Melbourne City travel west to face Perth Glory as they attempt to keep pace with the league leaders in this round 15 clash.
Despite their unbeaten run coming to an end, Perth host Melbourne City with a sense of optimism. Whilst this wouldn’t be the case for most teams coming off back-to-back losses, Perth’s performances in those games and the previous four before them, have shown they are capable of worrying most teams. Having said that, they will be up against it on Saturday night, facing a free-scoring City side who put five past them last time. To add to their problems, Michael Thwaite is still injured and his central defensive partner Alex Grant was red-carded last week.
Melbourne arrive in great form, finding themselves four points off top spot despite a slow start to the season. The three-pronged attack of Aaron Mooy, Harry Novillo and Bruno Fornaroli has left defences shaking in their boots. Anyone who doubted their title credentials was given a firm response last week, when they overcame a Western Sydney Wanderers rally to win 3-2. With confidence high, they will head to Perth with every belief they can get a win and keep their title hopes alive.
Key Battle – Aryn Williams vs Bruno Fornaroli
Three months ago, Aryn Williams didn’t even have a professional contract. Now, he’ll be doing his utmost to keep Uruguayan hitman Fornaroli from scoring on Saturday night. Initially signed on a short-term contract, Williams’ initial performances for the Glory encouraged the club to extend his contract. The Perth product, younger brother of Socceroos defender Rhys, began as a right back or right midfielder. However, he’s been thrown into the fray at centre back a couple of times already this season, impressing in last week’s loss to Adelaide after Grant was sent off.
He will face the biggest test of his short A-League career this weekend, marking the man they call ‘El Tuna’. Fornaroli has been an instant success since his arrival in Melbourne this off-season, finding the net 12 times to shoot to the top of the goal-scoring charts. His guile, creativity and finishing makes him one of the most dangerous forwards in the league and given Williams is not a natural centre back, he’s surely eyeing up the chance to add to his tally. If Williams can outdo his efforts last week and keep Fornaroli quiet as part of a ramshackle defence, Perth’s chances of staving off a rampant City attack will significantly increase.
Team News
With the aforementioned unavailability of Thwaite and Grant and Dino Djulbic still on the sidelines, Kenny Lowe faces a conundrum in defence with only one other centre back on the roster in Antony Golec. In some good news, Nebojsa Marinkovic is back from injury, while Marc Warren has returned from suspension.
Ivan Franjic is a week off returning from his thigh injury, but it’s the only piece of bad news for Melbourne on the injury front. Aaron Hughes is slowly gaining match fitness at centre back, but marquee man Robert Koren is expected to miss out, as talks continue surrounding a potential exit from the club.
Head-to-head
The home side hold the upper hand in the head-to-head column, winning seven to City’s five, with five draws along the way. However, the visitors have struggled at nib Stadium, winning just one of eight encounters there.
Previous Meeting
An Aaron Mooy-inspired City outfit tore Perth Glory to shreds, cruising to a 5-1 victory at AAMI Park. The midfield maestro was at his best early, crossing for Erik Paartalu to head home, before picking out Connor Chapman with another pinpoint pass to double the advantage. Fornaroli made it 3-0 before half-time, only for Sidnei to pull one back in stoppage time. Harry Novillo restored the three-goal lead after the break with a crisp half-volley, before Mooy got in on the act from the spot, after Williams was sent off for bringing down Stefan Mauk inside the box.
Prediction
Melbourne will relish going up against a Perth side with a weakened defence, even though confidence is high out west. Even without their all-star attack going up against a makeshift defence, there’s enough quality in the middle of the park to see off a Perth challenge and with an improving defence, Melbourne City should rightly be favourites. If they can score early and make the Glory chase the game, victory should be assured.
Perth Glory 1 Melbourne City 3
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