Enzo Fernandez To Start, Mykhailo Mudryk On The Bench: Chelsea’s Predicted XI To Face City
There were certain aspects of the performance that Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino would not have liked against Tottenham, but the result on Monday night was a very welcome one.
It was a much-needed confidence boost heading into what will be a very difficult test against Premier League leaders Manchester City this weekend.
Despite being at home, Pochettino’s side will be underdogs, but the Blues do have the quality to cause an upset if they do play to their best.
Press the next page as we predict Chelsea’s starting eleven for the match on Sunday.
GK – Robert Sanchez
The Spaniard made a crucial intervention late on to deny Son in the 4-1 win over Spurs.
At the time, the score was only 2-1, and directly after the save from Sanchez, Nicolas Jackson went up the other end and scored the third.
You do feel that Sanchez still has some work to do to win over the fans, considering how inconsistent he can be, especially with the ball at his feet.
However, his performance in the London derby was one of a number of positives that came out of the match.
RB – Reece James
The captain was very rusty in the opening exchanges against Tottenham.
It was clear that James had not started a competitive game for a number of months as he was run ragged by Brennan Johnson.
However, after Cristian Romero’s sending off, and Johnson’s withdrawal, James grew in confidence and began making his trademark runs forward down the right flank.
The 23-year-old is set to be tested thoroughly once more on Sunday if Jeremy Doku starts at Stamford Bridge. The City star scored 1 and contributed 4 assists in City’s last outing against Bournemouth.
CB – Axel Disasi
It does look like Pochettino has settled on his favoured centre-back pairing.
Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill had played a few games alongside each other when Disasi was injured and, on the Frenchman’s return, he was selected at right-back. However, against Spurs, he returned to the centre of defence.
The 25-year-old’s passing is certainly not one of his strengths, and it is interesting that Pochettino still feels that he is a better option than Colwill.
Disasi has shown that he is a solid defender, though, and that will be needed when he goes head-to-head with the formidable Erling Haaland.
CB – Thiago Silva
Like every Chelsea player, the Brazilian struggled to cope with Tottenham’s whirlwind start.
Silva was slightly lucky that Son Heung-min’s goal was ruled out in the first half. The South Korean ghosted past both the Brazilian and Disasi, but he failed to stay onside.
It was a marginal call, and on another day, Chelsea could have been 2-0 down. Chelsea may have to survive a similar onslaught from City this weekend and Silva’s experience will be vital.
With Haaland having quickly returned to fitness following an ankle problem, the Norwegian will be in the away side’s starting lineup.
LB – Levi Colwill
The 20-year-old had a very poor match against Spurs on Monday evening.
Not only was Colwill at fault for the opening goal, Pochettino was also forced into substituting him at half-time, fearing he could be sent off.
The defender will certainly learn from the experience and, hopefully, he will have a much better game versus City on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola could pick either Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden on the right flank; either way, Colwill will have his hands full.
CM – Moises Caicedo
Chelsea’s pressing was all over the place in the opening minutes of the Tottenham fixture, and Caicedo was way out of position as he was bypassed by James Maddison for Spurs’s opener.
It was concerning that Ange Postecoglou’s side had so much space to run into on the counter-attack, with Caicedo and Fernandez pressing high and failing to track back early on in the match.
Caicedo improved massively as the game went on, using his technical ability to get out of tight spaces, and distributing the ball well. He was also unlucky to not get on the scoresheet after a sublime long-range strike was ruled out for offside.
Against City, he will need to be at his absolute best so the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva are not able to dominate the ball.
CM – Enzo Fernandez
There have been a few concerns about the Argentinian international’s fitness heading into the weekend.
Fernandez was withdrawn midway through the second half of the victory over Tottenham after picking up a knock.
The midfielder was not in training on Tuesday or Wednesday but he was back on the pitch at Cobham on Thursday morning, easing any fears that he could be ruled out of contention for the City fixture.
Every indication suggests that he will be fit and available to start at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
AM – Conor Gallagher
The 23-year-old got his third assist in 4 league games against Spurs.
Gallagher’s creativity is often underrated as most of the praise directed his way has focused on his pressing and off-the-ball work.
With Christopher Nkunku set to return to fitness at the start of next month, you get the sense that Gallagher’s game time may start to be reduced.
However, with Pochettino having started him in every single league match so far, the Blues boss may still find a place for the England international in his team.
RW – Cole Palmer
The forward was the only Chelsea player who started the game positively on Monday.
Palmer’s confidence is such that, even under immense pressure, he can get himself out of trouble and offload possession to a teammate.
At the moment, the sky really is the limit for the 21-year-old, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against his old club this weekend.
Palmer will certainly feel like he has something to prove after not getting the first-team opportunities he wanted at the Etihad.
CF – Nicolas Jackson
Every fan was delighted to see the Senegalese international take home the match ball against Tottenham.
Jackson has never lacked endeavour, but there have been question marks about his quality. He put in a great performance earlier this week and it will surely help his confidence no end.
However, against City, there is a good chance that he will be starved of service, with the away side likely to dominate possession.
If he does get a sniff of a chance on Sunday, Jackson needs to bury it, as he will probably not get another one.
LW – Raheem Sterling
Like Palmer, the winger will be facing his former club and he will be looking to make an impression.
Sterling was dangerous throughout the 4-1 win over Spurs, having also had a goal ruled out in the first half for handball.
It will be interesting to see how he gets on head-to-head with Kyle Walker on Chelsea’s left flank.
Neither player is lacking in the speed department so it will be a battle to keep a close eye on this weekend.