The Clash of Heavyweights, This season’s struggling side Chelsea will be welcoming Manuel Pellegrini’s men at Stamford Bridge on 16th of April. The last time these two sides met, City dominated the entire game and thrashed Chelsea by 3 goals to nil at Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea recently lost to the struggling Swansea side by 1-0 and were left disappointed and was finally beaten in 2016 (in premier league). So, they will be looking to bounce back in the league but it will be a tough task for Guus Hiddink’s side as they will be facing one of the giants of the Premier League, Manchester City.
Manchester City are looking to come back in their shape after the arrival of De Bruyne. The Belgian played a major role in their Champions League conquest where the team was able to beat PSG and qualified for the Semi-Finals for the first time in their history.
Looking at their last 6 forms, Chelsea have won 3 out of them and have lost 1. Furthermore, City have also won 3 out of their last 6 games but have lost 2.
There is just 2 points gap between City and Arsenal, so, the side will be looking to get ahead of the Gunners and finish their campaign on 3rd.
Here is the Predicted Lineup for Chelsea that could face Manchester City-
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois-
The goalkeeper was benched in the game against Swansea City and the team paid the price. The Belgian had a rough start to the season as he was sidelined due to the injuries but, after the recovery, played a major role to keep the club alive in the league. A starter in the next game for sure.
Defenders: Azpilicueta, Cahill, Miazga, Ivanovic-
Cahill might return to the squad after missing many games and can be lined up with the American defender Miazga. Ivanovic might get deployed at the right back position and Azpilicueta at left. With the absence of Terry and Zouma, the team is struggling a lot lately in the defence. Rehman can also be an option for the manager but, he might go for some experienced players in such big games.
Midfielders: Willian, Fabregas, Mikel, Oscar, Pedro-
Willian missed the last game due to injury but, there are some indications that suggest he might return to the squad for the next game. Fabregas and Mikel might continue their services in the middle of the field while, Oscar can be used as an attacking midfielder in place of Loftus-Cheek. Pedro might start the game from the flanks where he can harass City’s fullbacks. This can be the midfield that could create lot many chances for the striker and can cause some real problems to City’s defence through their pace and their sense.
Striker: Diego Costa-
After serving a ban for a long period, this Brazilian-born Spanish striker will return to the squad and have to play a big game to crush down the City’s defence.