Manchester City are scheduled to face Chelsea on Saturday for their away league fixture at Stamford Bridge. Both sides met each other back in May in a Champion League final which saw the Blues emerge victorious after Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game.
At present, City have had an inconsistent start to their title defense as they have already dropped points in two games and are sitting fifth in the league table. Their opponents have looked sharp since the start of the season and for now, they have managed to retain the top spot in the points table.
Guardiola will be aware of the attacking threat that Chelsea possess as they have looked sharp in their final third in the ongoing season. But Manchester City, too,have been no slouch in terms of goalscoring numbers as they scored five each against Arsenal and Norwich.
On Saturday, the stakes will be high for both sides as they look to gain momentum for the remainder of the season. Hence, both clubs will aim to gain all three points from this epic clash in west London.
It will be an interesting matchup between Guardiola and Tuchel. Last season, the Spaniard was outclassed by the German tactician twice in the same calendar year. Therefore, the City boss might see this fixture as redemption and hence would be glad to claim the bragging rights at away turf.
This could be Manchester City’s best lineup against Chelsea-
Between the sticks, Ederson is expected to don the gloves as no.1 and would hope to keep a clean sheet against a fierce Chelsea attack. The Brazilian will be accompanied by two centre-backs-Ruben Dias and John Stones.
The latter was spotted training with the first team and is likely to feature in the starting side. However, Aymeric Laporte, too, might as well be considered for selection as a preferred partner for the Portuguese international.
In the defensive flanks, Kyle Walker will feature in his usual right-back position and will look to put up a shift on both defensive and offensive fronts. Joao Cancelo will be handed the left-back role and therefore will look to contribute heavily through his pinpoint crosses.
Guardiola’s midfield setup will see Rodri return as the defensive midfielder. The Spanish midfielder has an integral role to play in the lineup as he will be tasked with shielding his backline. Kevin De Bruyne will retain a more attacking role in this midfield and will look to fire all cylinders against Tuchel’s men. Bernardo Silva, too, will keep his place in the midfield and hence would look to increase the attacking threat upfront.
Lastly, this City front three will see the presence of Jack Grealish as the potential left-winger. Ferran Torres will be given the no.9 role and hence the Spaniard will look to add more goals to his tally this season.
It remains to be seen whether Riyad Mahrez gets a place in the front as Gabriel Jesus has been the first choice for the team. There are chances that the Brazilian might keep his place ahead of the Algerian on Saturday.