Chelsea FC v Manchester City - Premier League - Sunday 3rd January 2021- KO 16:30 GMT -Premier League Match Preview and MDT | Vital Football

Chelsea FC v Manchester City - Premier League - Sunday 3rd January 2021- KO 16:30 GMT -Premier League Match Preview and MDT

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear

Alert Team
Happy Blue Year Everyone
A very Happy New Year to all our VMC City fans and to City fans all over the World and of course we extend that to everyone and hope that you can all stay safe and well. We extend the wishes our best to those on the front line who put the lives at risk every day.
At the time of writing this small offering, City has no new cases reported and have given the go ahead to resume training, which means that Sunday's game against Chelsea will be played as planned and I am sure that Frank Lampard will want to get his team back on track as much as Pep Guardiola would love to climb a few more places up the table, what we all hope is that neither of the teams reports any player or staff returning a positive Covid-19 test.

Team News
Apart from Eric Garcia, who may or may not be a part of the team this January, the postponed game against Everton has given us the chance to get anyone with slight doubts, to be fit and well to resume in the squad, however Gabby Jesus, Kyle Walker and now Fernandinho are all in self isolation, but it is not known at this stage who else in the squad has been affected.

Beat the Pep
Steffens
Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Ake
Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, Sterling,Bernardo
Aguero

Match Officials
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn.
Fourth official: Peter Bankes.
VAR: Mike Dean. Assistant VAR: Darren Cann.

NEXT
Them v US - Carabao Cup Semi-Final (1 leg only with extra time and penalties if no winner)
KO: 19:45 Old Toilet
on Telly- Sky
 
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Fernie is one of the latest affected?

In the possible absence of any available right backs, I was thinking Pep might go left field and play him there. Oh well.
 
Thanks for your kind words Buzz, hope the game does happen. Thought Ferna had had the bug before, maybe I am wrong. This is another must win game with the Dippers and Rags leading the field.
 
Things are a little better as Tommy Doyle has confirmed on Social Media that he has tested positive, so we could be only four down and not five, and Cancelo may indeed be fit along with Torres

So I might just alter my team in beat the Pep just after the team is announced.
 
XI: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), Foden, Bernardo, Sterling.

SUBS: Carson, Agüero, Mendy, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Delap, Harwood-Bellis, Mbete.
 
Hmmm. No Laporte although he is not reported on the OS as being one of those who has tested positive? That has me puzzled (unless he has an injury?)

”Eric Garcia, Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker all miss out as expected due to positive Coronavirus tests, whilst there is no place for Aymeric Laporte.”​
​
Mendy included despite his breach.
 
'Huge test for City'
Club journalist David Clayton: "The recent Coronavirus outbreak at City robs Pep Guardiola of six first team players at the busiest time on the calendar.

"It will limit who Pep can rotate in the coming weeks, with another big test against Manchester United to come on Wednesday. It seems inevitable that some of our talented youngsters will be called upon against Birmingham next Sunday and by the time we face Brighton on January 13, hopefully, some of our missing stars will be available again.

"Back-to-back away games at Chelsea and United would not have been the choice of any clubs denied of so many important players, but as the boss says, there is nothing that can be done other than getting on with the job in hand."
 
'Cancelo plays like a No.8'
How good has Joao Cancelo been in recent weeks? The Portugal international has been one of our most consistent performers and Nedum Onuoha believes he is reaping the rewards of playing in a system that suits him perfectly:

"With Cancelo benign allowed to go higher, one thing that’s really impressed me is, in the past I’ve seen a full-back go and play in midfield but against Newcastle he was playing like an 8. He was on the other side of their midfielders.

"I’ll be honest from my times playing full back, I don’t want to be there, but for someone like him who is a very good attacking prospect, to be able to find those pockets and stand in those pockets and know the ball can come, that really suits his game."
 
Commentary By John Edwards @ManCity
16:13
Stat pack 📈
🔹 None of our past 10 league meetings with Chelsea have ended in a draw.
🔹 We have lost 26 Premier League games versus Chelsea, more than against any other side.
🔹 We are unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions, winning seven and drawing three.
🔹 Victory would see us record three consecutive league wins for the first time this season.
🔹 We have kept 13 clean sheets in all competitions this season, more than any other team in the top five European leagues.
🔹 Sergio Aguero has scored 10 goals in his last nine appearances against Chelsea. However, he is currently on a 10-game goalless Premier League run.

(City's version of the same stats Skoorb, notice the difference)
 
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