Premier League leaders Chelsea will hope to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat to Crystal Palace by beating Manchester City on Wednesday (8pm kick-off).

The Blues suffered just their fourth loss of the campaign at the hands of Sam Allardyce’s men at the weekend, and coupled with Tottenham winning 2-0 at Burnley, it means that the gap at the top is down to just seven points with nine games of the season remaining.

Conte’s men are still very much in the driving seat, but they cannot afford another slip up against Pep Guardiola’s City on Wednesday night.

The Citizens picked up a third successive league draw following their 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Sunday, a result which saw them slip to fourth in the division, and thus fail to take advantage of Chelsea’s surprise loss.

They are 11 points behind Conte’s men going into Wednesday’s encounter, so the title looks beyond Guardiola and his side this term, but victory at Stamford Bridge would certainly help them solidify their place in the top four, as well as put down a marker ahead of the FA Cup semi-finals later this month.

So, with the build-up well underway ahead of Wednesday’s encounter, we at Shoot! have selected our ultimate Chelsea-Manchester City five-a-side team from those players available for selection on Wednesday evening…

Thibaut Courtois

There’s little doubt that Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is the best goalkeeper at either club.

The Belgian international has been excellent for the Blues this term, reminiscent of his efforts in the 2015/16 campaign in which Jose Mourinho’s men went on to win the title.

This season, Courtois has kept a league-high 13 clean sheets in 29 Premier League games, and although the Blues don’t have the best defensive record in the division, he has on a few occasions earned Chelsea some vital points (away at Sunderland in particular).

City’s Willy Caballero is a solid shot-stopper but has an error in him, while Claudio Bravo has seriously struggled in English football – Courtois thus is a shoe-in for this team.

Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea are significantly better at the back than Manchester City, it’s just about deciding which defender to include in this team.

Gary Cahill and David Luiz have been excellent, but once again Cesar Azpilicueta has proven to be one of the best defenders in the division this term, even in a slightly unfamiliar role of centre-back.

The Spanish international has made his name in English football as a full-back, winning the Blues’ Players’ Player of the Year award in 2014, but the way he has seamlessly adapted the right-sided role in Conte’s back three says everything you need to know about the 27-year-old as a defender.

His energy, enthusiasm, and overall defensive ability gives him the nod in this side, with his work-rate and desire to get up and down the field perfect for a five-a-side team.

N’Golo Kante

There really isn’t much more to say about Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante – he really is world-class.

The French international was outstanding in helping Leicester win the Premier League title last season, and he looks like doing the same with the Blues this time round.

The 26-year-old is regarded in some quarters as the best player in the Premier League, while Frank Lampard said a few weeks back that he is the best central midfielder in the world at the moment.

The way he plays is absolutely tailor-made for five-a-side, so you simply cannot leave him out of this five-a-side team.

Eden Hazard

Those that don’t have Kante as the league’s best player will likely have teammate Eden Hazard top of the pile.

The Belgian had a torrid time last term in Chelsea’s title defence, netting just four goals all season in the Premier League, yet this season has seen him return to his 2014/15 level, and at times go beyond that.

The attacker has scored 11 goals and laid on five assists in 27 league starts this season, with his stunning display against Everton back in November and his remarkable solo goal against Arsenal in February indicative of a player reborn under Conte.

City have many great attacking players like Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, and Leroy Sane, but Hazard is arguably the best in the division, and so gets the nod in this team.

Sergio Aguero

Deciding between Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa is far from easy, but given the former’s incredible record in English football during his career, he just gets the nod.

The Argentine netted his 14th Premier League goal of the season in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, which takes his overall tally to 26 for the season, just three less than he managed last time out, and only six less than his best campaign at the Etihad in 2014/15.

Overall, the striker has netted 116 goals in 173 Premier League appearances at City, which puts him 17th on the all-time list, and because of his sharp shooting, immense strength, and dedication to City over the past few years, he gets into this team ahead of Chelsea’s Costa.