England
The Barclays English Premier League (EPL), considered as the best in the world.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City
Official name Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
City Wolverhampton
Founded 1877
Club colors Old Gold / Black / Old Gold
Website Click here
vs.
0 - 0
Manchester City
Official name Manchester City FC
City Manchester
Founded 1880
Club colors Light-Blue/ White / White
Website Click here
Match scheduled:
Last updated: 28-12-2009 from 19:45 until 21:45
27-12-2009 on 22:25
Week 20 / Round 20 :: Barclays Premier League 2009/2010
In the 1930s, Manchester City reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing to Everton in 1933, before claiming the Cup by beating Portsmouth in 1934.[8] The club won the First Division title for the first time in 1937, but were relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division.[9]
Twenty years later, a City team inspired by a tactical system known as the Revie Plan reached consecutive FA Cup finals again, in 1955 and 1956; just as in the 1930s, they lost the first one, to Newcastle United, and won the second. The 1956 final, in which Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3–1, is one of the most famous finals of all-time, and is remembered for City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann continuing to play on after unknowingly breaking his neck.[10]
After relegation to the Second Division in 1963, the future looked bleak with a record low home attendance of 8,015 against Swindon Town in January 1965.[11] In the summer of 1965, the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison was appointed. In the first season under Mercer, City won the Second Division title and made important signings in Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell.[12] Two seasons later, in 1967–68, Manchester City claimed the League Championship for the second time, clinching the title on the final day of the season with a 4–3 win at Newcastle United and beating their close neighbours Manchester United into second place.[13] Further trophies followed: City won the FA Cup in 1969, before achieving European success by winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, beating Górnik Zabrze 2–1 in Vienna.[14] City also won the League Cup that season, becoming the second English team to win a European trophy and a domestic trophy in the same season.
In August 2008, the club was purchased by Abu Dhabi United Group. The takeover was immediately followed by a flurry of bids for high profile players; the club broke the British transfer record by signing Brazilian international Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5 million.[26] City finished tenth, and also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. During the summer of 2009 the club took transfer spending to an unprecedented level, with an outlay of over £100 million on players Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tévez and Joleon Lescott.[27]
Good performances early in the 2009-10 season set up expectations of a top four finish, but a string of draws and a couple of poor away performances saw City slip to eighth position in the Premier League. Although they had reached the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, on December 19, 2009, it was announced that Mark Hughes had been dismissed as manager, and that Roberto Mancini would take over as manager.[28]