Chelsea vs Man City: 5 things to look out for

The Premier League makes its highly anticipated return this weekend after nearly three months, with Chelsea facing a daunting start. On Sunday, the Blues will host the defending champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. This match marks the official debut of Chelsea's new head coach, Enzo Maresca, who will be up against the same team where he served as part of the coaching staff only 18 months ago.

Here are five Key points to watch in the match

1. Starting Formation

One of the most discussed topics leading up to the match is Chelsea's potential lineup. It is expected that Maresca will opt for a 4-3-3 formation, with one fullback inverting into midfield, transitioning into a 3-2-2-3 shape during possession. Fans have also noticed that the Blues occasionally adopt a 4-1-2-3 formation, with Romeo Lavia playing the pivot role. Additionally, the team has at times appeared in a 3-2-4-1 setup, a formation Pep Guardiola utilized at Manchester City last season.

So far, results regarding these formation shifts have been mixed. Although fans haven’t seen a fully fluid attack, the signs are promising from an offensive perspective. With Cole Palmer expected to be a match-fit soon, the attacking dynamic should improve. Palmer already demonstrated great chemistry with Nicolas Jackson last season. Once this duo, along with Christopher Nkunku, who saw the most minutes in the preseason, hits their stride, fireworks are sure to follow.

On the defensive end, however, there are still concerns. Except for Axel Disasi, who was sidelined with an injury, most players have seen preseason action. Despite this, even in the final match against Inter Milan, it was evident that Maresca’s tactical vision is still a work in progress. Among the goalkeepers, Robert Sanchez should start ahead of Filip Jörgensen. The large gaps between the back three when a fullback moves into midfield remain a vulnerability, which could lead to the kind of defensive lapses fans witnessed last season under Mauricio Pochettino.

2. Match Fitness of Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella

Cole Palmer was Chelsea's standout player last season, contributing significantly with goals and assists. Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella emerged as a key figure towards the end of the 2023-24 season, earning a call-up to the Spanish squad for the Euros, where he played a crucial role in their victory. Palmer also made headlines by scoring for England in the final of the same tournament. Both players arrived late to preseason due to their Euro exploits and missed the U.S. tour.

Despite Reece James and Malo Gusto attempting the inverted fullback role, Cucurella appears to be a natural fit. In his brief appearance against Milan, he looked comfortable in the position despite it being his first preseason outing. Palmer, too, seemed eager to make an impact and showed his readiness. Under normal circumstances, both would be automatic starters and given their recent integration into the squad, it's likely they will start, even if not for the full 90 minutes.

3. The Center-Back Pairing

Just as Cucurella is expected to start at left-back, Malo Gusto is likely to start at right-back. Captain Reece James is sidelined by injury and suspended due to a red card from last season. Ben Chilwell doesn’t seem to fit into Maresca’s system presently. Gusto and Cucurella started in Chelsea’s final preseason match, indicating that Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill could be the starting center-backs.

The jury is still out on Chelsea’s center-backs from preseason. Among the other three, Axel Disasi made the bench for the first time. Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile made second-half appearances against Inter Milan. All are still adapting to Maresca’s tactics, and none have fully impressed. Fans are concerned about the errors and lapses in concentration these players have shown. It remains to be seen how they will perform and whether Chelsea will dip into the transfer market if improvements aren’t made before the window closes.

4. Midfield and Wings

From the preseason matches, it seems likely that Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernández will start in central midfield against Manchester City with the Argentine expected to captain the side in the absence of Reece James. The rest of the lineup will depend on Maresca’s tactical approach. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Moises Caicedo are in contention to start alongside Lavia and Fernández. Dewsbury-Hall is familiar with Maresca’s system, having played under him at Leicester City last season while Caicedo has been one of Chelsea’s most improved players, bringing energy and dynamism to the midfield. Lesley Ugochukwu, who scored twice as a substitute in preseason, seems destined for a bench role and might even be loaned out for more game time.

If the Inter Milan match is anything to go by, Dewsbury-Hall could start against City, either as a #8 or #10. If Palmer is fit, he and Nkunku should round out the trio behind the striker, with Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, and new arrival Pedro Neto likely starting on the bench.

5. Will Marc Guiu Retain His Place?

The injury to Nicolas Jackson and the poor form of Armando Broja have given young Spaniard Marc Guiu a chance to impress both Maresca and the fans. Although he only scored once, his work rate has garnered significant praise. Initially expected to be loaned out, Guiu now looks likely to stay. Jackson returned from injury as a second-half substitute against Inter last Sunday.

Based on experience, Jackson should start, but his lack of match fitness and recent injury might be considered. Maresca needs to think about the UEFA Conference League qualifying match against Servette on Thursday as well. Starting Guiu could offer Chelsea a chance to attack with a relatively unknown but settled player who might catch Manchester City by surprise.

As the day approaches, it will be fascinating to see how things unfold. There could still be new signings who might slot straight into the starting XI or onto the bench. While Manchester City remains the favorite, any result that avoids a heavy defeat against Guardiola’s side could be seen as a positive in these early days under Enzo Maresca.