Preview | Bristol City (H)

The Game    
Argyle v Bristol City. Home Park. New Year’s Day, Wednesday, 1 January. 12.30pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition   
Bristol City are 10th in the Championship, with 33 points from 24 games. 

Going in to the reverse fixture against Argyle, which took place at the end of November, City were 12th, and they beat the Greens 4-0. However, they did not win in the next four, losing at Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion either side of a pair of draws, against Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers.  

On Boxing Day, the Robins won 1-0 against Luton Town and then followed up with a 3-0 victory over Portsmouth.   

The Gaffer   
Liam Manning's playing career saw him begin as an apprentice at Ipswich Town, but he played exclusively in non-league. By the time he was 30, Manning was head coach of West  Ham's Under-23 side, having coached in Ipswich's academy, and his coaching career was sharply on the rise.  

He joined City Football Group, taking jobs at New York City FC, as Academy Director and Director of Coaching, as well as having a stint as manager of Lommel, in Belgium.  

At the start of 2021/22, Manning took the job in charge of Milton Keynes Dons, and in his first season guided them to third place, losing in the play-off semi-final to Wycombe Wanderers. Losing several key players in that summer, Manning was sacked during the 2022/23 season.  
 
In March 2023, he resurfaced at Oxford United, presiding over a strong end to the season for the U's in League One and when, by November, he had Oxford sitting second, he caught the eye of Bristol City, who spirited him away to Ashton Gate.   

The Squad  

Anis Mehmeti (below) scored twice against Argyle when the sides met a month ago, and he recently posted another brace in City’s 3-0 win against Portsmouth. Mehmeti was 19, in 2020, when picked up by Wycombe Wanderers, after playing for Essex Senior League side Woodford Town. An impressive three seasons with the Chairboys earned him a move to Bristol City in January 2023. He has eight goals this season.  

Max Bird played 191 times for Derby County, the club with whom he spent his formative years. His form there attracted the attention of Bristol City at the end of the January transfer window of 2024, with a signing being agreed, and Bird remaining at Derby on loan for the remainder of the season. The midfielder has quickly made his mark, starting 22 of the Robins’ 24 league games this season. 

Luke McNally signed for City in the summer, having begun the season with Burnley, and has quickly established himself at the heart of the Bristol City defence. McNally played for St Patrick’s Athletic and Drogheda United in his native Ireland before signing for Oxford United in 2021. Some 18 months later, he moved to Burnley, but never really broke into the team at Turf Moor, instead having loans with Coventry City and Stoke City, before his move to Bristol.  

Most Recent Meetings  
Last season, Argyle lost both games to Bristol City, falling 4-1 at Ashton Gate and 1-0 at Home Park.  

Less than five weeks ago, the sides met for the first time this season, with City winning 4-0. The game was 0-0 at half-time, but the Robins scored through Scott Twine, two Anis Mehmeti strikes, and a final goal from Sinclair Armstrong, to win comfortably.  

Argyle TV   
Argyle TV’s  coverage will begin with the Pre-Match Show at 12pm hosted by Erin Black, who will be joined by Marc Edworthy. Commentary will be provided from Home Park by Charlie Price and Ian Stonebridge.

Match passes to watch this game are available in international territories.  Click here  for more information.

Sky Sports
The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.