Chelsea at Manchester City predicted XI: 3-4-1-2 to exact revenge?

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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City is put under pressure by Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on September 25, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Hakim Ziyech (No. 22) Right wingback, Morocco

Many are convinced Hakim Ziyech has been played at right wingback in recent games. He has the work rate to play there, and he’d have space to distribute the way he wants. Ziyech being lazy is perhaps the biggest myth in world football. It’s so wrong because the Moroccan, for Ajax in the Champions League in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 season, led the team in pressures and pressures per 90. He also led the team in key creation metrics. The numbers are there to prove that Ziyech presses with the best of them, yet some fans still label him lackadaisical. Ziyech has been one of Chelsea’s major creative forces this season, he will be a crucial inclusion against Manchester City.

Mateo Kovacic (No. 8) Central midfielder, Croatia

Mateo Kovacic played against Spurs in midweek and that was probably out of necessity. The Croatian has a skillset that Chelsea simply cannot do without. His distribution is second to none in the squad, and he still leads many creativity metrics amongst the central midfielders.

Jorginho (No. 5) Central midfielder, Italy

Jorginho probably plays because N’Golo Kante is still not fully fit. He played most of the match against Spurs in the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinal. His distribution was superb in that game. The Italian international won most of his duels and helped the Blues keep tight control in midfield.

Marcos Alonso (No. 3) Left wingback, Spain

Marcos Alonso still remains Chelsea’s only fit wingback, if you count Cesar Azpilicueta as a centerback. Alonso has held his own as a left wingback against the best attackers and he gets shocking disrespect. The fact that the Spaniard still starts for Chelsea shows just how resilient he is. He has had a rough go of it from the fans for years, but he has kept his head up and focused on his game, which is a very difficult thing to do with a fanbase as intense as the Blues’. Alonso has played wingback for Chelsea in some very difficult games this year. Couple that with the fact that wingback is already a very difficult position to play and perhaps one can appreciate his work more.

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