Despite missing 3 players ANY Premier League team would like to have ‘in there’, it’s good to-now-finally see that we have plenty of options-in-depth available. Great news!
The only tiny alarm bell in the back of my head going into this clash – another one where points are vital for us to finish in the top 3 or 4 - is how we’ll react following our fantastic progression in the Champions League last Tuesday night.
Grounded & focused
Well there’s two words you can definitely
attribute to our manager and, so, let’s hope he passes those vibes onto the
players. It may not have been a classic game / performance from both sides in
midweek but I thought we, at least, did a very professional job indeed; knowing
how the game lay after the first leg in Paris.
Particularly the defence last Tuesday night
and, in general, I’m taking heart also from much-improved performances in the
last few weeks. We look like us again…
v Chelsea
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome.
4-2-3-1:
____________________Aguero____________________
_____________________Toure____________________
______________________Hart_____________________
Subs: Caballero, Kolarov, Zabaleta,
Demichelis, Fernandinho,
Navas, Iheanacho.
Back 5, Joe
included, I’m going for Manuel Pellegrini to
stick with a unit that’s starting to look calmer and more organised. They’ll
have-had 3-½ day’s rest and, so, why
not? Expect changes in this department
for the Newcastle United game just over 72
hours later…
A very slight
change slightly further up the pitch, I think, with the fresher, slightly-more-mobile
& defensive Fabian in-alongside Fernando to form a solid defensive shield
away at what is - despite their disastrous season and lowly league position –
still a tough place to go / team to play.
Defensive units sorted; licence, then, for
Samir, Yaya, Kevin and, ahead of those 3, Sergio to cause havoc to Chelsea’s
defence.
With injuries as few as they are it’s a
strong bench too. Willy the keeper insurance; Aleks, Pablo & Martin the
defensive replacement options. Possibly to be given some respite - and useful
to have if we need to apply a little more pressure - is Fernandinho (I could well be wrong with this
one as he’s been playing so very well of late) and
Jesus if we have the ‘need for speed’ (again, though, I might be wrong and we
might see Kevin in the middle of ‘a 3’ and Jesus starting instead of Yaya). Iheanacho, surely, to be the ‘striker of choice’ on the side if
there’s only room for one.
Notable absences: Vincent Kompany (still recovering from injury – likely to be ‘ready to start’ on Tuesday
night), David Silva (resting / protecting that niggly ankle of his for
this one), Raheem Sterling (same as Vinny and might make the bench at least
against the Magpies) and Wilfried Bony (not selected).
Do I agree with Pellegrini’s (predicted)
line-up?
Yep…I’d go with that. If
I do get it wrong about Fernandinho / Yaya / Jesus, I’d even go with those possibilities
– we’re that strong for options at the moment.
Result?
In my recent, mini-8-game season piece I had this one down as a draw. That
wouldn’t be a bad result at all. I was swaying, however, since Wednesday /
Thursday and leaning towards this one being a very good and very vital
away win.
However, I’ve ground myself a little and
also, crucially, remembered that this is Manchester City we’re talking about; a
Manchester City side who have, this season, blown the dust off and started to re-use
the old, ‘How to be unpredictable’
handbook.
‘All things considered’ and those being…
- A
Chelsea side who might be stinging a little from their first league defeat
under Guus Hiddink last weekend away to Swansea City but balanced also
against…
- …a
Chelsea squad who may well be full of players who are simply ‘going through the
motions’ of the rest of the season; yearning for ‘the beech’ and / or keeping
themselves free from injury for the up & coming Euros
- A
City team who might be feeling a few bumps & bruises and general fatigue from
an intense & important game against PSG (particularly
‘battered from pillar to post’ Sergio Aguero) and…
- …having
to get the balance right with another game coming up very quickly away at
Newcastle; a team who might be like a dying lion striking out in its last few
days
…then I’m sticking with my mini-season
prediction of a draw.
I hope,
in the right way of course, that I’m very wrong and that we can come away from Stamford Bridge with ‘all 3’ - and I can't also wait to see if the lads will be buoyed by last Tuesday's history-making night or will still have their heads in the clouds after it.
But if it is indeed to be ‘points shared’ this evening (5:30pm KO BST) then 3-points in the North East on Tuesday is an absolute must!
But if it is indeed to be ‘points shared’ this evening (5:30pm KO BST) then 3-points in the North East on Tuesday is an absolute must!
Expected weather conditions during
the game: A fine & mostly sunny Spring evening over Greater London; if not a little chilly at 8C and with a slight, Northerly breeze.
C'mon City!
C'mon City!
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