Chelsea (H) | Pre-Match Thread

[SkyBlueCanuck]

If Chelsea go through to the final, I'm with the Blues who wouldn't risk any player who starts for us in Istanbul.
I could just imagine KDB getting taken out and the player who does it becoming a Chelsea folk-hero. We don't need any bullseyes painted on our players.

 

[mccity]

I don't think it really matters if we fail to beat Chelsea, as far as the CL final would be concerned on a psychological level. In 2019 we battered them 6-0, and then in the league cup final a few weeks later they put in a really good performance against us.

What might be relevant is the tactical side of things.

 

[CityEssex49er]

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[ninjamonkey]

Overthinking it mate.
Let's just go large.
Win the game.
Win the title.
Keep the rent boys slogging it out for top four place.

Get what your saying but Pep is an overthinker, he will want every tiny advantage possible. Not giving them a chance of a psychological boost and not giving Tuchel any experience of playing against our best side before a potential final are two key factors

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

We may rotate, but it won't be more than half the team as I suspect City might do. We'll rotate the forwards as they have been regularly rotating anyway, so whoever out of Havertz, Werner, Ziyech, Pulisic etc don't start tonight will likely start the City game. If you make 7-8 changes and we make, say, 4 which was the amount of changes we made for the cup semi then I'd make us favourites for the game, especially considering the fact you have all but mathematically sewn up the title anyway.

Decent summary.
Good to know supporters from other clubs can actually contribute to a sensible discussion
Good luck for tonight, tough game to call, not so much at the weekend ;)

 

[lionheart]

I hope we see vintage Real tonight.

Preferably with a couple of red cards.

 

[ancoats]

play the ladies vs chelsea ? in fact play them for the rest of the season and city still win the league

 

[paulchapo]

If Chelsea win tonight I expect lots of changes. If they lose Pep may go stronger but you never know with him he's full of surprises. Once the title is won surely our key players will be put in cotton wool and rested? It's a good chance for the players not currently considered first choice to have four games to get some form back and stake a place for the final

 

[MarsLlama]

I want to see us play an unchanged XI (maybe Laporte, Agüero, Ferran, Sterling or Rodri can come in), especially if Chelsea win tonight. Then we can play as weak a side as we like against Newcastle.

If the CL final is to be us vs them, we want all the mental advantage we can get.

 

[Vialli98]

Decent summary.
Good to know supporters from other clubs can actually contribute to a sensible discussion
Good luck for tonight, tough game to call, not so much at the weekend ;)

Thanks mate, always been made to feel welcome on this site.

I can appreciate you lot would rather face Real Madrid than another club from the same country, it's the reason I was rooting for Dortmund and PSG. Well that, and the fact that City are, at worst, the 2nd best team in Europe but most likely the actual best team in Europe.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Thanks mate, always been made to feel welcome on this site.

I can appreciate you lot would rather face Real Madrid than another club from the same country, it's the reason I was rooting for Dortmund and PSG. Well that, and the fact that City are, at worst, the 2nd best team in Europe but most likely the actual best team in Europe.

For me,its not about the different country,its the fact its Real Madrid.Clearly they aren't the unstoppable power they once were.....but they are still a very fine outfit and they are European Royalty.

Thats the team i want us to beat,and the one applauding us when we lift the trophy!

 

[Vialli98]

For me,its not about the different country,its the fact its Real Madrid.Clearly they aren't the unstoppable power they once were.....but they are still a very fine outfit and they are European Royalty.

Thats the team i want us to beat,and the one applauding us when we lift the trophy!

Beating Real Madrid in a European cup final would definitely be more iconic for you than beating Chelsea. I can agree with that. We'll do our best to ruin that dream for you :)

 

[FantasyIreland]

Beating Real Madrid in a European cup final would definitely be more iconic for you than beating Chelsea. I can agree with that. We'll do our best to ruin that dream for you :)

Cheers,glad you didn't see that as disrespectful as it absolutely isn't.

So,despite my desire, i will wish you the best of luck tonight!

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

Thanks mate, always been made to feel welcome on this site.

I can appreciate you lot would rather face Real Madrid than another club from the same country, it's the reason I was rooting for Dortmund and PSG. Well that, and the fact that City are, at worst, the 2nd best team in Europe but most likely the actual best team in Europe.

Good to hear sir.
Yeah it's tough sometimes in Europe, I won't be rooting for Real though as I hate everything they stand for - worse still after the ESL debacle, I honestly believe both City and Chelsea were strong armed by the fear of missing out on the best players.
Would be different if it were an earlier round, as I love to travel for European nights (not this season obviously) and I've seen plenty of London :D
(Vialli was quality btw - player and manager wise)

 

[MarsLlama]

Beating Real Madrid in a European cup final would definitely be more iconic for you than beating Chelsea. I can agree with that. We'll do our best to ruin that dream for you :)

That is true, but I do also think City have a better chance of beating Madrid than Chelsea. Tuchel has you very well-organised and I could easily see you winning 1-0.

 

[Vialli98]

Cheers,glad you didn't see that as disrespectful as it absolutely isn't.

So,despite my desire, i will wish you the best of luck tonight!

I was secretly hoping for Bayern to make it out of that side of the draw for similar reasons but also because a City-Chelsea will just dominated by talk of money in football and less about the quality of the two teams.

Thanks mate. I'm genuinely bricking it the closer we get to kick-off.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I was secretly hoping for Bayern to make it out of that side of the draw for similar reasons but also because a City-Chelsea will just dominated by talk of money in football and less about the quality of the two teams.

Thanks mate. I'm genuinely bricking it the closer we get to kick-off.

Its gonna be a tight game,wouldnt be surprised with ET.,

 

[Vialli98]

Good to hear sir.
Yeah it's tough sometimes in Europe, I won't be rooting for Real though as I hate everything they stand for - worse still after the ESL debacle, I honestly believe both City and Chelsea were strong armed by the fear of missing out on the best players.
Would be different if it were an earlier round, as I love to travel for European nights (not this season obviously) and I've seen plenty of London :D
(Vialli was quality btw - player and manager wise)

Yeah I'm convinced Chelsea and City wanted nothing to do with it but they couldn't really sit back and not participate in case the ESL ended up being a success.

I generally do not like playing English teams in Europe. Would rather face a juggernaut like Bayern than Spurs for example, even though we'd likely knockout Spurs 8 times out of 10.

 

[Vialli98]

That is true, but I do also think City have a better chance of beating Madrid than Chelsea. Tuchel has you very well-organised and I could easily see you winning 1-0.

I could not see us 'easily' winning 1-0 :) but yes I definitely fancy our chances against anyone, and if we get past Real Madrid and beat City in the final, we'd have beaten the best team in Europe in the final and that is something to be proud of.

 

[MarsLlama]

Agree,and hope.Also,obviously dependant on tonight,i'd rather not their very capable manager get a close up view of what he needs to counter and stop.

Could have done without this fixture in truth.

With the vast amount of footage he can and will review ahead of the CL final, I don't think there's much he could find out on Saturday that he wouldn't learn anyway.