Undoubtedly the game of the Premier League weekend, Chelsea travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City.
After enduring a blip in form on either side of the New Year, the Blues have shown signs of recovery with two wins and a draw in their last three fixtures in all competitions. They eked a last-minute point against Bournemouth last week before beating Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
The result against Wolves helped Enzo Maresca’s side climb back into the top four, two points ahead of Man City, who are fifth in the Premier League and come into this game off the back of a demoralising 4-2 Champions League defeat to PSG.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca confirmed both Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez could be fit to face Manchester City after missing out on the Wolves win due to minor issues, but Romeo Lavia will miss out.
Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana (hamstring), Benoit Badiashile (thigh) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended) all remain unavailable for selection.
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Robert Sanchez made his season’s fourth high-profile error leading to goals in the 3-1 win over Wolves on Monday, although Maresca is expected to stick with him in between the sticks. The Spaniard must produce a clean performance against Man City if he intends to keep his place in the team.
Defence
In front of Sanchez, Levi Colwill is expected to shrug off his minor knock and become available to face the Sky Blues. He should partner Tosin Adarabioyo at the heart of Chelsea’s defence, with the duo tasked with keeping Erling Haaland at bay.
Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella should be the full-backs here, trying their best to stretch the hosts with their penetrative runs, smart movement and dynamism.
Midfield
Enzo Fernandez could be fit to feature on Saturday, as confirmed by Maresca, and if that is the case then the Argentinean will form the double pivot with Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea engine room. If the Blues are to get the better of City, they will need Caicedo and Fernandez to perform at their best.
One of the first names on Maresca’s teamsheet, Cole Palmer will be raring to produce a stellar display and haunt his former employers. He is a sure-fix starter in the No.10 role.
Attack
Pedro Neto has cemented his spot on the left flank under Maresca. Noni Madueke was handed a start on Monday and he scored in the 3-1 win over Wolves, which gives him the edge to start ahead of Jadon Sancho on the right flank.
Nicolas Jackson should lead the Chelsea attack once again, hoping to cause problems for the City defence with his pace, directness and physicality. The likes of Sancho, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku should be good attacking options to come off the bench and change the game if need be.
