Chelsea vs Man City: 3 Blues who must start

After a blockbuster 4-1 London derby win against Tottenham, Chelsea continue their treacherous run of fixtures to face league leaders Manchester City at Stamford Bridge this Sunday. Out of all matches on the Premier League schedule, this is probably the game Blues fans dread the most. CFC have lost their last six encounters against the Citizens, with the West London outfit’s last win against City coming in their Champions League final win in Porto. That was more than two years ago.

Although the recent history of this fixture doesn’t favor us in the slightest, Man City has lost two of their last five Premier league matches with defeats against Wolves and Arsenal. The Citizens definitely aren’t invincible. Chelsea’s positive progress under Mauricio Pochettino along with the emergence of key players in this Blues side should be enough to try and come out with a positive result at Stamford Bridge.

Three Blues who must start for Chelsea versus Manchester City

Nicolas Jackson

Coming off a hat-trick against Tottenham, Nicolas Jackson is almost guaranteed a start in this game. Yet, his finishing woes still remain a concern for the long term. Prior to his hat trick, the 22-year-old missed some clear chances, with Pochettino even stating that his frontman could’ve scored six. Nevertheless, Jackson will be looking to build his confidence back up and continue strides to remain the Blues leading scorer this season. He can forget scoring against nine men, a goal against the Citizens won’t come easy. His performance will be a huge test for how far his abilities will carry him at CFC.

Cole Palmer

Another game, another goal from the penalty spot for Cole Palmer, adding to his tally of three goals on the season for Chelsea. All of Palmer’s penalties have come at crucial game deciding moments for the west Londoners, his goal against Tottenham in particular was the turning point of that match. The 21-year-old still remains the Blues best creative outlet with four assists this season and his output has undoubtedly made it easier to put him first on the team sheet. For £45m Cole Palmer doesn’t just look like a bargain for Chelsea, but one of the best among Premier League signings made during the summer.

Reece James

Captain Reece James is fully back and it’s showing. The Blues have won their last two encounters that James has started and the right back’s presence both defensively and going forward has been missed.  Against Tottenham, the skipper played a big part in steadying his side after a shaky first couple of minutes.  James’s potency going forward was also crucial to dissecting the Spurs high-line, helping create chances before the away team finally crashed the opposition’s defense.

If Jeremy Doku starts for MCFC, which is likely given he had four assists in his last Premier League outing, our captain will be given one of the hardest defensive tasks of the game. Yet, if there’s anyone capable of physically containing the tricky Belgian winger it’s Reece James. There may be concern about another potential injury setback for the 23-year-old because this could be his third start in a row. However, if James is to continue to build his form back up, he without a doubt needs to be starting in these big games whenever he’s fully available.