Squaring the ledger
Six games into the 2020/21 season, Newcastle handed Melbourne City FC a third-consecutive loss that saw the visiting Victorian side’s record slip to 2-0-4 to start the campaign.
In the 11 games since, City has lost just one game, rocketing up to the top of the table, whilst the Jets are on a run of 10 games without a win that has seen them sink to the bottom.
As the two sides meet again for the first time in two and a half months, the City boys will have a chance to square the ledger for the season and prove how much the side has improved since that loss back in early February.
Tickets for Thursday night’s clash are still on sale, click here to get yours now!
A Reis against time for Nuno and Griffo
Having missed our clash with Macarthur FC last Saturday, Rostyn Griffiths and Nuno Reis are on the recovery trail and could be in contention to return for Thursday’s game against Newcastle.
Tomorrow night could potentially see the return of a couple of big guns. 👀#CmonCity | 🎟 https://t.co/S4EIwWthRn
— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) April 28, 2021
The inclusion of Reis or Griffiths – if they’re able to make a full recovery – will bring further experience to the City backline, as it looks to record its seventh clean sheet of the season.
AAMI Fortress
With the Newcastle Jets not having won an away game against City since the 30th of October 2015, it’s safe to say that AAMI Park hasn’t exactly been a happy hunting ground for Thursday night’s opposition.
🔥 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 🔥@AAMIPark is the place to be this Thursday night – your top of the table City boys hosting the Jets!#CmonCity | 🎟 https://t.co/S4EIwWbGZP pic.twitter.com/viOGtptp1C
— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) April 27, 2021
In fact, the Jets have won just two of the 15 clashes between teams at the venue, with its only other win coming in the very first meeting between the teams at AAMI back in December 2010.
Since that loss in 2015, City have managed to win six of the following seven games by an aggregate scoreline of 16-4, so fans can be optimistic of another positive result on Thursday night.
Another chance to make club history
City fans have been able to enjoy some exciting performances at home this season, but they’ll be witnessing Club history if the boys are able to secure a win against Newcastle on Thursday night. Collect all three points and we’ll have won our past six A-League home games, a new club record.
The record of five-consecutive home A-League wins has been achieved twice in club history, with those winning streaks coming once in 2013 and once in 2014 as Melbourne Heart and Melbourne City respectively.
For reference, the league-wide record stands at eight games, jointly held by Melbourne Victory (21/11/08 to 28/2/09) and Perth Glory (30/3/14 to 20/12/14).
Two’s a crowd?
With Besart Berisha the only player in A-League history to have scored a century of goals, it’d be fair to say that the 100 club is a fairly exclusive league.
After Jamie Maclaren blanked against Macarthur FC for just the second time in his last 11 games, the striker will be hungrier than ever to snag the two goals that would bring his A-League scoring record to triple digits.
City’s mercurial number nine has an incredible 19 goals already this campaign, and is in hot pursuit of his 2019/20 tally of 23, after which he’ll set his eyes on Bruno Fornaroli’s club-record 25 goals in a single season, set in 2015/16.
