Chelsea: Three key clashes in the match against Manchester City

In Chelsea’s upcoming match against Manchester City, there will be some key clashes to look forward to. These key clashes could determine the match.

Thursday’s match against Manchester City will be an interesting one. There could be some really good clashes between the two clubs. N’Golo Kante going up against Kevin De Bruyne will be one of the more important key clashes to this match. Cesar Azpilicueta against Raheem Sterling will be another good one. And finally, how Mason Mount deals with Kyle Walker.

N’Golo Kante vs. Kevin De Bruyne

This is one of the most important clashes in the match. Kante is arguably the best center defensive midfielder in the world. De Bruyne, on the other hand, is arguably the best center attacking midfielder in the world. Both Kante and De Bruyne are their teams’ best players.

Kante’s amazing defending ability and speed will be key to stopping De Bruyne from running City’s attack. The City attacker’s incredible passing ability is what sets up many of Manchester City’s goals. Depending on how well Kante locks up De Bruyne could be what decides the outcome of this match.

Since Chelsea has a reliable attack, Kante can play a lot deeper than he normally does. This allows him to cover the defense as well as be the main stopper to Manchester City’s attack. Kante will be one of the key players when it comes to Chelsea’s defense in general. De Bruyne is City’s key player when building up the attack.

If Kante can cover De Bruyne in the middle, it will help the Blues’ wide backs in defending the crosses. Adding some pressure on De Bruyne can disrupt his passes which can lead to a Chelsea counter attack. Since Kante is playing so deep, the center backs can also help out in defending the Belgian. As long as Kante can stop De Bruyne, their chances of winning increase. All in all, Kante versus De Bruyne will be one of the biggest key clashes to this match.

Cesar Azpilicueta vs. Manchester City’s right side

Cesar Azpilicueta will likely start at left back for Chelsea. Marcos Alonso’s performance against Aston Villa was bad and will result in him losing a spot in the team. Azpilicueta generally plays along the entire side of the field.

In this case, he will have to cover either Bernardo Silva or Raheem Sterling. When he is building up the attack from the flank, he will have to go through Kyle Walker or Joao Cancelo. Azpilicueta will need to get those crosses in and play defense for Chelsea to succeed. That left side for the Blues is a pretty vulnerable one so they will need to protect it.

Azpilicueta is not the fastest guy on the pitch but has a lot of strength. He will need to put his body out there to stop someone like Sterling or Silva. Manchester City does well when attacking from the right side to Azpilicueta’s defense will be key in conceding fewer goals.

Likewise, his crossing ability will be key to scoring goals. Having to go through Kyle Walker will be tough, but getting the extra step on him and sending the ball in is all it should take. Azpilicueta sent some good balls into the box in the match against Aston Villa which resulted in two goals. If he can put a few more into the box, a couple more goals should come in favor of Chelsea. Overall, Azpilicueta has quite a task ahead of him in both defending and attacking Manchester City’s right side.

Mason Mount vs. Kyle Walker

Mason Mount is likely to start at left wing for Chelsea and Kyle Walker is likely to start at right back for Manchester City. Both are pretty fast players which is why this clash is an important one. Walker is a good defender while Mount has the skills to dictate the attack.

Mount did very well in Chelsea’s first match of Project Restart. There were many occurrences where he used his speed and skill to his advantage to set up good chances to score. If he can do something similar, it will be all up to whoever is on the receiving end of his pass to finish the shot.
Kyle Walker will also use his defending ability and speed in order to stop Mount. If Mount can go past him, Fernandinho is the last player Mount will have to face. This means Mount can score a solo goal or set up a teammate for the goal. Either way, Walker will need to stop the 21 year old in order to concede fewer goals.

Mount is often included in the Blues’ counter attack, meaning Walker and a Manchester City center back will be their last line of defense. Walker will need to stay focused on Mount as he could set up a goal on the counter. Once again, all Mount has to do is pass by Walker and the chances of scoring a goal became a lot higher. Overall, Mason Mount versus Kyle Walker will be a key clash which potentially could dictate the match.

In Chelsea’s match against Manchester City on Thursday, there are a few key clashes to keep an eye on. To name a few, Kante vs. De Bruyne, Azpilicueta vs. Manchester City’s right side, and Mount vs. Walker. Each of these key clashes plays a part in who will end up victorious. Meaning, both teams will try to make sure the other does not win the clash.