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The 2019-20 season of the Premier League has thrown up its fair share of surprises across 12 games. The likes of Everton, Tottenham, Watford and West Ham have stumbled considerably to find themselves in the lower trenches of the table whereas Arsenal and Manchester United have also not particularly covered themselves in glory.
However, perhaps the biggest success story of the term has been the coming of age of Chelsea’s youngsters, especially under the stewardship of an equally inexperienced Frank Lampard.
The Blues have managed to thrill those in attendance with their effervescent brand of football and have cast themselves as worthy contenders for the top four.
And, while the West Londoners have been on an irresistible upward trajectory this season, the same can’t be said of Manchester City, who have slipped down from their astronomical standards courtesy a string of injuries and patchy performances.
The Cityzens have had to field a make-shift defence on most occasions and that has led to them being carved open more frequently, meaning that their offensive prowess hasn’t always been able to dig them out of defensive holes.
However, with Pep Guardiola at the helm, the Sky Blues have rarely failed to turn up for a red-letter day akin to the one longing to embrace them on Saturday.
After all, it’s an encounter that pits a side that’s fighting to keep its title hopes alive against another that is desperate to highlight its own credentials.
Inevitably, the game could be decided by extremely fine margins, with individual players’ moments of magic being a probable tilting scale.
Thus, through the course of this article, we would take a look at the five players who could have a major impact come Saturday.
#5 Raheem Sterling
The Englishman’s name has been splashed across the back pages over the past fortnight, although it hasn’t always been for footballing reasons. A part of arguably the most infamous in-team bust-up in recent memory, Raheem Sterling has had to contend with his due of off-field criticism lately.
However, on the pitch, the forward has been one of the better performers across the top-flight, meaning that the Sky Blues have relied on him to provide the attacking ammunition. And, so far, the Englishman has delivered, scoring 7 times in 11 appearances.
More importantly though, the winger is a vital cog of City’s offensive machinery, courtesy the width and the astute positioning he brings to the table. Despite hugging the touch-line for large stretches of matches, he drifts in-field at the adequate moments to double up as a second striker, thereby creating a numerical superiority in that part of the field.
Additionally, Sterling would fancy himself against Cesar Azpilicueta and Emerson. While the former has lost a yard of pace, the latter likes to bomb forward, meaning that he could leave spaces behind.
And, there’s also the small matter of the Englishman wanting to right his recent off-field wrongs with a notable performance against a fellow top four contender.
Thus, one wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Sterling ends up being the point of difference on Saturday.
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#4 Tammy Abraham
In the summer, Chelsea faced an enormous striking conundrum once Alvaro Morata had departed for the Spanish capital. Subsequently, only Olivier Giroud remained as the Blues’ recognised forward with experience in the Premier League. However, a tall, lanky 21-year-old Englishman has ensured that the goals haven’t dried up at Stamford Bridge.
After plying his trade for Aston Villa in the Championship last term, Tammy Abraham was thrown into the deep end at the start of the 2019-20 season, a predicament that was supposed to sum up Chelsea’s blues.
However, rather than getting baulked at that proposition, he has relished each second of his time in the spotlight, making the net bulge on 10 occasions in the league while he has added another in Europe.
And, at the Etihad, his raw pace and strength could be a handful against John Stones, Fernandinho and potentially, Nicolas Otamendi.
Moreover, the Sky Blues would most likely try to impose themselves on the game, meaning that their centre-backs would try to squeeze the pitch. In such a situation, Abraham’s propensity to play on the shoulder of the last defender could bear fruit.
Thus, City would do well to guard against the threat of the striker.
#3 Sergio Aguero
The Argentine hasn’t started as prominently for the Cityzens this term, courtesy Pep Guardiola’s tendency to regularly shuffle his striking pack. However, despite starting only two-thirds of City’s league games, Sergio Aguero has rippled the net 9 times and has laid on a couple of assists as well.
Thus, if the forward gets the nod against Chelsea, he could be one of the men to watch out for, not just because he represents a striker in form but also because he enjoys playing against the Blues.
In his time in the Premier League, Aguero has scored against the West Londoners on 10 occasions, which incidentally, is also the highest number of goals an individual has popped up with when facing them.
Furthermore, the Argentine has found the back of the net 8 times in his previous 6 encounters against the Blues, which also included a hat-trick at the Etihad in a 6-0 mauling in February.
Hence, current and past form don’t paint a particularly encouraging portrait for the Blues. And, they would hope that the Argentine doesn’t prove to be Super Frank’s kryptonite on Saturday.
#2 Jorginho
In the 2018 off-season, Chelsea, after the appointment of Maurizio Sarri, quickly moved to acquire Jorginho, with the Italian banking on his compatriot to help ingrain his philosophy on the team. And, though that experiment underwent quite a few trials and tribulations, Jorginho has outlasted Sarri at Stamford Bridge and has probably gotten better since the former manager’s departure.
Often criticised for his propensity to play square passes, Jorginho found it tough to stamp his authority against tougher oppositions last term. In the process, Chelsea suffered as a lot of their offensive moves generally flowed through the midfielder. And, one only needs to look at their performances at the Emirates and the Etihad at the turn of the year to drive the point home.
However, under Lampard, Jorginho has been accorded a more proactive and dynamic role, meaning that he is looking to release the ball quicker and into space. Consequently, Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount have thrived, meaning that Chelsea’s attack has seemed in fine fettle.
Yet, the clash against City on Saturday represents the Italian’s litmus test. Months ago, it was at the Etihad that people started questioning the midfielder’s suitability to the Premier League, owing to his slight frame and slight lack of defensive work-rate.
And, courtesy the cyclical nature of football, he has the ideal opportunity to showcase how far he has traversed as a player in the English top-flight when he makes the trip to the blue half of Manchester.
#1 Kevin De Bruyne
A couple of weeks ago, Manchester City crumbled to a chastening defeat at the hands of Liverpool, meaning that they were left 9 points adrift of the Reds. On Merseyside, most of the Sky Blues’ flair players failed to come to the party, thereby allowing the hosts’ all-action style to trump them. And, Kevin De Bruyne represented one of those to have not risen to the occasion.
Through the nascent stages of the 2019-20 campaign, the Belgian has already earmarked himself as a candidate for being the best player on show in England. He began the season on fire, notching up several assists whereas he also created an enormous amount of chances for his teammates.
Recently though, he was struggled just a tad for consistency, by his standards, meaning that he’s endured the odd bad game.
However, usually, the midfielder has been able to follow up a poor performance with a dazzling display, a prospect that might not be music to Chelsea’s ears.
Moreover, apart from N’Golo Kante, the Blues’ midfield lacks a shade of dynamism, thereby prompting De Bruyne to attack them and exploit the spaces in between the lines.
Thus, there are plenty of caveats for the Blues to take into account before entering the fray at the Etihad. Rather stunningly though, if De Bruyne does turn up completely, Chelsea might just be rendered powerless.
After all, when the Belgian is on song, he is simply the best midfielder on the planet currently.
