Bristol City

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Bristol City manager Liam Manning says he wants players and fans to "be excited" about their league position as they moved into the top six of the Championship for the first time this season following their 2-1 win against Middlesbrough.

George Earthy's double in the second half saw the Robins come from behind to move up to sixth, although he relayed caution with 12 games still go play.

"Let's see what it looks like in 12 [games]. Enjoy the journey, be excited, you want fans to be buzzing about it, and rightly so and I want the lads to be excited about it," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

Manning stressed his side showcased a "large element" of the type of play he wants them to always look like, as they came from behind to seal the victory.

"If I think about what I want our team to look like there was a large element of that out there tonight," he said.

"I thought we pressed terrifically well, we were aggressive on the halfway line to win duals, headers, controlled second balls, we kept the ball but a real purpose – we didn't just swing it across the pitch and not progress, we moved it across the pitch, got in the wide areas of the box, asked questions and for me that was an excellent performance tonight."

Bristol City welcome Middlesbrough to Ashton Gate on Friday night (19:45 GMT) for a clash between two sides hoping to make the Championship play-offs.

The Robins are eighth, two points off the top six, but have won just two of their past seven games (D3 L2).

A run of four straight defeats for Boro and only two wins from their previous 11 matches (D4 L5) has seen them slip to 11th, four points behind West Bromwich Albion in sixth.

• Bristol City have won each of their past three league games against Middlesbrough, last enjoying a longer winning run against Boro between 2012 and 2017 (five wins).

• Middlesbrough have failed to win any of their past three away league games against Bristol City (D1 L2), conceding 2+ goals in each. Boro last failed to win on more visits to Ashton Gate between 1977 and 1993 (seven games).

• Bristol City have won five of their past six home league games (L1), keeping four clean sheets during that time.

• Middlesbrough have lost each of their past three away league games and will be looking to avoid losing four in succession for the first time since September 2023 (a run of five).

• Across Middlesbrough's past five Championship games, they've scored with four of their 23 shots from outside the box (17%) but only scored with two of their 42 shots from inside the box (5%).

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Bristol City host a familiar face on Friday - only this time former Robins forward Tommy Conway will be hoping visitors Middlesbrough come out victorious.

The 22-year-old came through City's youth ranks and played alongside Nahki Wells at senior level, with the Bermudian becoming something of a mentor to him during their time together at the Championship club.

Conway departed for Middlesbrough last summer, becoming a regular member of Boro's starting XI and scoring eight goals in 23 games for Michael Carrick's side.

The nature of Conway's exit is likely to mean he is greeted with a hostile welcome by the Ashton Gate faithful.

"He'll be chomping at the bit, naturally, and the same for us, wanting to stop one of their talismen in Tommy," Wells told BBC Radio Bristol. "There's a good friendship there, we still speak."

Conway had missed six games because of a hamstring issue following Middlesbrough's draw on 26 December with Sheffield Wednesday.

He made his return in February and played his first full 90 minutes last time out against Watford, though the Boro forward has so far only seen defeat upon his return.

"Unfortunately, or for us, fortunately, he has been out, which has probably coincided with a bit of their form because he's one of the danger men," Wells added.

"But he's back fit and he's one we are going to have to keep an eye out on and be wary of his threat.

"At the end of the day, on Friday it's a game and we are playing against them - all the friendship goes out the window until the final whistle blows."

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Bristol City boss Liam Manning hit out at the "ridiculous" recent fixtures schedule following his side's 1-1 draw at Cardiff City.

The Robins were playing their fourth game of the month, from which they have picked up five points to lie eighth in the table, two points outside the play-off places.

"I think the schedule is quite neglectful for the players, it becomes quite dangerous," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Energy wise we were a little bit flat at times, especially first half, hence we made the changes to try and bring a bit of energy into the team.

"We did well to get ahead and then it becomes about how you manage the game. When we drop points, it tends to be away from home and we've just got to keep the ball better, rather than sitting that deep.

"At Championship level, you should never take points for granted. It's another game unbeaten his week and it's now about taking the learning from it and taking it into Friday (against Middlesbrough).

Manning lost Ross McCrorie with a hamstring "twinge" just before the hour.

"To go Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, you run that risk, you're exposing players, it's dangerous and I just don't get it," he added.

Bristol City will seek to gatecrash the Championship play-off places as they head to Cardiff on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The Robins overcame Stoke 2-0 on Wednesday night to climb to seventh, their highest position since August, and lie two points behind West Brom in sixth, with Blackburn a further point and place ahead.

The Bluebirds are two places and two points above the relegation zone and have lost their past two in the league, though they are unbeaten in four at home.

• Cardiff City are unbeaten in their past four league games against Bristol City (W3 D1), keeping three clean sheets in that time.

• After winning on three successive trips to Cardiff in the league between November 2019 and August 2021, Bristol City have lost on their past two visits in the league.

• Cardiff are unbeaten in their past four home league games (W2 D2); the Bluebirds last enjoyed a longer run in October 2023 (6 games – W5 D1).

• Following successive away league wins over Preston (3-1) and Norwich (2-0), Bristol City are without an away league win in their past eight games (D4 L4); their longest run since February 2022 (11 games).

• Cardiff's Callum Robinson has scored more Championship goals against Bristol City than any other side (5), though is yet to score in his two previous league games for the Bluebirds against the Robins.

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Bristol City forward Anis Mehmeti believes his "all-round game" can still improve after he scored both goals in the team's win against Stoke City.

Mehmeti now has 11 goals this campaign as the club's leading scorer, almost three times as many as the four he scored in the Championship during 2023-24.

"In terms of my all-round game, 100%, I can be more of a threat in one-v-one situations," Mehmeti told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The type of guy that I am, when everything's going well for me I look forward, and my downfall is probably when things ain't going too great, I dwell on it too much.

"I'm buzzing about hitting double figures now, and it's just about hitting as many goals as I can but also chipping in with assists, which I think I need to be doing."

The win against Stoke moved Bristol City up to seventh and came after defeat by Swansea on Sunday.

"I would probably describe it as a mature, professional win. We knew we had to win today because we lost on Sunday, so great reaction from the boys," Mehmeti said.

"I thought today in the final third we were much more fluid, much better combined."

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Bristol City boss Liam Manning was delighted with the attacking quality shown by his team as Anis Mehmeti's double secured a 2-0 win over Stoke and put them seventh in the Championship table.

The Robins are just two points outside the top six as they look to reach the play-offs for the first time since being promoted from League One in 2015.

"The first goal was an outstanding moment of quality. In the second half it was about managing the game without the ball, which was important," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The lads are such a top group to work with. We are able to move on quickly, which is a strength of the group, and we were able to find a way to win. In terms of managing the game and being professional, we did that well.

"There are goals in this group of players, as we can see. There was some top play, not only in our goals, but other chances. We got into some good areas and if you keep doing that you will score eventually.

"We had an honest meeting yesterday about what we can do better, how we can improve. We need to be tough on ourselves, not hide away, and the players were open to that."

Bristol City are looking to get their play-off bid back on track when they welcome Stoke City on Wednesday night (19:45).

The Robins have won just one of their past five games (D2 L2), including a 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea on Sunday but are still only three points off the top six.

The Potters were knocked out of the FA Cup by Cardiff on penalties at the weekend but ended a five-game winless streak with victory at Hull City last time out in the league for their first win under Mark Robins.

• Bristol City have failed to win any of their past three league games against Stoke City (D1 L2), the club's longest winless run against the Potters since a seven-match stint between April 1995 and April 2002.

• Stoke City have won each of their past two away league games against Bristol City and will be looking to win three in succession at Ashton Gate for the first time.

• Bristol City forward Nahki Wells has scored four goals in his past four Championship starts against Stoke, scoring twice in the 2-2 draw in this season's reverse fixture.

• Stoke City ended a seven-game winless away league run (D3 L4) with a 2-1 victory at Hull last time out. The Potters haven't won consecutive away games since March 2024.

• Stoke manager Mark Robins has already picked up a point at Ashton Gate this season with Coventry in August – he has only won two of his nine visits there in the EFL (D3 L4), winning with Huddersfield Town in 2012-13 and Coventry in 2021-22.

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Bristol City manager Liam Manning said he felt "frustrated" following his side's 1-0 defeat by Swansea on Sunday.

The Robins dominated the game in terms of shots, with 19 to nine from the Swans, and also had the edge in possession statistics.

The loss leaves the Robins three points outside the top six ahead of their game against Stoke on Wednesday night.

"I think when you analyse it, in terms of the control, the team that probably dominated for the longest periods carried the biggest threat, I thought was us. It was literally a five-minute spell that's cost us," Manning said.

"Around that there was a lot of good, albeit the quality in and around the penalty area.

"I just said to the lads [in the changing room], we're not going to change the culture of the club in terms of being a relentless winning machine overnight.

"The progress I think is quite clear to see, it's then learning, understanding, how you turn strong performances into wins. We've managed to do it numerous times this season but weren't able to do it today."