This Saturday will see the highly-anticipated clash between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. The two sides are the frontrunners for the Premier League title this season and the result from Saturday’s game could play a huge part in the title race.
A win for Chelsea will see them go six points clear of Manchester City and put pressure on fellow title race rivals, Manchester United and Liverpool. Thomas Tuchel’s men will be confident of going toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side and beating them as they have won the last three meetings.
Chelsea Team News
Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and attacker Christian Pulisic are the only two doubts going into this high-profile clash against Manchester City.
Pulisic has an ankle injury, while Mendy has a knock. The latter, however, is likely to return in time as Tuchel said that it will be a touch-and-go for Mendy ahead of the City match. Timo Werner had a calf issue in the League Cup game, but he should be fit for Saturday’s match.
Mason Mount is also unavailable for the clash against Manchester City.
Let’s take a look at the possible Chelsea side for the game against Manchester City:
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Manchester City
Goalkeeper
Tuchel will likely start Mendy if he’s match fit, but will stick with Kepa Arrizabalaga if he isn’t. Kepa hasn’t put a foot wrong since being brought into the team.
Defence
Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen were given a break for the League Cup game, but they should return to the Chelsea lineup for the crucial game against City.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso also did not feature in the game and they should be restored to the Chelsea lineup. Reece James had a solid game against Villa and he should be an option off the bench, as will Ben Chilwell. Youngster Trevoh Chalobah will be a centre-back option from the bench.
Midfield
Tuchel will have a tough call to make for the two central midfield positions against Manchester City. Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic have started four of the five Premier League games and have been superb. But, a player of N’Golo Kante’s calibre will make a huge difference to the Blues side against a world-class opponent like Manchester City.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Manchester City
Kante made the difference when he came on against Spurs last weekend. It’s unlikely that Tuchel will start all three midfielders as they may not have much in attack then. Kovacic could drop to the bench to accommodate Kante in the Chelsea lineup. Saul will be an option off the bench for Tuchel.
Attack
Romelu Lukaku should lead the line, with Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz playing behind him. The likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner will be options off the bench.
