Manchester City F.C.
·15 January 2022
Manchester City F.C.
·15 January 2022
Pep Guardiola has made six changes for Manchester City’s game against Chelsea, as he names a strong starting XI for the top of the table clash.
The Catalan revealed his side had been affected by fresh COVID-19 cases ahead of the game, but with several players returning, he is able to include 16 recognised first teamers in the matchday squad.
Ederson, John Stones, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling all come into the side after missing the FA Cup win over Swindon Town, whilst Aymeric Laporte is restored to the starting line-up having been an unused substitute against the Robins.
Zack Steffen, Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus drop to the bench, but Nathan Ake and Cole Palmer are short of full fitness and miss out entirely.
The young quartet of Luke Mbete, James McAtee, Romeo Lavia and Josh Wilson-Esbrand complete the matchday squad.
CITY: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Sterling.
SUBS: Steffen, Dias, Gundogan, Jesus, Fernandinho, Mbete, McAtee, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand.
CHELSEA: Kepa, Azpilicueta (c), Thiago Silva, Rudiger, Sarr, Alonso, Kante, Kovacic, Ziyech, Pulisic; Lukaku.
Subs: Bettinelli, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Saul, Havertz, Werner.
Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo will start at right and left-back respectively, either side of Stones and Laporte.
Rodrigo will sit deepest in midfield, behind Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, whilst Foden, Sterling and Grealish complete the forward line.
Which of that trio plays through the middle remains to be seen, with all three having been deployed in that role at times this season.
City were three points and four places adrift of Chelsea at the top of the league when we went and won in impressive fashion at Stamford Bridge in September, but the Premier League landscape looks markedly different ahead of this, the 50th meeting in the competition between the two sides.
The defending champions go into the game on the back of an 11-match winning streak, whilst Tuchel’s men have dropped points on seven occasions in the same period to turn a five-point lead into 10-point deficit.
The Chelsea boss declared City ‘the benchmark’ in England at his pre-match press conference and, whilst there are plenty of games left to play, a win for Guardiola’s side would certainly dent the German’s hopes of catching a team he believes are the best in the country right now.
And for, City, a victory over the second placed European champions, would provide a significant confidence boost in our bid to win a fourth title in five years.