MANCHESTER CITY
v
CHELSEA FC
City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
September 25, 2010, 5:15 PM IST
Chelsea will travel to the City of Manchester for an early Saturday afternoon kick-off. In the league, the Londoners have so far overwhelmed the opposition by their brand of electrifying football and they sit comfortably at the top of the table. However, this is the first real test that awaits Carlo Ancelotti’s men. Last season, despite completing a double over their erstwhile big four rivals, Chelsea succumbed to City both home and away.
At Stamford Bridge on February 27th this year, Wayne Bridge humiliated the then beleaguered Chelsea captain by refusing a handshake with him, and then to rub salt on the wounds, City inflicted the first home defeat of the season on Chelsea. The London club was completely outplayed at home.
One of the key battles that could shape the outcome of the match – Tevez v Terry
Since then, Roberto Mancini has brought in further reinforcements to gain entry into the Champions League, and a victory against Chelsea would move them within four points of the visitors. The two Italian managers know each other extremely well because of their stints with the Milan clubs, and would know exactly what to expect.
There’s no club in a better position than Chelsea to understand the kind of pressure the club from Manchester is under, on the back of massive investments from their Abu Dhabi owners. City aspire to reach where Chelsea presently are, and the Roberto Mancini led side faces constant comparisons with the club Roman Abramovich purchased from Ken Bates in 2003. After the takeover, Chelsea finished 2nd in the league in the very first season, while they were crowned league champions in the year after that. On the other hand, City, even after three years of the change in ownership, are yet to achieve anything substantial. There’s a reason for this – the pre-takeover Chelsea was head and shoulders above the pre-takeover Man City. The London club was already playing Champions League, was a strong contender in domestic cup competitions and had a more than decent first team.
Mancini has built his City team as a solid defensive unit, with Yaya Toure, de Jong and Barry occupying the midfield and shielding the defense. A lot will depend on the midfield of both the teams; whichever set of players manages to nullify their opposite numbers, will do a great service to their team. This contest is expected to be a highly physical one, with arguably the two most physically dominant teams in the league pitted against each other.
Team News
Manchester City
City face a defensive crisis of sorts, with just three first team defenders available for selection. Richards (hamstring) and Wright-Phillips (knee) are doubtful for the clash, while Balotelli, Boateng, Bridge, Koralov and Lescott will surely not feature against Chelsea. In all likelihood, Mancini would not tinker with his midfield trio by asking Barry to play at Left-back, rather Milner may be asked to do the defensive duties, with Johnson and Silva playing further up field, along with Carlos Tevez.
Probable Man City Starting Eleven: Hart, Zabeleta, K Toure, Kompany, Milner, Y Toure, de Jong, Barry, Silva, Tevez, Johnson
Chelsea FC
In the Carling Cup 3rd Round match against Newcastle United, Chelsea not just lost the mach despite putting in a brave performance, but also lost Kalou, Benayoun and Kakuta to injuries. The seriousness of the injuries is not yet known, but they would certainly not feature this weekend, leaving Chelsea’s bench considerably thin. The Blues suffered another setback when Lampard, who was on his way to recovery, was ruled out for three games. Terry is most likely to return to partner Alex in the center of defense, while Ancelotti is expected to recall Ivanovic and Cole, after a much needed midweek break. The rest of the positions on the field will be filled by the usual suspects, with Ramires coming in for the injured Lampard.
Possible Chelsea Starting Eleven: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Essien, Ramires, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka
Key Facts
1. Prior to the last season’s double, Man City had just won two of the 24 previous Premier League encounters with Chelsea.
2. No other team has been more successful at Manchester City than Chelsea (10 wins).
TheHardTackle’s PLAYER TO WATCH OUT FOR
John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
Mikel has been one of the best passers in the Premier League this season having completed 299 out of 310 passes that he had attempted – a pass completion rate of 96%. In addition to his defensive duties, he has added a new dimension to his game offensively, rather Carlo Ancelotti has backed him to express himself more on the pitch. This has just widened his horizon and increased his passing range. For Chelsea to do well in this match, Mikel, along with Essien, has to be at the top of his game – shielding the defense, breaking up the opposition’s play and then spreading the ball for the forwards. He has to keep the midfield ticking, and at the same time nullify the likes of Yaya, Barry and de Jong.
TheHardTackle’s PREDICTION
Manchester City 2 – 2 Chelsea FC
TheHardTackle’s BLAST FROM THE PAST
Will Chelsea avenge the twin losses suffered last season or will City be too strong for the visitors? Whatever be the result, we’re are in for one wild encounter!