Chelsea FC Predicted XI Against Manchester City
Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel
Matic is an integral part of this Chelsea squad. While he may not have found his passing range so far this season, his mere presence is enough to help the Blues break up opposition play. Only injury is likely to unseat him from his defensive midfield role.
With regard to Mikel, this choice is inspired by Mourinho’s classic tactic of just getting a point out of away games against the big four. The boss, especially since the start of his second spell at the club, has approached big matches away from home with the objective of securing a draw. Therefore, he may pick the harder-working and more defensive Mikel over Cesc Fabregas in the second midfield position.
This decision may be facilitated by Cesc’s relative ineffectiveness during last weekend’s game, and the pre-season ones before it. Ramires was originally my pick in this role, but circumstances have seemingly conspired against it as you will see in the next slides. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, is too inexperienced.
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