Fresh off a hard-fought victory over Brisbane, your City boys will be looking to secure back-to-back wins when they face Macarthur FC this Sunday.
Chasing consistency following a handful of mixed results, City will be hoping they can replicate the form shown against a side they put to the sword the last time they met.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Sunday!
Our latest Socceroo call-ups in action
It’s exciting times around the City camp at the moment with Jordan Bos, Aiden O’Neill and Marco Tilio all named in the Socceroos squad to take on Ecuador in a pair of friendlies later this month.
Tilio returns to the national set-up following his World Cup campaign with the Socceroos in Qatar, while Bos and O’Neill are named for the first time following stellar campaigns for City this season.
Bos has gone from strength to strength this season, becoming an important member of the City backline while also causing all sorts of headaches for opposition defenders with his trademark runs down the left flank and through the middle.
O’Neill us often described as the ‘quiet achiever’ of the City squad, but two goals in a Player of the Match performance against Brisbane shot him into the spotlight and a well-deserved call-up came just days later.
City push on despite injuries
Although a handful of troops have been battling injury in recent weeks, the City machine continues to power ahead, with players stepping in to fill the void.
With Mathew Leckie sidelined with a hamstring injury, Richard van der Venne dealing with a calf issue and Jamie Maclaren playing through a broken toe, City has had to overcome plenty of adversity in recent weeks.
In van der Venne’s absence, club captain Scott Jamieson has continued to plug a hole for Rado Vidosic’s side in the midfield, while Andrew Nabbout and Valon Berisha have stepped up to fill the Leckie-shaped void.
Not to mention Jamie Maclaren’s incredible toughness and bravery to play through a broken toe for the past few weeks.
If City can continue to perform at a high standard and pick up more crucial points in the race to the Plate with key members of the squad sidelined, its certainly good signs for Vidosic as he looks to re-introduce those big names in the lead-up to Finals.
A trip away before a stretch at home
Sunday’s clash with Macarthur FC will be the last away trip for just under a month for our boys, with two home games against Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park next up on the schedule.
The upcoming period will be decisive one for our ladder leaders, with fixtures against the 9th and 8th placed Bulls and Jets giving City the perfect opportunity to register maximum points.
As we head into the pointy end of the season, City will be hoping it can record a win on the road before setting up shop at home as it looks to become the first team in A-Leagues history to lift the Premier’s Plate for a third consecutive year.
What happened last time?
We all have good memories from our last clash with Macarthur, City putting on a show with a six-goal performance in front of the faithful at AAMI Park.
Highlighted by hat-trick hero Richard van der Venne, City dominated just about every facet of the game, racking up 20 shots, 66% possession and 627 passes.
Maclaren got in on the action with a brace, while Nabbout also got his name on the scoresheet.
How have our opponents been travelling?
After a bright start against the 3rd placed Central Coast Mariners that saw it open the scoring through Daniel Da Silva in the 11th minute, Macarthur would ultimately concede four goals to a fast-finishing Mariners outfit.
It’s been a mixed bag of results for the Bulls since the last meeting with City, picking up two wins and two losses.
They are still in with a chance to scrape into finals though as we head into the backend of the season, currently in a tight battle with several other clubs for the sixth spot on the table.
Match Details
A-League Men: Round 21
Macarthur FC vs Melbourne City
Campbelltown Stadium
Sunday 19 March, 7:00PM KO
