Predicted Starting Line-Up: Manchester City vs Chelsea (Premier League) | OneFootball

Manchester City’s next challenge comes in the form of a Chelsea side playing their first match since the dismissal of manager and former Etihad assistant coach, Enzo Maresca.

Thursday evening saw Pep Guardiola’s side face a Sunderland side who had gone unbeaten at home throughout this season so far, and a record that would remain standing with the contest ending in a 0-0 draw.

The Blues threw everything at the hosts and were extremely unlucky to not take the lead with clear cut chances in both halves. It was Sunderland who started on the front foot though, with six shots to Manchester City’s two in the first half.

The story was vastly different in the second half, as the return of both Rodri and Jeremy Doku – after injuries to Nico and Savinho – saw the balance swing entirely in City’s favour. Guardiola’s men would go on to have 12 shots to Sunderland’s four in the second 45.

While frustration was the prevailing emotion among supporters, there was plenty to take encouragement from. Pep Guardiola’s post-match assessment summed it up succinctly: Manchester City did not lose two points, they won one.

It was a hard-fought draw against a side yet to be beaten at home, and while many will dwell on missed chances like Erling Haaland’s shot straight at the keeper or Savinho’s efforts, it’s well worth focusing on the level of control maintained particularly in the latter stages.

An expected goals tally of 2.24 and 68% ball possession suggest that perhaps on another day, the outcome could have been very different, with clear signs of promise for Manchester City despite the result.

Next up for City is a struggling Chelsea side, who enter this fixture without a permanent manager. Under-21 boss Calum McFarlane will take charge of the fifth-placed side, with the interim having previously served as assistant of City’s Under-18s between 2021 and 2023.

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 3-1 victory for Manchester City, with goals from Joško Gvardiol, Erling Haaland, and Phil Foden overturning Noni Madueke’s third-minute opener.

Chelsea have won just one of their last five matches, and when coupled with Manchester City’s strong performance on Thursday night, the fixture shapes up as an intriguing prospect. That said, McFarlane remains something of an unknown quantity and new-manager bounces are not uncommon.

Here’s how we predict Manchester City will line up on Sunday afternoon!

Predicted XI

Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero once more on Thursday with a big save to deny Brian Brobbey just before the 20th minute. The former Milan man kept his eighth Premier League clean sheet in 16 matches, leaving him just one away from the top of the Golden Glove race.

The draw also marked yet another stand-out performance for Matheus Nunes. Once again, no one made more touches than the Portuguese defender’s 133, or completed more passes than his 92.

The 27-year-old has made himself indispensable to Pep Guardiola’s side, continuing to justify the manager’s decision to place his trust in him. With Chelsea boasting an array of talented wingers including Cole Palmer, Nunes has proved he is more than up to the challenge.

Nobody has played more minutes for Manchester City this season than Ruben Dias (1,906), and for good reason. The 28-year-old has been a rock at the back, and has been at the heart of the Blues’ defensive improvements – often acting alone to allow his partner more freedom in build-up play.

Dias is likely to be joined by Josko Gvardiol, who was incredibly unlucky not to grab himself a goal against Sunderland as he found himself in the opposition box for the majority of the second-half. The partnership will have their work cut out against a side with a point to prove.

Nico O’Reilly endured a quieter outing midweek, at least by his own high standards. However, he has consistently impressed at the highest level, and it would feel counter-productive to consider dropping the Englishman when even his less influential performances remain far from poor.

With Nico going down injured in the first-half of Thursday’s encounter, Rodri could be in line to make his long awaited return to the Manchester City starting line-up. The Spaniard’s impact was immediately evident upon his introduction from the bench against Sunderland, acting as the metronome in a dominant second-half display.

It was also a showing that served as a timely reminder of Rodri’s supreme quality. While Nico would be unfortunate to lose his place after an outstanding campaign to date, the injury suggests that a period of rest may now be overdue.

Bernardo Silva has been a mainstay in the line-up, and his versatility in midfield has given teammates free-reign to roam across the final third which could help the Blues to capitalise on the suspension of Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo. His experience continues to prove vital with City unbeaten in the last nine matches, and the captain having started all nine.

Tijjani Reijnders did not feature in the starting XI last time out, but with two goals and an assist in his last three starts, a game as big as this could be the perfect time for the Dutchman to return to the starting line-up.

Reijnders did fail to score with a chance in the dying seconds against Sunderland, but the fact he managed to get a clear cut chance in just five minutes on the pitch highlights his value to City’s attacking efforts in recent fixtures.

Rayan Cherki’s inclusion feels almost guaranteed. No player in the Premier League has recorded more assists than the 22-year-old’s seven, averaging an impressive 0.84 per game.

The draw with Sunderland also highlighted a notable improvement in his work without the ball, with Cherki completing more tackles than any other player (four). While his attacking qualities rightly draw headlines, increased defensive contributions will only strengthen his standing in the eyes of Pep Guardiola.

Erling Haaland has scored four goals in five starts against Chelsea, an extremely impressive record against a top side. The Norwegian striker has, however, gone goalless in his last two matches – his second longest run this season. Chelsea have only managed one clean sheet in their last five games, and nobody will be more aware of that than Haaland himself.

Phil Foden’s recent performances seem to have somewhat flown under the radar, likely due to a lack of direct goal involvements, but he continues to put in some extremely well rounded performances week in week out.

The 25-year-old has become far more than just an attacking threat, and his contributions are less limited to the final third than they have been previously, and the entire team benefits. With Jeremy Doku having only returned from injury, it’s unlikely he’ll be risked right from the start, and Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki have showed they’re more than up to the task of covering wide areas.

Starting XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri, Bernardo (C), Reijnders; Cherki, Haaland, Foden.

Substitutes: Trafford, Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Nico, Gray, Mukasa, Doku, R. Heskey.