City vs Chelsea pre-match thread

[Chrisdunk]

Chelsea are an excellent side let's not underestimate them. I fancy our chances with Guardiola having a weeks preparation though.

 

[citymad]

So, City are in the CL yet rotate players, Chelsea are not in Europe yet have played the same 3-4-3 formation with the same players week in week out since the defeat at FC Rainbow Bottlers. Explain to me then how Chelsea can be at an advantage with player freshness?

Duhhhhh, maybe its sumpfing to do wiv va saterdy to saterdy schedule.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Duhhhhh, maybe its sumpfing to do wiv va saterdy to saterdy schedule.

Embarrassing.

 

[Danish Blue]

Trying to imagine what Pep will come up with for this one. He left the striker out for a couple of games and it didnt work. I think he may think KDB and Silva to start is a luxury. Then there is the Pep wild card.

Ill go out on a limb with

Bravo
Sagna Stones Toure Clichy
Gundagon Ferdinhno
Navas KDB Nolito
Aguero

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Sergio doesn't score them.

Aguero 10 PL goals so far this season, 3 of them penalties. Costa 10 PL goals so far this season, none of them penalties.

 

[journolud]

If we lose this game we won't win the title this year, tough game to call

Agreed, we'll win it next year, around April/ May time.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

I doubt Chelsea will get much better. But City have so much room for improvement under Guardiola because they haven't put in a perfect performance yet. Closest we've come was probably Bournemouth.

Am not sure how that is relevant if (and it's a big if obviously) Chelsea continue to play at the same level they have in the last 7 matches? Chelsea don't need to get much better, they just need not to go backwards.

 

[SWP's back]

Am not sure how that is relevant if (and it's a big if obviously) Chelsea continue to play at the same level they have in the last 7 matches? Chelsea don't need to get much better, they just need not to go backwards.

A tough ask over a whole season.

 

[cibaman]

So, City are in the CL yet rotate players, Chelsea are not in Europe yet have played the same 3-4-3 formation with the same players week in week out since the defeat at FC Rainbow Bottlers. Explain to me then how Chelsea can be at an advantage with player freshness?

They will benefit from an adequate recovery period at the start of the week.

 

[Chippy_boy]

If Chelsea don't sit back and push the fb forward I am confident we can win this.

However, I am not sure these are the tactics Conte will adopt which will obviously make the task more difficult. However, we must try and pass quicker and the midfield needs to support Kun with able runners in the box

Looking forward to the game and time we beat a top 4 rival

I was just about to post exactly this. If Chelsea go toe to toe with us, we can and probably would win imho.

But if they sit back, they are extremely well organised and good at defending and we will struggle to break them down. Inevitably we would end up being caught on the break and looking at our defensive frailties, I think it's unlikely we'd keep a clean sheet if it goes that way.

Bizarrely; our best tactic might be to sit back, let them have the ball, and then him *them* on the break. In a way, a bit like how the Barca game played out

Our defending has looked shaky at times because often we are over extended high up the pitch. When we stay compact and organised we actually do defend pretty well and we have the quality to hurt them if we nick the ball back off them when they are building an attack of their own. Fernandino will be our most important player imho.