Manchester City vs Chelsea
Date: 23/11/2019
K/O: 17:30
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Referee Martin Atkinson
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Pep Guardiola welcomes Frank Lampard’s side on Saturday evening for a mouth-watering match which has all the makings of a thrilling and perhaps season-defining encounter.
Manchester City are now 4th in the table – one point behind Chelsea who are in 3rd – after a 3-1 defeat against table-toppers Liverpool who now have a nine-point lead over Guardiola’s team. With two defeats in the last five matches, City will surely be raring to go after the international break. They will be looking to bounce back and leapfrog the visitors in the league table.
Chelsea, on the other hand, made it six wins on the bounce after a comfortable 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace. Amazing form coupled with blistering attacking prowess especially in away fixtures has made the Blues a handful for any opposition. They will be looking to continue this run but an away match at the Etihad will surely be their biggest test yet.
Lampard will be looking to take advantage of a depleted defence with Laporte out and continuous centre back pairing issues troubling Guardiola. City have been conceding quite a few goals especially on the counter and this is something the likes of Tammy Abraham, Willian and Pulisic can certainly exploit; that is if Pulisic starts who is also a doubt now having suffered a slight hip issue.
Lampard will have to make a decision with regard to the midfield with all of Mount, Kovacic, Kante and Jorginho all available for selection. This could be a big decision as the midfield is where the game could be won or lost.
City will be looking at their star players in the likes of Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and De Bruyne to shine and showcase their brilliance in a tough test. Talismanic striker, Sergio Aguero, in particular, has been looking a little less sharp than he usually is and that is something that Guardiola will be hoping changes against Chelsea if they are to get a result.
Abraham, on the other hand, is in great form and grabbed another goal to take his tally to ten for the Blues. He will be looking forward to this fixture to step it up in the big games as well and make his mark even more prominent in the Premier League.
A clean sheet against Palace would have given the likes of Kepa, Zouma and Tomori a lot of confidence and they’ll be looking to build on this by staying solid at the back against the dangerous runs of Sterling and Aguero.
Though the main man that Chelsea will need to be worried about is undoubtedly De Bruyne. An ex Chelsea player, the Belgian has been an assist machine this season and pulls all the strings from midfield with his beautiful delivery. If the visitors can keep him quiet, it will be half the battle won.
Team News
Manchester City
Aymeric Laporte, Leroy Sane and Oleksandr Zinchenko are the long term absentees with all expected to return at different points in the next calendar year.
Bernardo Silva is serving a one-match suspension for the tweet that was sent to teammate Benjamin Mendy and will be unavailable for the clash. Shot stopper Ederson looks fit after missing the clash against Liverpool and should replace Bravo between the sticks.
Chelsea
Rudiger and Loftus Cheek at the long term absentees for the visitors while Barkley is closing in on a return after an ankle injury and could be back in the squad soon.
Kante is available for selection and Jorginho has served his one-match suspension and will be available to play as well. Pulisic suffered a slight hip issue and could undergo a late fitness test.
Predicted Starting XIs
Manchester City (4-3-3)- Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Stones, Angelino; Rodri, David Silva, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)- Kepa; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho; Willian, Mount, Pulisic; Abraham
Score Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Chelsea
This has all the makings of a high scoring game with both teams possessing a clinical and lethal attack. It could surely turn out to be an open game with both defences exploited for their respective weaknesses and, as a result, cancelling each other out.
