Manchester City Starting XI vs Chelsea: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they try to do all they can to stop Liverpool claiming their first Premier League title
Soccer Football - Premier League - Swansea City vs Manchester City - Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Britain - December 13, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates at the end of the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Manchester City Starting XI vs Chelsea: We predict Pep Guardiola’s starting team as they try to do all they can to stop Liverpool claiming their first Premier League title.
City are coming off the back of two fine victories against Arsenal and Burnley, where the Citizens scored eight goals with no reply.
However, extra pressure will be on Pep’s side tonight, as they know anything but a victory away at Stamford Bridge won’t be enough to see Liverpool awarded league champions.
Facing up against Pep’s men will be a hungry Chelsea side who have it all top play for in the hunt for the final Champions League spot.
So which players will be tasked with the challenge of overcoming Chelsea tonight? Here we predict Guardiola’s XI…
Goalkeeper: Ederson will keep his place in the team, his incredible talents with the ball at his feet has been rightly praised since the return of football. However, the Brazilian has hardly had a shot to save and will be expected to be a little busier tonight.
Defenders: We expect Guardiola to again start with a flat back four, because he rarely does anything else with his defence. After making a few changes in their last match against Burnley, we expect Pep to return to his best back four of Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker.
Midfielders: Phil Foden will be likely to get a start in this game following his two-goal display at the weekend. And the imperious Kevin de Bruyne will return to the side. That leaves, Germany international Ilkay Gundogan should be the other midfield player who returns to the starting XI.
Forwards: It feels as though Pep doesn’t even know who he is going to start upfront from game to game, as Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus continue to battle it out for a starting place. However, Aguero’s goalscoring form in the big games is superb so we think he’ll get the nod with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez either side.
Predicted XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy, Foden, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Aguero