Shola Ameobi: “Obviously, they’re not firing on all cylinders at the moment, but they’re still a very dangerous outfit.
“They’re second in the table. They’ve got a lot of top, top players.
“The hardest thing to do is to defend a title – I’ve heard that said many times – and they’re finding that out this season.
“As much as they’ll be hurting, they’re still wanting to secure that second spot.
“They’ll want to finish as high as they can, as are we.
“I’ve heard Mancini say they’re going to try and win every game. He’s a winner. He’s got that mentality.
“They’ll be fighting tooth and nail to end the season on a high.
“We’ve found it tough there, obviously, with the injection of money and the players they’ve been able to buy.
“They’re a top, top side. We’ve found them hard to beat. We’ve been beaten soundly there in recent seasons.
“It’d be nice to change that trend. We’ve got players who have come in who have contributed immensely.
“They don’t see the recent past – it’s brand new for them – so hopefully that can work in our favour.
“It’s a big test for us. It’s always great to pit yourself against the best. We’ll all have to raise our game. Hopefully, we can match them.
“When they came up here (a 3-1 defeat for United), we matched them for long periods. We’ve come a long way. We’ve got our additions as well.
“Hopefully, we can go out there and give a performance and get a result.
“We’re probably not catching them at the best time!
“Probably before the international break would have been great. They’ve got those two players coming in. They’ve been a big part of their success.
“It makes it that bit tougher, but Kompany hasn’t played in a while.
“You’ve got to take what little you get from these games, and have a bit of luck.”