+0.73 points a game is the venue form gap, in Manchester City's favour: Manchester City takes 2.40 a game at home over the last two seasons, Coventry City 1.67 away.
Manchester City: 40 league matches in the bank, 2 from this season and the rest from last season. Coventry City: 48 league matches in the bank, 2 from this season and the rest from last season in the Championship.
The question this step asks
Step two is HOME AND AWAY FORM -- the home side judged on its home record, the away side on its away record, because those are the records that will be on the pitch. The last five reach back into last season where this season is too young to answer, and say so.
The two sides
Manchester City -- at home
Its record at the relevant venue
This season at home: won 1, drew 0, lost 0 of 1, scoring 2 and conceding 1. Last season at home: won 14, drew 3, lost 2 of 19, scoring 45 and conceding 14 -- 2.37 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: beat Crystal Palace 4-1 away; beat AFC Bournemouth 2-1 at home; lost to Aston Villa 1-2 at home; drew with AFC Bournemouth 1-1 away; beat Crystal Palace 3-0 at home. The last 3 of these are from last season.
The dugout
The banked record belongs to the club, not one man: 3 different managers took its 40 matches with one recorded (37, 2, 1 apiece), most recently Enzo Maresca with 2. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Coventry City -- away
Its record at the relevant venue
This season away: won 0, drew 0, lost 1 of 1, scoring 0 and conceding 3. Last season away in the Championship: won 11, drew 7, lost 5 of 23, scoring 46 and conceding 26 -- 1.74 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: lost to Hull City 0-1 at home; lost to Arsenal 0-3 away; beat Watford 4-0 away in the Championship; beat Wrexham 3-1 at home in the Championship; beat Portsmouth 5-1 at home in the Championship. The last 3 of these are from last season.
The dugout
Every one of the 31 banked matches with a manager recorded was taken by Frank Lampard. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Built 06:39 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.