Chelsea Vs Man City (PL) Sat 30 Sep 2017 KO 17:30 GMT

Have opened up this thread despite us playing AM Wednesday, BIG week of football.

Will need to approach this cautiously. They will play us off the park if we go all out, a 3-5-2 is a must. 

City's fullbacks will be dangerous, please Alonso don't get turned over easily. 

It will also depend on how tired the lads are after travelling back from Madrid, with only two days rest. Toughest week of the season so far. I feel like if Bakayoko steps up and makes those forward runs, we can cause them a lot of problems. No one's been able to stop him (Spurs, Arsenal) whenever he makes those runs. 

 

De Bruyne and Silva will carve us open if we don't pay attention. Their final balls have been devastating so far this season. Insane crosses, through balls etc

Edited September 24, 20178 yr by zes

Think we're going to need to play an Ultra-Defensive style here and hit them on the counter, I'd even take a draw, although I think we have the possibility of winning if we play our cards right.

3511

                      Thibaut

              Azpi Christensen Rudiger

       Moses Bakayoko Cesc Kante Alonso

                        Hazard

                        Morata

Remember Liverpool caused them all sorts of problems before Mane got sent off. Not convinced they're solid at the back. Mane and Salah got in behind on multiple occasions in the opening 30 minutes. Releasing the ball quickly to Hazard/Morata is key. 

I reckon it's a choice between Fabregas and Pedro/Willian for this game, I can see Conte opting for Pedro. One of the main strengths of City this season are the wingbacks and with Pedro & Hazard playing I'll be surprised if they bombed forward at every given opportunity, however if we go with Fabregas I can actually see us struggle to control the width the wingbacks will provide them with.

We have to respect City's attack on this one.

I actually felt we got very lucky in our first game against them last season, even the second game they missed good chances. I really doubt they're going to be that unlucky a 3rd time, Baka-Kante midfield is a must, but we all know it should be a 3 man midfield. 

This is where City hit the brick wall, we're stopping their form here.

 

3-1

This where playing Morata 3 games in a week is gunna cost us. Morata would have been subbed Sunday  except for Alonso    The price will be paid Sunday. On the positive side we do preserve Alonso’s legs a bit  

Citeh play  at home a day earlier 

I think we have to take this and the Athletico game as a pair and more or less park the bus and hope for some Hazard inspired breakaway magic  

thats a negative approach I know but these are tough games one after the other  

 

Play City after Atletico is very complicated for us. Mostly than our players will be tired after Atletico. 

It's will be tough, but we will can make this. Massive game for a massime team !

Really hope we take some points away from this, would love to inflict the first defeat on one of the Manchester teams, especially as I'll be watching it up here. Going to have to deal with a lot of pressure but the defence is looking pretty solid and we're always dangerous on the counter. I'd take a draw considering our midweek game but always hopeful for a win. 

Contrary to last year i don't think City have clear glaring weaknesses this season but we have to test their defence on saturday. Don't think we should go ultra defensive against all the offensive talent they have.

1 hour ago, Sindre said:

Contrary to last year i don't think City have clear glaring weaknesses this season but we have to test their defence on saturday. Don't think we should go ultra defensive against all the offensive talent they have.

I'd argue that in a purely defensive ability sense they are weaker than last season, but that said given they are better offensively are likely to be tested less defensively.

On another day Palace could have score 3 against them at the weekend.

We will be given chances and its up to us to take them and we will have to if we are to get anything from the game as I really can't see us keeping a clean sheet.   

Edited September 25, 20178 yr by PedroMendez

Let them worry about us, they are coming to our playground, Kante and Baka to win midfield will be key.

This game being after the trip to atletico is as rotten as our home form in the league. Hard game. 2-2 or 2-3 city.

Hopefully i am wrong and we play a blinder. Anything less and is more dropped points at home.

Got a bad feeling about this fixture, hopefully I am wrong!

Can't wait. Will be a great game to watch,glad I'll be there. On a different note, look at the masses of west brom fans stopping gooners getting in tonight!!!!

This will, I think,be a vital game. Even this early in the season.

City look a better all round side than of last season.

Happily take a 1-0 win. Dead right I would.

We are the home side, City look good but I’m strangely confident. It will be tight but I reckon we will edge it. 

Ok so how about this, although Athletico will be a tough game and there will be some tiredness it will also mean the team are playing at top level against city. In boxing this would be like fighting top opponents in a row where it actually can up your level.

Not ideal to be playing a tough midweek away game against Athleti, then playing city few days after but hopefully positive results in both. We need to win our home games against the top teams if we are to win the league...City scoring goals for fun at the moment but we are defensively strong & we have the quality to soak up the pressures and cause them problems up top..if we take our chances which we will have, then we can win this.

Never forget that City have had one fisrt half-time against Liverpool where they been dominated particulary due to their defense, because in front they had good striker like Salah, Mané... In their others games the strikers been not as strong... Even in the first half-time against Palace last week, Palace have had opportunities. (Thank's Loftus Cheek by the way)

Their defenses are their weakness !

City seem to go into games knowing they will give their opponents chances but confident they will score a sh*t-load every game so it doesn't matter. And up to now it's worked so it's hard to argue.

We are going to have to be at the very top of our game and for all the players to be mentally strong to get anything out of this one. A classic 4-3 win would do me!!

Edited September 26, 20178 yr by Nibs

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11053825/kyle-walker-says-manchester-city-fear-no-one 

They're getting cocky, that's always their downfall. I hope we put up a solid defensive display and counter attack the sh*t out of them, we've done it before we can do it again but if we try to outplay them however this could end up badly. 

Edited September 26, 20178 yr by Slojo

I am calling it. 

2-0 to us.