Chelsea Vs Man City 25.11.12 KO 4:00 (Sky Sports 1)

Luckycharms_74

Rafael Benitez takes charge of his first game as Chelsea manager when the Blues host Premier League leaders Manchester City in Sunday's blockbuster clash.

The two heavyweights enter the Stamford Bridge showdown on the back of similarly rough weeks in Europe, with City having crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage for a second successive year, while Chelsea's qualification hopes are hanging by a thread.

The 3-0 defeat to Juventus which left the Blues on the brink of elimination was swiftly followed by the sacking of manager Roberto Di Matteo - who just six months ago led the club to their greatest ever triumph of winning the competition.

Former Liverpool boss Benitez has been appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season and takes charge of a Chelsea side sitting third in the Premier League and four points adrift of City in the top spot.

Despite their lofty status, the Blues have failed to win a league game in four, having suffered an upset at West Brom last weekend when they were beaten 2-1.

Benitez will look to stake his intent by getting off to a winning start with Chelsea against the Premier League champions, who are unbeaten in the league this season and have won eight of their 12 encounters.

Roberto Mancini's men were unable to prevent their slide out of Europe this week when they could only draw 1-1 with Real Madrid, and will be keen to get back on track in West London.

Having knocked local rivals Manchester United off the top spot, Mancini's side sit a point ahead of their neighbours, who could reclaim pole position with a win against QPR on Saturday.

Venue Stamford Bridge, Sunday 4pm

Tickets Sold out

Last season Chelsea 2 Man City 1

Referee Chris Foy

This season's matches 9 Y15, R0, 1.67 cards per game

Odds Chelsea 6-4 Man City 13-8 Draw 8-3

Chelsea v Manchester City: Probable starters in bold, contenders in light

Chelsea

Subs from Blackman, Hilário, Turnbull, Ferreira, Cahill, Marin, Bertrand, Romeu, Piazón, Sturridge, Moses, Malouda

Doubtful Cole (ankle), Sturridge (hamstring)

Injured Terry (knee, 8 Dec), Lampard (calf, 1 Dec)

Suspended None

Form guide LDDLWW

Disciplinary record Y16 R2

Leading scorers Mata, Torres 4

Manchester City

Subs from Pantilimon, Wright, Kompany, Zabaleta, Milner, Dzeko, Sinclair, García, K Touré, Kolarov, Nimely, Balotelli, Razak

Doubtful Balotelli (back), Clichy (ankle), Kompany (knee)

Injured Rodwell (groin, 8 Dec), Richards (knee, 15 Dec), Guidetti (leg, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WWDWWW

Disciplinary record Y11 R1

Leading scorers Dzeko, Tevez 6

Match pointers

• There have been five penalties awarded in the past six league games between these sides

• If Chelsea do not win, it will be the first time since December 2008 that they have gone three top-flight home games without a victory

• City's 14-match unbeaten run at the start of last season ended in defeat at Chelsea

• Chelsea have beaten City 20 times in the Premier League; only Tottenham (23) have lost to the Blues more times

• Carlos Tevez has scored six goals in his past six league appearances against Chelsea

ShamoBuc

Are you sure City are away?:pac:

Turtyturd

Given you're record I can actually see what you are trying to do here, good job.:D

double GG

Cracking game in store.
Tevez usually does well against Chelsea and I can see him scoring tomorrow. Torres will score aswell.

1-1 draw or City pinching it 2-1.

Any news on Kompany? Heard he was a doubt for the game?

The_Kew_Tour

Great game this. Hard to predict could go either way. Think Chelsea might sneak it.

GavRedKing

3-2 Chelsea.

I've this in a btts so hoping for goals and a Chelsea win......not asking for much really. :pac:

Panthro

GavRedKing wrote: »

3-2 Chelsea.

I've this in a btts so hoping for goals and a Chelsea win......not asking for much really. :pac:

I looked up that exact score on PP only a few mins ago. The odds were 19/1.
Not baddd!

GavRedKing

Panthro wrote: »

I looked up that exact score on PP only a few mins ago. The odds were 19/1.
Not baddd!

We'll leave one in I'm sure but hoping the guys upfront can do the business.

Kompany still a doubt??

GavRedKing

I'm going say our starting XI will be :

Cech

Ivan Cahill Luiz Cole

Mikel Ramires

Mata Oscar Hazard

Torres

Panthro

Drop Luiz and bring in Azpilicueta at FB and move Ivanovic to CB?

GavRedKing

Turtyturd wrote: »

Given you're record I can actually see what you are trying to do here, good job.:D

If we lose, I'm banning Luckycharms. :pac:

GavRedKing

Panthro wrote: »

Drop Luiz and bring in Azpilicueta at FB and move Ivanovic to CB?

Possibly but I can see him playing Luiz as hes much quicker then Ivan.

Although Ivan/Cahill at the back would be a good option too.

Sgt Pepper 64

GavRedKing wrote: »

I'm going say our starting XI will be :

Cech

Ivan Cahill Luiz Cole

Mikel Ramires

Mata Oscar Hazard

Torres

I dont think he will play all 3 of Mata, Haz and Oscar, its too open and exposed and he doesnt have to play fantasy football, just get results.
If he does, one of them will play a lot deeper than normal.
Both him and Bolo have said they cant really change that much in terms of tactics, just tweak it for now

Cantona's Collars

Rafa to play Mata & Hazard as wingbacks with Torres as a lone striker in a 7-2-1 formation.

blueser

Panthro wrote: »

Drop Luiz and bring in Azpilicueta at FB and move Ivanovic to CB?

Nooo. Please let Luiz be playing tomorrow. I'll be more confident of City getting the win then!

RichT

Panthro wrote: »

Drop Luiz and bring in Azpilicueta at FB and move Ivanovic to CB?

Oh by god, THIS please!

Xavi6

The sooner there's a rule banning these long and pointless OPs the better.

Chelsea win thanks to new manager buzz.

Luckycharms_74

Xavi6 wrote: »

The sooner there's a rule banning these long and pointless OPs the better.

Chelsea win thanks to new manager buzz.

Looks like you got the hump regarding them Xavi. Should I have put in Balotelli in the graphic

Super-Rush

Xavi6 wrote: »

The sooner there's a rule banning these long and pointless OPs the better.

Chelsea win thanks to new manager buzz.

Give it a rest ffs.

Out of all the things wrong with this forum you want to ban people from posting long posts.

Xavi6

Super-Rush wrote: »

Give it a rest ffs.

Out of all the things wrong with this forum you want to ban people from posting long posts.

Incorrect, no issue with long posts at all.

I just offered my opinion, none of that to be found in these OPs. Tis a discussion forum after all.

Once we get to page two it'll be grand anyway.

Xavi6

Luckycharms_74 wrote: »

Looks like you got the hump regarding them Xavi. Should I have put in Balotelli in the graphic

Nah just link to wherever you're copying and pasting from, or offer up a few thoughts of your own instead. A few lines of opinion is a lot more valuable than a wall of someone else's text in a forum.

Keep the graphic though, you put in the effort for that and it looks good

cgpg5

Was it Chelsea that ended City's unbeaten run last year? Have a feeling it was, maybe wrong though.

I can't see it happening tomorrow though. Think City will sneak it. Will that be 5 Chelsea league games in a row winless if that's the case?

EDIT- Just read OP :P It was Chelsea indeed. I just don't see City losing tomorrow though

Can see Chelsea winning this.

Sgt Pepper 64

The two failed men of Inter go head to head, both dwarfed by the mighty Mourinho, who still casts a long shadow over Chelsea.
Yes, Mancini won titles but ironically it was Liverpool, Benitez and Torres who prompted his exit for, ironically again, Mancini's poor performance in the Champions League.
Its all very ironic and six degrees of separation ish
I still think if Aguero had signed for Chelsea, like he threatened to do, we would never have gone for Torres.

Wrongway1985

Panthro wrote: »

Drop Luiz and bring in Azpilicueta at FB and move Ivanovic to CB?

I'd say Azpilicueta starts wasn't he one of the players along with Torres that Rafa took a shining to in training....Rafa?? Can't believe I'm saying his name how am I gonna get used to this?

Red Crow

Rafa doesn't tend to oversee teams that play nice football so it'll be interesting to see what happens here. I can see Chelsea winning though.

Hulk Hands

Huge amount of the Man City diehards from last season have switched over to Chelsea for this one

Xavi6

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Huge amount of the Man City diehards from last season have switched over to Chelsea for this one

Considering City are above them I'd have thought it'd be the other way around, especially if you factor in who won the league more recently.

Did you fail at an attempted funny?

Leiva

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Huge amount of the Man City diehards from last season have switched over to Chelsea for this one

Your posts get more bizarre by the day

Leiva

back on topic....

Score draw or Chelsea to nick it in the closing minutes.

Xavi6

Chelsea fans are apparently to have a minute's applause for Di Matteo in the 16th minute.

Donerkebab

Chelsea 5-2

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

MUSEIST

Phoenix wrote: »

I can see City winning this:(
I hope not,but i think they will

Yeah I agree, hard to see city not winning this. Hopefully I'm wrong and we somehow find a really good performance today.

MaroonAndGreen

Chelsea to bounce back today, I'd guess at 2-1.

Torres and Sturridge off the bench to score.

MaroonAndGreen

Also,

Hope that we start with the same formation as we usually have this season and with Hazard, Oscar and Mata all starting.

Sgt Pepper 64

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

Also,

Hope that we start with the same formation as we usually have this season and with Hazard, Oscar and Mata all starting.

No, that only works against smaller sides. All our play goes through the middle and its easy to block. Plus Mikel and Ramires cant cope when they lose the ball

We need to press and compact the space and win the ball back

Xavi6

Big Vin plays.

Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov, Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva, Milner, Dzeko, Aguero.

CSF

No Tevez? Da fuk?

Xavi6

Luiz and Ivanovic at centre half for Chelsea, happy with that.

RichT

Xavi6 wrote: »

Luiz and Ivanovic at centre half for Chelsea, happy with that.

Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

Subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, Cahill, Bertrand, Romeu, Marin, Moses.


Cahil only on bench :eek:

Sgt Pepper 64

Fernando Torres starts up front for Chelsea in Rafael Benitez's first match in charge. Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard also in the starting XI.

Sgt Pepper 64

The Guardian's Daniel Taylor on Twitter: "Fernando Torres starts today with a worse scoring record for #CFC (18 in 86) than Paul Furlong (18 in 85). Stat by @martinlipton."

That is a killer stat. The sort that can be the epitaph on a player's career at a particular club.

wow thats really bad - i remember watching furlong,he was awful

RichT

remember when furlong scored with his arse?

Darkglasses

Not a great Chelsea team at all, I think City should take this one handily enough.

Surprised at Milner starting, a bit more of a physical presence than Nasri I guess. Same with Dzeko/Tevez.

Luckycharms_74

Looking forward to this. It should be a cracker. I think Torres will be fired up for it & can really torment Nastasic.
Key battle here is midfield. I think city will score but Chelsea to edge it.
2-1 Chelsea

Pj!

Furlong didn't have the same strength behind him in midfield either. There are very few premiership strikers who wouldn't get 18 from 86 for Chelsea with the game time he has had.

Sgt Pepper 64

Chelsea to once again break Citys unbeaten record?

ThunbergsAreGo

Rafa-Rafael....

Xavi6

I'll take a point please.

Sgt Pepper 64

Danny injured again then?