Hull City will face Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday as huge underdogs, but, if the previous four Premier League meetings are anything to go by, the match will not be short of incident.Brad Rial remembers Geovanni's free kick,that Phil Brown half-time team talk, and Jimmy Bullard's parody goal celebration.November 16 2008: Hull City 2-2 Man City
After a blistering start to their Premier League campaign, City headed into this game on the back of three successive defeats to Chelsea, Man United and Bolton.
The Sky cameras were in attendance for this game, and the watching TV audience was not left disappointed.
Coincidentally, the referee was Phil Dowd, who is also the man in the middle for the game on Saturday.
City took the lead after just 14 minutes. Tal Ben-Haim played a woefully short back-pass to Joe Hart and Daniel Cousin took full advantage to poke the ball past the England 'keeper.
City held on to the lead until the 37th minute. A typically comical lapse in concentration from Kamil Zayatte allowed Stephen Ireland to equalise. Zayatte seemingly had all the time in the world to clear the ball, but his heavy touch went straight into the path of Ireland who slotted the ball into an empty net.
If Ireland's first goal was gift-wrapped, his second was all owing to his individual technique. Picking up the ball on the edge of the area from Robinho's pass, he curled a sumptuous shot past Boaz Myhill and into the far corner of the goal. City went in 2-1 down at half-time.
Geovanni, playing against the club City signed him from just a few months earlier, equalised on the hour mark. His deflected free kick wrong-footed substitute 'keeper Kasper Schmeichel and nestled in the back of the net to leave City fans delighted.Hull City: Myhill, McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Boateng (Halmosi 85), Ashbee, Marney, Geovanni, Cousin (Barmby 76), King. Subs not used: Duke, Doyle, Garcia, Folan, Stelios.
December 26 2008: Manchester City 5-1 Hull City Mention "Manchester City away" to any Hull City fan, and minds will immediately drift back to Boxing Day 2008. The image of Phil Brown giving his half-time team talk on the pitch is one of the abiding memories of the Tigers' Premier League adventure, with many believing that the game was the beginning of the end of Brown's tenure. Such was the Tigers' unbelievable start to the season, they headed to Manchester having only lost one game away from home all season – 4-3 against Manchester United. Promotion hero Dean Windass was handed a rare start, as he partnered Marlon King up front. Brown's side didn't get off to the best of starts, and things got progressively worse throughout the first half, with two goals from Felipe Caicedo and one from Robinho putting the hosts in complete control after half an hour. George Boateng was hauled off by Brown after 34 minutes, before Robinho added a fourth goal just two minutes later. Everyone knows what followed at half time, so I won't bore you with the details, but you could argue it did at least have some impact, with City improving considerably after the break. Substitute Craig Fagan grabbed a consolation after 80 minutes to give the travelling City fans something to cheer about, only for Stephen Ireland to add a fifth two minutes later and condemn City to their second biggest defeat of the season.Hull City: Myhill, Mendy, Zayatte, Turner, McShane, Boateng (Doyle 34), Geovanni (Cousin 70), Ashbee, Marney, Windass (Fagan 46), King. Subs not used: Duke, Barmby, Hughes, Halmosi.
November 28 2009: Manchester City 1-1 Hull City City headed into this game in decent form, having picked up seven points from their previous three matches (at home against Stoke, West Ham and Everton). They faced a Manchester City side that had drawn its previous six league games, and boss Mark Hughes was coming under increasing pressure from the home fans ahead of the match. Shaun Wright-Phillips opened the scoring for the hosts on the stroke of half-time when his effort from the edge of the area deflected off Anthony Gardner and into the net. It was harsh on City, and they rallied in the second half to earn a deserved point. The equalising goal came from the penalty spot, after sub Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was hauled down by Kolo Toure in the box with just eight minutes to go. The mercurial Jimmy Bullard stepped up and dispatched the spot kick, sending the travelling fans ecstatic. Bullard went on to celebrate by re-enacting Phil Brown's team talk on the pitch, much to the entertainment of his teammates. It was a valuable point for City, but that game marked the start of a run of 10 games without a win. Incidentally, that run actually ended when Man City visited the KC in February. Hull City: Duke, Dawson, Gardner, McShane, Zayatte, Geovanni (Barmby 61), Hunt, Bullard, Marney (Boateng 62), Altidore (Vennegoor of Hesselink 73), Garcia. Subs not used: Myhill, Mouyokolo, Kilbane, Ghilas.
February 6 2010: Hull City 2-1 Manchester City The Tigers secured their first league victory in 11 games with an excellent win against a Manchester City side now managed by Roberto Mancini. Jozy Altidore scored his first league goal after half-an-hour to deservedly put City in front. The American forward steered the ball into the far corner of the goal and past Shay Given, after a neat lay-off from his strike partner Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. It was no less than City deserved and they doubled their lead just nine minutes into the second half. The visitors failed to fully clear a corner and the ball fell to George Boateng on the edge of the box. The Dutchman unleashed a rasping left-footed shot that flew into the net and earned him his first (and last) City goal. Boateng's central midfield partner was a young Tom Cairney, and he produced another assured performance. City were in control of the match and, having earned an impressive 1-1 draw with Chelsea just a few days previously, fans had every reason to be optimistic ahead of the relegation run-in. Emmanuel Adebayor did pull a goal back for Manchester City with a powerful close-range following a goalmouth scramble, but Hull held on for a well-deserved win.Hull City: Myhill, Dawson, Gardner, McShane, Mouyokolo, Hunt, Boateng (Olofinjana 82), Cairney, Fagan, Altidore (Zaki 66), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Kilbane 83).
December 26 2008: Manchester City 5-1 Hull City Mention "Manchester City away" to any Hull City fan, and minds will immediately drift back to Boxing Day 2008. The image of Phil Brown giving his half-time team talk on the pitch is one of the abiding memories of the Tigers' Premier League adventure, with many believing that the game was the beginning of the end of Brown's tenure. Such was the Tigers' unbelievable start to the season, they headed to Manchester having only lost one game away from home all season – 4-3 against Manchester United. Promotion hero Dean Windass was handed a rare start, as he partnered Marlon King up front. Brown's side didn't get off to the best of starts, and things got progressively worse throughout the first half, with two goals from Felipe Caicedo and one from Robinho putting the hosts in complete control after half an hour. George Boateng was hauled off by Brown after 34 minutes, before Robinho added a fourth goal just two minutes later. Everyone knows what followed at half time, so I won't bore you with the details, but you could argue it did at least have some impact, with City improving considerably after the break. Substitute Craig Fagan grabbed a consolation after 80 minutes to give the travelling City fans something to cheer about, only for Stephen Ireland to add a fifth two minutes later and condemn City to their second biggest defeat of the season.Hull City: Myhill, Mendy, Zayatte, Turner, McShane, Boateng (Doyle 34), Geovanni (Cousin 70), Ashbee, Marney, Windass (Fagan 46), King. Subs not used: Duke, Barmby, Hughes, Halmosi.
November 28 2009: Manchester City 1-1 Hull City City headed into this game in decent form, having picked up seven points from their previous three matches (at home against Stoke, West Ham and Everton). They faced a Manchester City side that had drawn its previous six league games, and boss Mark Hughes was coming under increasing pressure from the home fans ahead of the match. Shaun Wright-Phillips opened the scoring for the hosts on the stroke of half-time when his effort from the edge of the area deflected off Anthony Gardner and into the net. It was harsh on City, and they rallied in the second half to earn a deserved point. The equalising goal came from the penalty spot, after sub Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was hauled down by Kolo Toure in the box with just eight minutes to go. The mercurial Jimmy Bullard stepped up and dispatched the spot kick, sending the travelling fans ecstatic. Bullard went on to celebrate by re-enacting Phil Brown's team talk on the pitch, much to the entertainment of his teammates. It was a valuable point for City, but that game marked the start of a run of 10 games without a win. Incidentally, that run actually ended when Man City visited the KC in February. Hull City: Duke, Dawson, Gardner, McShane, Zayatte, Geovanni (Barmby 61), Hunt, Bullard, Marney (Boateng 62), Altidore (Vennegoor of Hesselink 73), Garcia. Subs not used: Myhill, Mouyokolo, Kilbane, Ghilas.
February 6 2010: Hull City 2-1 Manchester City The Tigers secured their first league victory in 11 games with an excellent win against a Manchester City side now managed by Roberto Mancini. Jozy Altidore scored his first league goal after half-an-hour to deservedly put City in front. The American forward steered the ball into the far corner of the goal and past Shay Given, after a neat lay-off from his strike partner Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. It was no less than City deserved and they doubled their lead just nine minutes into the second half. The visitors failed to fully clear a corner and the ball fell to George Boateng on the edge of the box. The Dutchman unleashed a rasping left-footed shot that flew into the net and earned him his first (and last) City goal. Boateng's central midfield partner was a young Tom Cairney, and he produced another assured performance. City were in control of the match and, having earned an impressive 1-1 draw with Chelsea just a few days previously, fans had every reason to be optimistic ahead of the relegation run-in. Emmanuel Adebayor did pull a goal back for Manchester City with a powerful close-range following a goalmouth scramble, but Hull held on for a well-deserved win.Hull City: Myhill, Dawson, Gardner, McShane, Mouyokolo, Hunt, Boateng (Olofinjana 82), Cairney, Fagan, Altidore (Zaki 66), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Kilbane 83).
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