Manchester City vs. Bolton Wanderers: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Manchester City holds a slim two-point edge over Manchester United in the Premier League title chase as they prepare to battle the Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

The Citizens don't have any room for error with 12 games left in the season. They can't afford anything less than three points in matches against relegation-level teams like Bolton if they want to stop the Red Devils from claiming their fifth title in six years.

It's going to be a tense couple of months for the Trotters as well. They currently sit inside the relegation zone with just 20 points in 26 games. There are five teams at the bottom and only two will survive to play another season in the Premiership. It will take a strong finish to ensure Bolton is one of them.

Where: Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England

When: Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m. ET

Watch: Fox Soccer Channel and FoxSoccer.tv

Betting Odds: Manchester City -715, Bolton +1510, Draw +610

Player to Watch for Manchester City: David Silva

It's been a breakout season for Silva. His improvement in the City midfield has allowed the team's offense to reach new heights. His 12 assists lead the Citizens, who have more goals than any other EPL squad with 67.

Everybody knew Silva had a boatload of potential, it just took him longer to reach it than most experts anticipated. A confidence boost seems to be the biggest difference from last season. He's dangerous every time he gains control in the midfield, which wasn't always the case in previous campaigns.

Player to Watch for Bolton: Ivan Klasnic

It's tough to comprehend what is going on with Klasnic. After a strong start to the season which seen him net seven goals in 17 games, he's spent most of the last couple months on the bench. He's made just three appearances in the team's last nine games.

Bolton has struggled to produce chances in the attacking third without him, so he really should be featured more often down the stretch if the Trotters want to dig themselves out of the bottom three. It simply makes no sense to keep leaving Klasnic on the sidelines.

Key Matchup: City attacking trio vs. Bolton back line

No group of players gives opposing managers more nightmares than City's Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli. The triumvirate has combined to score 39 goals and have allowed the team to absorb the Carlos Tevez drama without missing a beat.

Slowing them down will be the task of a Bolton back line that has allowed the second most goals in the league. Sending Gary Cahill to Chelsea during the January transfer window didn't help their cause either. It's an uphill battle for the young Trotters, but a good learning experience as well.

What They're Saying

ESPN reports Tevez took another step toward making his Manchester City return by playing in a reserve game on Tuesday:

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Tevez managed 45 minutes of the fixture, and was unlucky to be denied by a fine saving tackle when sent clean through on the goalkeeper.

The fixture was due to take place at Chorley FC on Wednesday, but was brought forward 24 hours and relocated to City's Carrington training complex in order to more effectively shield Tevez from the media spotlight.

 

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Bolton defender David Wheater praised American transfer Tim Ream for his play against Chelsea (via team website):

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"Tim's a great player and I think we did okay in our one-on-one battles," Wheater added.

"He's quick and he's good on the ball and it feels balanced because it's easier for me to turn out instead of coming inside all the time."

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Prediction

Manchester City 3, Bolton 1