Potential upsets, Premier League clubs needing to take it seriously and old foes meeting after taking diverging paths
Swindon and Manchester City were regular combatants in the 1990s, meeting in the second tier and during Swindon’s one season in the Premier League, 1993-94. Friday’s visit to the County Ground will be a first meeting in 20 years. On 5 January 2002, former Swindon man Kevin Horlock scored the second in a 2-0 home win at Maine Road. The years since have seen the clubs move in radically different trajectories, and they now operate on different planets. Swindon arrested a slump with a 5-2 defeat of Northampton on New Year’s Day, and lie in the League Two play-off positions. The club have explained price hikes for this game “due to the historical financial issues that were inherited” from the previous ownership. City, clear at the top of the Premier League, have this week been strengthening their finances further by adding an Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company to their sponsorship portfolio. JB
Swindon v Manchester City, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)
Burnley v Huddersfield, Saturday 12.30pm
Boreham Wood v AFC Wimbledon, Saturday 3pm
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