Tevez to return as joint-top Man City host Blackpool

Carlos Tevez is expected to start up front for Manchester City against Blackpool, despite being rested for Tuesday’s 4-0 over Aston Villa.

The Argentinian striker, who has 12 league goals already this season, bagged two in the match between these two clubs back in October, in a game that ended 3-2 to the Blues. Despite causing a stir before Christmas in announcing he wished to move away from City, he looks set to retain the Captain’s armband despite rumours he would be stripped.

Tevez may feature alongside Kolo Toure, Jerome Boateng, James Milner and Aleksandar Kolarov, as boss Roberto Mancini is able to select from a fit and full squad. His City side have won six of their last ten Premier League fixtures, losing just once. He will be hoping his side can reproduce this form going into January, as they complete head-to-head with rivals Manchester United for top spot. They are currently a flat 2/7 to win again, with a 3-0 scoreline priced around 13/2.

Blackpool also head into this match after a victorious end to an extraordinary 2010; a 2-0 win at Sunderland on Tuesday without suspended captain Charlie Adam impressed many. The Scottish midfielder will return to the side, whilst midfielder Elliot Grandin is out with a hamstring injury suffered during the midweek match.

Ian Holloway’s Seasiders go into the New Year in an amazing 8th place, a position no Blackpool fan would have predicted 12 months ago. His determined side has won five times away from home so far this Premier league season and could perhaps be higher in the league had their home ground not fallen foul to the wintery conditions that saw two matches postponed.

They are not fancied in the market though; outright odds on an away win are as high as 15/1 on some sites, whilst a 1-0 away win is as steep as 35/1. Goal scoring odds may be a better way to go for the fans in orange; Gary Taylor-Fletcher is 11/2 to score during the match, whilst in-form Luke Varney is 9/2.

Bet Highlight

City look almost set to bring in £30m striker Edin Dzeko when the transfer window opens, so their current strikers may want to prove a point or two – Tevez is 11/4 to score 2 or more goals, whilst Balotelli is 16/1 to get a hat-trick. 

Premier League 09/10:

n/a

Premier League 10/11:

Blackpool 2-3 Man City