide on the right.

Either Conor Chaplin or Sammie Szmodics, who would also be making his full debut, will be in the centre with Omari Hutchinson again likely to be on the left. Former City striker Liam Delap will be up front

The signings of Jack Clarke and Armando Broja are unlikely to have been rubber-stamped in time for them to be involved.

History

Historically, Town have the edge having won 27 games between the sides (25 in the league), drawing 15 (14), while City have run out victors on 23 (19) occasions.

Town have lost only two of their last nine against City in all competitions and only one in seven in the league.

An Ipswich defeat would be the first time McKenna has lost back-to-back league games since taking charge in December 2021.

The teams last met in the FA Cup fourth round at Portman Road in January 2002 when Premier League Town fell to an embarrassing 4-1 home defeat to then-First Division opposition as an excellent second-half City performance won the day.

Town had had the better of the first half, but City went in one up after Eyal Berkovic had made the best of a dubiously awarded corner.

Sean Goater added a second on 65 before Marcus Bent pulled one back in the 83rd minute.

However, Goater added his second and City’s third three minutes later, before Darren Huckerby added another in the final moments.

In the Premier League eight months earlier, high-flying Town confirmed City’s relegation back to the First Division after only one season, the clubs having come up together in 1999/00.

The Blues, who were on their way to fifth place and UEFA Cup qualification, defeated Joe Royle’s side 2-1 at Portman Road on the last night of the old North Stand.

Goater gave the visitors the lead but Town turned the game around through Matt Holland and Martijn Reuser to keep the Blues’ Champions League hopes alive with only a final-day visit to Derby remaining.

Earlier in the campaign, Town had won a Worthington Cup quarter-final tie between the sides 2-1 on what turned out to be their final visit to Maine Road.

After the initial staging of the match had been abandoned with the scoreline 1-1, Marcus Stewart and Paul Dickov having scored the now forgotten goals, Town ran out 2-1 winners in the rescheduled match.

The Blues again had gone behind to a Goater goal in the first half, but Holland scored the equaliser in the 58th minute and Mark Venus coolly put the winner past Nicky Weaver in extra-time.

In the Premier League game at Maine Road, Town made heavy weather of what should have been an easy victory having been three goals up inside an hour through Stewart (nine and 53) and Hermann Hreidarsson (32).

They allowed the up-to-then thoroughly poor City side get back into it with two late goals via Paulo Wanchope and Steve Howey but were able to see out the rest of the game to claim three points.

Familiar Faces

Blues loanee Phillips is a City player but is ineligible against his parent club, who he joined in the summer of 2022 from Leeds. He has made only two league starts and 14 sub appearances for the Premier League champions.

Delap joined the Blues from City this summer for an initial £15 million. The striker made one start and five sub appearances for City - two appearances from the bench in the Premier League - scoring one goal.

Keeper Muric came through the City academy and made five senior appearances - all in cups - before moving on to Burnley in the summer of 2022.

Another of Town’s glovesmen, Cieran Slicker, is also a City academy product, joining the Blues from his hometown club a year ago.

Town centre-half Edmundson is a City fan, who had a trial at the club as a youngster.

The Etihad club’s keeper-coach is Ipswich-born former Blues number one Richard Wright, who came through the Town youth set-up and went on to make 257 senior appearances between 1995 and 2001, and was a member of the team which faced City in the three games in 2000/01.

Officials

Saturday’s referee is Michael Salisbury from Preston, who was in charge of last week’s Championship game between Burnley and Cardiff, which the Clarets won 5-0, showing three yellow cards.

Salisbury, whose father is long-serving EFL referee Graham Salisbury, is in his fourth season as a Premier League referee.

His only previous Town match was the famous 3-2 victory over Southampton at Portman Road in April in which he booked Morsy, Chaplin and Jack Taylor, as well as one Saint, and dismissed former Blues loanee James Bree with five minutes remaining for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Salisbury’s assistants are Richard West and Akil Howson, while the fourth official is Sam Allison. The VAR official is David Coote and his assistant Nick Greenhalgh.

Squad From

Muric, Walton, Slicker, Tuanzebe, Johnson, Davis, Townsend, Edmundson, Woolfenden, Greaves, Burgess, Morsy (c), Luongo, Phillips, Taylor, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Szmodics, Harness, Delap, Ladapo, Al-Hamadi.

Photo: TWTD

Wicksy added 11:05 - Aug 23 Just for a second I thought he meant us!
21

Marcus added 11:17 - Aug 23 Arguably the strongest team in any competition of all time. I'll just 'do a Mark Murphy' and go for a "big win!"
1

tractorboybig added 11:31 - Aug 23 dont worry KM we all expect a large defeat #
0

Lightningboy added 11:43 - Aug 23 Built = Bought
11

BurleysGloryDays added 11:49 - Aug 23 There’s not another manager in world football I’d want to be looking after us and taking on this challenge than our boy KMK. Whatever happens, him leading us is the best foot forward we have. Good luck boys, it’s another free hit.
21

victorysquad added 12:04 - Aug 23 Great time to play them, another great learning match but come 5pm tomorrow we can take comfort in the fact we will have played our hardest fixture of the season at a time where we are massively disadvantaged due to lots of new arrivals needing to gel and existing players adjusting.
9

BeattiesBackPocket added 12:06 - Aug 23 Again this is a free hit for me the best premier league team ever albeit breaking the rules clearly but I said that last week and Bluebullet and blueboy reckoned we should be taking points off the top three so cannot wait for their sh!te after the game again.
5

bluebullet29l added 12:40 - Aug 23 Beattiesbackpocket....when do you go back to school???? Childish idi#t
-5

Skip73 added 12:41 - Aug 23 What a great achievement by City to be that good, on a par with the amazing achievements by Lance Armstrong.
3

bluebullet29l added 13:33 - Aug 23 Last time I checked this was a forum???? Unless I've missed something?
-4

PavlovsCat added 13:51 - Aug 23 Make it go away!
1

howsey51 added 13:55 - Aug 23 What’s happened with Cam B? He seems to be out of favour but was our strongest CB last year?
-1

TimmyH added 13:55 - Aug 23 spot on Lightningboy! - up til' 2022 I think 1.2bn had gone into the club.
0

ElephantintheRoom added 14:15 - Aug 23 Admittedly the money dopers win the league without too much difficulty every year but they are usually found wanting in the Chumps League. And they could be relegated this year so McKenna’s sycophancy is a bit misplaced.
1

bigbluetractor added 14:35 - Aug 23 Bluebullet you're right, this is a forum... which means we have just as much right to criticise your ridiculous opinions as you do to criticise, the team, manager, transfer activity, and what ever else takes your fancy...
5

BeattiesBackPocket added 14:37 - Aug 23 Thankyou bigbluetractor you answered his nonsense perfectly for me.
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 14:39 - Aug 23 Bluebullet as bigbluetractor says. It is a forum but your comments last weekend show what you really know about football. Ex pros, our highly rated manager, pundits etc etc say exactly the same as the rest of us on here we are not expected to get points off the top 3 teams end of. So I’ll take their word over someone sitting there playing championship manager on his pc thanks

0

ernie added 15:11 - Aug 23 *Bought with state sponsored financial-doping and slave labour money that should read
2

dirtydingusmagee added 15:18 - Aug 23 Imo its about GD tomorrow,hoping not to concede too many,come away from there and our season starts with Fulham Our aim is survival this season.Dream of more but dont expect it .
5

bluebullet29l added 15:27 - Aug 23 Don't worry after tomorrow we have 36 more free hits...
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Bugledog added 15:57 - Aug 23 i've put a fiver on us to win....
3

carlo88 added 16:19 - Aug 23 2001 - back in the days when the world was good and Man City were sh*te.
0

bluebullet29l added 17:12 - Aug 23 Beattiesbackpocket...dry your eyes mate and get mummy to tuck you into bed....your feel better in the morning...
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IpswichT62OldBoy added 18:13 - Aug 23 Let us run towards adversity, which tomorrow will be Man City. If we take a point it will feel massive.
2

readtheleaguetable added 19:03 - Aug 23 I agree wholeheartedly with that headline, although I acknowledge that Man City are quite good too.
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