“Tough” fixtures continue to…

…fly our way. But we keep ‘passing the tests’! 

 

And…‘me of little faith’! I predicted Arsenal to score against us at Wembley; possibly twice in that League Cup final match and even predicted a draw against the same team at their ground in the league just 4 days later. When WILL I shake off my ‘old City feeling’, at times, and show full faith in this wonderful team of ours?

v Chelsea

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from starting line-up in the last game: 10/11).

Fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:

____________________Aguero____________________

Sane____________________________________B. Silva

___________D. Silva__________De Bruyne__________

___________________Gundogan___________________

Zinchenko_________________________________Danilo

___________Kompany_______Otamendi ____________

___________________Ederson____________________

Subs: Bravo, Laporte, Stones, Toure, Foden, Sterling, Jesus.

Midweek, penalty-saving star, Ederson, in net again of course.

With Danilo likely to find himself on the right of defence for this one (proving his worth in why we signed him to cover on both flanks of the defence when needed), I think we’ll see Oleksandr back on the left. Vinny to go AGAIN? Well…if he’s fit, I think that’s what Pep will go with and with Nicholas alongside him in the middle of the back-4.

Ilkay likely to be the slightly deeper of the midfield / wing 5; David & Kevin ahead of him and with Leroy & Bernardo on the flanks.

Sergio the lone striker again.

Claudio with the standby gloves on; Aymeric & John the back-up defenders. Yaya, Phil, possibly Raheem (Brahim Diaz if Sterling hasn’t recovered in time) and Gabriel provide the midfield and more-attacking change-options from ‘the 7’.

Notable absences: Benjamin Mendy (continues rehab following injury / surgery) Kyle Walker (slight muscle injury?), Fabian Delph (suspended for the 3^rd of 3 games) & Fernandinho (injured).

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

Fine with me.

Result? Well…here I go again! With regards to having a ‘wobble’ ahead of, on paper at least, another hard game, I find that, just as I did in a piece I wrote the other week, once again I'm pondering a draw for this one, even not-long-after our last away victory in North London.

Why? Well, on their day, our visitors have some wonderful players who can really cause some damage to ‘the oppo’. And, of course, they are scrapping along with a select few to secure a ‘top 3 or 4’ slot, which is so very vital to ‘top teams’ these days of course.

However, we do seem to be shifting into ‘slipstream gear’ in recent games and are in such wonderful form that I am leaning, quite heavily once again, towards this being another 3-points for our amazing team. I’m going for a City win…and so it quite possibly won’t be.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…

Prediction: Draw

Result: Lost (in very controversial circumstances, I have to add)

Expected weather conditions during the game: Most certainly chilly in the early March, evening air at just 5C and with an Easterly breeze but FAR better than it has been of late! Chance of a rain shower or two during the match. Wrap up warm and it shouldn’t be too painful; the area around the ground should be mostly clear of snow by then and the playing surface should be absolutely fine.