Chelsea vs Manchester City: Predicted line-ups and latest news
Today, the matches of the first round of the English Premier League continue, with the highlight of the weekend being the clash between the reigning champions and top favorites of the current campaign, Manchester City, who will travel to face Chelsea.
This summer, the London club surprised everyone with their activity in the transfer market. The Blues have already spent €189 million on new signings, and it’s unclear if they plan to stop there. The team embarked on a pre-season tour of the USA, playing six friendly matches but managing to win only one, against Mexican side Club América. Chelsea conceded a total of thirteen goals across all their friendlies.
For Manchester City, the new season started earlier. Last Saturday, on August 10th, they played the Community Shield against Manchester United, securing victory in a penalty shootout. The Citizens are widely regarded as the prime contenders for the Premier League title once again. They, too, spent their summer in the USA, where they played four matches, winning only one. They suffered defeats against Celtic, Milan, and Barcelona, conceding a total of nine goals.
Notably, these teams faced each other in a friendly during the pre-season, where the English champions triumphed with a commanding 4-2 victory.
It’s rather challenging to predict the lineup that Chelsea’s new coach, Enzo Maresca, might deploy, given the abundance of options at his disposal. However, it is certain that he will be without Conor Gallagher, who is recovering from injury. Pep Guardiola also faces similar concerns ahead of the match. Oscar Bobb is nursing a leg injury, and Rodri's participation remains doubtful.
At the pre-match press conference, Chelsea’s head coach Enzo Maresca urged fans to be prepared for a range of results from the team.
“There may be games where you see the team performing very well, and then the level may drop slightly in the next match. But the more we work together, the more consistent we become in what we do.”
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, confirmed Bobb's injury, stating that it occurred during training, and the player now faces surgery and a recovery period of at least three to four months.
“It happened during training, and unfortunately, he sustained a serious injury. He will need surgery. We hope he recovers and returns to us as soon as possible, in three or four months.
We are very saddened by this, not because of his incredible pre-season, as that doesn’t matter. When an injury is long-term, it becomes a problem, and we eagerly await his return.
We wish him a speedy recovery, that’s all.”
Surely, the managers will field their strongest players in an effort to secure points in the opening match of the season. The Dailysports team has prepared the probable starting lineups for both sides.
Predicted Chelsea line-up
Jørgensen - Cucurella, Badiashile, Colwill, Gusto - Lavia, Fernández - Mudryk, Palmer, Madueke - Nkunku
Predicted Manchester City line-up
Ederson - Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Lewis - Kovačić, O'Riley - Doku, De Bruyne, Silva - Haaland
Remember, the match kicks off today at 18:30 Central European Time. The Dailysports team has provided information on where you can watch the match in your country.
Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
