Chelsea vs Manchester City: Predicting City's Starting 11

Monday morning at 3 o'clock Sydney time, Chelsea lock horns with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. The match is huge in deciding who earns a top 4 spot and who misses out on CL football. In this article, I will try to predict Man City’s starting 11.

First off, the Goalkeeper is a no-brainer. Joe Hart has this locked down even when Shay Given is fit, so with Given out, only Stu Taylor can provide a challenge. Joe Hart to start.

The back four will be as follows:

RB: Micah Richards - The fullback is in sensational form.

RCB: Vincent Kompany - City’s best defender and one of the Premier League’s finest.

LCB: Joleon Lescott - Enjoying an extended run in the team due to Kolo Toure’s absence and is building a solid partnership with VK.

LB: Pablo Zabaleta - One would think Aleksander Kolarov would start, but Mancini does not seem to trust him in the bigger games. Zabaleta is a good fullback and never lets the gaffer down.

In midfield, it is basically a certainty who will start. Nigel De Jong will be City’s destroyer as per usual, Gareth Barry will sit a little ahead of him spraying passes and breaking up play, whilst Yaya Toure will sit in his box-to-box role.

The forward line is very much up for discussion. Bar injury, captain Carlos Tevez will definitely start, as will Spaniard David Silva. As for the third spot, it’s a toss-up between Adam Johnson, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli.

I think Dzeko will start. The Bosnian is big, and City need an aerial presence against David Luiz and John Terry, and City’s other strikers don’t bring this, not even Balotelli.

Johnson will most definitely come off the bench. Balotelli does not deserve to start after his stupid foul cost Manchester City the Europa League in midweek.