Bristol City

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City have to find their "ruthless edge", said captain Jason Knight after they fell to a second consecutive league defeat against Watford on Tuesday.

The Robins had 14 shots, with five of those on target, to seven from Watford with only one on target - the goal scored by Ryan Andrews early in the second half.

"It's that ruthless edge. We had three or four chances; we should have really converted and then the game's different," Knight told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We had many chances, especially first half in and around their box, and we've got to be more impactful."

Defeat follows a 1-0 loss to Burnley on Saturday, which leaves Bristol City 11th in the table, five points off the play-offs.

"The last couple of games we've had big moments that we haven't capitalised on - against good teams - but we've got to get something out of those moments," Knight said.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City teenage centre-back Jamie Knight-Lebel said it was "still sinking in" after he made his international debut for Canada at the weekend.

The 19-year-old - who is on loan at League Two Crewe this season - was born in Montreal and grew up speaking French and English before moving to Bristol aged five and joining the Robins academy aged 14.

He came off the bench during the second half of Canada's 3-0 quarter-final win against Suriname in the Concacaf Nations League in Toronto.

"I'm making sure I'm doing my job for the team but, at the same time, taking it all," Knight-Lebel said.

"The first match, debut, it's important to take in those moments."

You can hear the full interview with Knight-Lebel - who is likely to be playing for Crewe on Monday in their trip away to Port Vale - on Monday's edition of BBC Radio Bristol's Sound of the City podcast.

You can also hear an interview with Knight-Lebel's Bristol City team-mate Marcus McGuane.

The midfielder talks about becoming the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to play for Barcelona, when he featured in first team in the Catalan Super Cup during two years with the Spanish giants' reserve team between 2018 and 2020.

Listen to Sound of the City every Monday at 18:00-19:00 GMT on BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Sounds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Watford are only behind West Brom in the play-off spots on goal difference following their 2-2 draw at Plymouth on Friday night and have won three of their last five games (D1 L1).

They host Bristol City on Tuesday night, who fell to their second defeat in three games in a 1-0 loss at home to Burnley on Saturday, having previously been unbeaten in eight (W3 D5).

• Watford have lost only one of their last six league games against Bristol City (W2 D3).

• Bristol City are looking to win consecutive away league visits to Watford for the first time since doing so in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

• Watford are unbeaten at Vicarage Road in the league in their previous 11 games (W7 D4); they last went 12 such games unbeaten in January 1999.

• Bristol City are looking to win three successive away league games for the first time since September 2021 under Nigel Pearson.

• Only against Rotherham (9) does Watford's Tom Ince have more EFL goals against a side than Bristol City (8), though he hasn't scored in his last seven league games against the Robins.

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Bristol City had to sell homegrown talents Alex Scott, Antoine Semenyo and Tommy Conway, says technical director Brian Tinnion.

Academy product Conway left for Middlesbrough in the summer continuing the trend of the Robins selling their best assets, with Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott joining Bournemouth in 2023.

Tinnion said the money was being reinvested in "young, hungry" players with the intention they would develop and help the club one day reach the Premier League.

"We offered him [Conway] the highest paid [wage] for his age ever at the football club and he was not interested," Tinnion said at a fans forum this week.

"With a year left on his contract we had to sell him. Semenyo got to a point where he wanted to go to the Premier League, Alex Scott wanted to go to the Premier League, we could not re-contract them so we have to get the best money for them.

"That's the strategy. Then we invest the money in Jason Knight, Max Bird, Yu Hirakawa, Fally [Mayulu] and Sinclair Armstrong, that's what we have to do."

Bristol City have established themselves as a stable mid-table Championship club but last reached the play-offs in 2008.

Head coach Liam Manning said they were aiming to follow a similar model to Brentford of trading players and gradually improving the whole squad.

"When you sell Tommy you reinvest it and get Sincs and you get Fally. The next one that goes you then reinvest, but instead of taking the same you move up a player in the market," Manning said.

"If you look at the squad now to when we came in, I look at the depth, the physicality of the profiles we've got.

"What we've done is gradually upgraded and that's what you do over time. And if you look at Brentford that's what they did."

Image source, PA Media

Bristol City will not "fear" Burnley when they visit Ashton Gate on Saturday for their Championship clash, says head coach Liam Manning.

The former Premier League side are fourth in the table and one of the favourites to bounce straight back up to the top flight next season.

Bristol City have not won in their past six league matches against Burnley, with Nigel Pearson and Vincent Kompany in the dugouts the last time they faced each other.

However, Scott Parker's Clarets are only five points ahead of the Robins this season and while Manning said the game would be a "tough challenge", they have confidence within the team.

"The margins are really tight this year, we know they've got depth, we know they're going to be difficult to play against but I do feel that every week," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The message for the lads is we shouldn't and we wont fear anybody. It's a case of stepping on the pitch and taking confidence from performances and games we've had recently.

"And we're at home so we're going to take the game to them."

Image source, BBC Sport

Bristol City welcome promotion-chasing Burnley on Saturday having lost just one of their last 10 matches (W4 D5) - a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United in their most recent game at Ashton Gate.

The Clarets have only suffered defeat once in 12 games (W5 D6) and are just four points off the automatic promotion spots ahead of this weekend's Championship action.

• Bristol City have lost each of their last six league games against Burnley, as many defeats as across their prior 21 meetings with the Clarets combined.

• Burnley have won each of their last three away league games against Bristol City, scoring 2+ goals in each of those visits to Ashton Gate.

• Burnley have only conceded six goals in 15 Championship matches this season, the joint fewest by a team in their first 15 matches in a Championship campaign (since 2004-05) along with QPR in 2010-11.

• Bristol City’s Nahki Wells has scored four goals in his last five Championship appearances, only one fewer than he scored in his previous 24 games combined (5).

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Teenage Bristol City striker Luke Skinner has signed his first professional contract to mark his 17th birthday.

The forward – who has been with the club since the age of six - has penned a deal until the summer of 2027.

Skinner was the academy's Schoolboy of the Year in 2023 after a stellar season for the under-15s when he scored 31 and assisted a further 11 goals.

He went on to net more than 40 goals last season across a range of age groups, eventually making his debut for the under-21s in August, still aged 16.

City's technical director Brian Tinnion told the club website, external: "We're delighted for Luke and excited to see how he develops.

"He's one that's been with us from a young age and continued to perform at a high level as he's progressed through the age groups."

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Bristol City loan midfielder George Earthy has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time after a series of withdrawals due to either injury or transitions into the senior squad.

The 20-year-old, who had initially been named in the England Elite Development Squad, is on loan from Premier League club West Ham United and has made eight Championship appearances for the Robins since joining in August.

Having sustained an ankle injury earlier this season, Earthy has gradually earned more playing time for the Robins and started their past two Championship fixtures against Sheffield United and Norwich City.

Earthy is joined by Norwich’s Kellen Fisher and Newcastle United’s Lewis Miley for their maiden call-ups.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood have withdrawn from Ben Futcher's squad due to injury.

Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, Newcastle's Tino Livramento, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Burnley's James Trafford were also originally named in the U21 set-up but have since been promoted to the senior England group.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City defender Rob Atkinson played the full 90 minutes of the club's under-21 match against Exeter on Monday night as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury.

The 26-year-old centre-half has been an unused substitute in each of City's past two Championship games but has not made a first-team appearance in more than 18 months after being stretchered off in a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on 18 February 2023.

Atkinson signed a new three-year contract with the Robins in April 2023 despite sustaining the anterior cruciate ligament injury at The Stadium of Light.

City's under-21s were beaten 2-0 by Exeter in the Premier League Cup match at their High Performance Centre.

Image source, Getty Images

It's 10 years this week since Bristol Academy pulled off a surprise Women's Champions League win over Barcelona.

The then-Super League side were the surprise winners against the Spanish champions, winning 2-1 on aggregate over two legs in one of the most memorable nights in Bristol City Women's history.

Bristol Academy's former manager Dave Edmondson is one of the guests on Monday's Sound of the City, from BBC Radio Bristol, looking back on that night a decade ago.

There's also the views from two fans on Bristol City's win away to Norwich City in the Championship and how Liam Manning's side are faring heading into the international break this week.

Listen to Sound of the City - BBC Radio Bristol's dedicated show to Bristol City - live every Monday at 18:00 GMT or on BBC Sounds, where you can also catch up with past episodes.

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Bristol City have the squad depth to be a "top team" and challenge in the Championship this season says forward Anis Mehmeti.

The Robins are 10th in the table going into the international break, three points off Watford in the final play-off spot, and next face fourth-placed Burnley on 23 November.

Mehmeti scored one goal and played a part in setting up another for Nahki Wells in their 2-0 win against Norwich City, on his first start in three games.

"We know we're a top team but sometimes we've fell short, like against Sheff U where we should come out with three points, I think that's the Championship," he told BBC Radio Bristol, with City having conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 to the Blades last week.

"That's what we said at the beginning of the season and I know we have the players and the squad depth to do that. Not everyone is going to play every game but we need to be ready.

"Like myself, for example, I haven't started the last three games and obviously been frustrated but I get back on the pitch and want to contribute with goals to keep my position.

"Healthy competition but at the end of the day everyone wants to play. As long as we're all competing for spots we know that it's only going to be positive for the team."

Bristol City manager Liam Manning praised forward Anis Mehmeti after he scored a goal and hit the post during the side's 2-0 win away to Norwich on Saturday.

Mehmeti made his first start in four games for the trip to Carrow Road, with Mark Sykes out injured.

The 23-year-old scored his second goal in as many matches, following his penalty in Tuesday's defeat by Sheffield United.

"Anis has had to be a little bit patient, I know he's been a little bit frustrated but I love him, he's great to work with, desperate to do well, desperate to do better - I really want him to do well," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"I thought he was excellent, his defensive work, but also his quality, the goal, another nearly moment as well. He's a really important part of the squad."

Manning added that he hoped to have more players back from injury after the international break, with Sykes and Scott Twine making good progress, although he expects defender Kal Naismith to be out for "four to six weeks".