City paid $50 million for Robinho, and to avoid losing face, it will want at least $30 million of that back. Santos might be able to afford to helicopter Robinho into his debut alongside Pelé, but $30 million is a whole different scale of cash. And with many European giants now suspicious of Robinho’s ability to produce (note Barcelona’s retraction of interest), he’d better watch out. City, if necessary, financially can afford to keep him as a luxury substitute.
Meanwhile, Bridge, returning from injury, will play his first game for City since the Terry scandal broke. The Citizens travel to Hull aware that a win could see them finish the weekend in fourth place, the last of the Champions League qualifying berths. Two of their three rivals face each other when Aston Villa travels to Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, Liverpool plays host to in-form crosstown rival Everton.
Manchester United will be keeping a close eye on Chelsea vs. Arsenal, as its weekend task is seemingly a formality: hosting in-crisis club Portsmouth, which, in addition to its ongoing financial strife, is reeling this week from the news that manager Avram Grant recently visited a brothel. Though only for a massage.
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