Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko believes that they are better off playing away games as their opponents play a more open game in their home fixtures and thereby give the Citizens a chance to attack.
The defending Premier League champions have struggled to maintain a consistent run of form this season and have gone seven points behind Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in the league table.
Manchester City have collected only 24 points from their 12 home games, the fourth best tally in the league. On the other hand, they have been the best team away from home having collected 25 points from their 12 games on the road so far.
“I think just now it’s easier to play away, even if it’s against a team we haven’t done well against in the recent past”, Dzeko told the club site.
He added that their struggles at home are due to the fact that the visiting teams pack their defence as they look to leave the Etihad Stadium with at least a point in tow. And Manchester City’s attacking players find it difficult to break down packed defences.
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"We are struggling at home against teams who come to the Etihad to defend in numbers because we have had problems finding a way to create good scoring opportunities – so maybe it is better we play away just now”
The Bosnian added that he doesn’t think that Stoke City will employ the same approach as they did in the reverse fixture when they protected their one goal lead by defending en masse and ultimately prevailed in their mission to take home a 1-0 win.
“I doubt Stoke will play the way they did at the Etihad on this occasion.
“They will be more open on their own pitch and that will suit us. We need to start winning and scoring goals again so hopefully we can begin again this evening.”
Dzeko will look to provide attacking spark to Manchester City as they look to collect all three points at the Britannia Stadium tonight.
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