Manchester City will endeavour to make it seven straight wins in the Premier League on Saturday evening when they entertain Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.
The Sky Blues enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win over Everton at home last weekend to close the gap at the top of the table to two points. They followed it up with a 3-1 away win over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League’s first-leg of the round of 16 on Tuesday evening.
Brimming with confidence, Pep Guardiola’s side will be favourites on paper despite Chelsea’s resurgence of late.
Manchester City Team News
Jack Grealish was forced off in the 21st minute against FC Copenhagen, with Pep Guardiola confirming the winger had picked up a muscular injury and will miss the next few games. Bernardo Silva took a big knock on his ankle on the same night but Guardiola hopes to have him available for the game against Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Sergio Gomez all missed the midweek trip to Denmark. Gvardiol will be out for two to three weeks due to ankle ligament damage while his Croatian teammate Kovacic also sat out last weekend’s game against Everton with an unspecified knock, although he could be fit to feature against his former employers on Saturday.
Predicted Manchester City lineup vs Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Ederson was culpable for FC Copenhagen’s equaliser on Tuesday—the only shot he faced the entire night at the Parken Stadium. The Brazilian will be desperate to bounce back with an error-free display between the sticks against Chelsea.
Defence
In front of Ederson, a back four of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Kyle Walker are expected to start again. Dias and Stones did very well in midweek and kept the FC Copenhagen attackers quiet, and the centre-back duo must hope to produce something similar against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Operating as the full-backs, Walker and Ake will provide defensive solidity to the side as well as help in build-up play. They could play a crucial role in stretching Chelsea’s defence.
Midfield
Bernardo Silva is hopeful of shaking off a knock in time to face the Blues, and the Portuguese will take up a deeper role alongside Rodri in central midfield. They will be crucial in recycling possession, beating Chelsea’s press and creating opportunities in the final third.
Kevin de Bruyne has been sensational since returning from a long injury layoff. He helped Man City dominate FC Copenhagen in the Champions League and will be raring to haunt his former club at the Etihad Stadium. The Belgian is a sure-fix starter in the No.10 role.
Mateo Kovacic could return to the squad after sitting out the last two games.
Attack
Jeremy Doku appears to be the favourite candidate to replace the injured Jack Grealish on the left flank. The Belgian’s pace, directness and flair could cause problems for Chelsea’s shaky backline. Given his rollicking form of late, Phil Foden should start on the right flank again.
Erling Haaland will lead the Man City again, hoping to score against Chelsea after firing a blank in midweek at the Parken Stadium.