Chelsea vs Manchester City predicted XI: Mendy back in goal
By Anthony Gatt
Manchester City will make the trip to Stamford Bridge for an early Saturday kickoff. The Citizens will take on Chelsea for the first time since the Champions League final, in which this time they will hope to be winning side at full time. The Blues will be in full confidence to win tomorrow though with recent history in their favor. The opportunity to gain a six-point gap over their title rivals makes this match even bigger than it already looks to be.
Both sides have some injuries and some starters confirmed to return. Here is who The Pride of London expects to be in the starting XI against Man City:
Edouard Mendy (No.16) Goalkeeper, Senegal
It has been confirmed by Thomas Tuchel that Edouard Mendy will return from injury after missing the last two matches. The injury caught a lot of people by surprise when the news broke before the Tottenham match that he wasn’t going to be in the squad. Luckily, the injury seemingly was only minor and he will return for a match like this, which is of great importance. Let’s hope he can pick up where he left off with another clean sheet and Man of the Match performance.
Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right centerback, Spain
The captain will be moved back into right centerback for this match after he played right wingback last weekend against Tottenham. The pace of the Man City wingers will factor into Tuchel’s selection with him opting for wingbacks with more pace. Therefore, Cesar Azpilicueta will relied less in the attack, rather organizing his defense and making sure nothing gets through.
Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Centerback, Denmark
A lot of people may have opted for Thiago Silva due to his Man of the Match performance against Tottenham but I think Andreas Christensen will get the nod to play in the middle of the defense on Saturday. Christensen has been absolutely fantastic since Tuchel has arrived and has made himself a mainstay in this defense. That continues to be the case against Man City.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany
After his heroic performance in the Champions League final, Antonio Rudiger has been the first name on the team sheet every matchday for both club and country. His energy and composure pumps the entire team up and they will be much needed versus Man City, as a lot of players looking to get revenge for what happened in Porto. His goal last weekend makes him a threat on both sides of the pitch and I am sure he will cause City some problems.