Chelsea (A) - Sun 18th Aug, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[Backy]

I'd pick that team too but put Akanji at RB and bring in Ake.
That's harsh on Rico but we need to play our best available defensive players.

Ederson

Akanji
Dias
Ake
Gvardiol

Bernardo
Kovacic

Bobb
KDB
Doku

Haaland

3-1 to us.

That's the one for me.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Be good to get this out the way early doors.

If these click this season they’ll be a proper firm.

 

[chickaroon]

Eddie; Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Lewis; Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo; Doku (Grealish if fit), Haaland, Bobb


maresca's chelsea play very gung ho and at times are very open...we'll get our chances for sure it's just a matter of taking them. we also got these half-chances in transition vs the rags but a lot of the time it was falling to o'reilly and i reckon if we have KDB in those spots the story could be very different on sunday...it'll be very tough though and the first time in absolutely ages city play on my birthday so the stakes are high!

I agree, Kevin was only on for 5mins and he showed what we had been missing. On the few times we broke on them, he would have made the right pass.

 

[Heath Park]

De Bruyne is different gravy!

 

[Frank the Yank]

Really good player but Christ the lad always seems to be injured.

Thought he was suspended for the first two games anyway..

 

[lasereyes]

Akanji for Lewis, Rodri for McAtee, Bernie for Bobb & Jack for Doku if fit - otherwise pretty close ;-)

Dropping Bobb doesnt make sense: our best player in all pre-season games. Jack is not fully fit per Pep. And cant see Rodri starting when he only arrived back today; bench maybe. Otherwise you're pretty close ...

 

[TinFoilHat]

I have this feeling we're going to get our GD up on the first weekend.

5-1 City

Interesting to see if Eddie or Stefan starts.

 

[dadnlad]

Clear and obvious

 

[SSL2]

 

[supercity88]

Chelsea are there for the taking. They're not going to abandon their approach of playing out from the back, they're just not showing any signs of being comfortable doing it yet. It was good to see the likes of Dias, Akanji, Bernardo and De Bruyne all come in and get minutes at the weekend. De Bruyne looked like he had that initial pace back.

However, I'd imagine Pep still wants to protect the players and will blood them slowly over the first few games with a view to having them ready to go against West Ham in the third game of the season.

I can see it being the same 11 as started the Community Shield but for Bernardo playing ahead of O'Reilly and De Bruyne coming on for McAtee at some point in the second half.

Ederson
Rico
Dias
Akanji
Gvardiol
Kovacic
Bernie
McAtee
Bobb
Doku
Haaland