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Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday. The two clubs have also set up a date in the UEFA Champions League final and will battle it out for continental glory in Istanbul on 29th May.
It promises to be an exciting contest with both teams in fine form at the moment. They should also be full of confidence with Manchester City and Chelsea having knocked out Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid from the Champions League, respectively.
The game also has special significance for the Cityzens who can regain the Premier League f they record a win against Chelsea. If they indeed prevail in this game, it will be mathematically impossible for second-placed Manchester United to catch up with them this season.
Chelsea have turned a leaf leaf under Thomas Tuchel and are now aiming to finish in the top four. They will also be playing two finals this month and are thus still in contention to lift the FA Cup and the Champions League.
We can go on and on about the depth of the two squads and the quality of the players but in this article we will take a look at how a combined XI for Manchester City vs Chelsea will look like for their upcoming weekend showdown.
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Manchester City vs Chelsea: Combined XI (Formation: 3-5-1-1)
Goalkeeper: Ederson | Manchester City
Including Ederson in this hypothetical combined XI was a no-brainer, because at the moment no Premier League custodian has kept more clean sheets than the Brazilian.
While Chelsea's Edouard Mendy is second only to Ederson in terms of clean sheets, managing 16 in 28 outings (Ederson has 18 in 33 appearances), one area where the former has the upper hand is his incredible distribution skills. He is known for his long through balls, and his pin-point passing has also helped him pick up an assist in the league this season.
While he also has the best defensive lineup of the league in front of him, which has also contributed hugely to his 18 clean sheets this term, his reflexes and saves have been top notch.
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Centre-back: Ruben Dias | Manchester City
Just as Virgil Van Dijk led Liverpool to Premier League glory with his commanding presence and supreme defensive abilities last season, Manchester City have found a natural leader in Ruben Dias in this campaign.
City had struggled to replace Vincent Kompany at the heart of the defence and had to use Fernandinho to Rodri in the backline during the early stages of the season. Since his arrival, the player, who turns 24 next week, has proven himself to be a long-term replacement for the Belgian defender and has transformed Manchester City's defence.
The hosts have conceded just 24 goals in 34 games in the league, a record only bettered in Europe by Atletico Madrid, who have let in 22 goals so far. Dias' understanding with John Stones has helped form a sturdy defensive partnership at the back for Manchester City and also elevated the latter's game.
Centre-back: Kurt Zouma | Chelsea
Chelsea haven't had a world-class centre-back in their ranks for quite some time now. Thiago Silva's arrival in the summer was an added boost to their backline but the veteran, now 36, has some limitations.
A key defender who had upped his game this term has been Kurt Zouma. The Frenchman had struggled with injuries and match fitness for the past few seasons but is now back to full fitness and has been a rock for Chelsea this term.
He has been a beast in the air this season and has won four aerial duels per 90 minutes. That would explain his goalscoring exploits this term, as he has scored five goals in the Premier League, despite making just 21 appearances. So Manchester City attackers, as well as defenders, need to be wary of him.
Centre-back: Thiago Silva | Chelsea
If John Stones wasn't suspended for the game, he would've joined his partner Ruben Dias in our list. Thus, Thiago Silva completes the defensive lineup of this XI, thanks to his impressive performances in recent fixtures.
Manchester City suffered a 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in April and Thiago Silva was one of the best performers in that game, keeping Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling in his pocket.
Though he has lost some pace in recent times, we can expect him to make the most of his experience to keep the City attackers at bay.
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Wing-back: Joao Cancelo | Manchester City
Wingbacks are often the workhorses of modern football teams and one such player who can shine against Chelsea is City's Joao Cancelo. They are expected to perform the dual duty of contributing in defence and also be decisive in the final third and generate goal-scoring chances from the flanks, mostly in the form of pin-point crosses.
Cancelo has emerged to be one of the best wing-backs in the Premier League this term and has been a key member of the Manchester City defence that has the best record in the English top-flight.
He has finally found his feet at the Etihad Stadium and Pep Guardiola trusts him enough to make him the first-choice right-back over Kyle Walker.
Defensive midfielder: N'Golo Kante | Chelsea
One of the guaranteed starters in our hypothetical XI is Chelsea's midfield general N'Golo Kante. The Frenchman is one of the best defensive midfielders of our times, and though he struggled earlier this season, his performances against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League were a reminder of the kind of ability he possesses.
His tireless running behind the ball and defensive prowess will be key factors in breaking Manchester City's buildup play. A return to form for himis good news for the Blues, as they need to be firing all engines in this final leg of the season.
Central Midfielder: Mason Mount | Chelsea
Mason Mount has emerged as kind of a poster boy for the next generation of home-grown talents in the English top-flight and has been one of the best Chelsea players this season, having impressed equally under Frank Lampard and now Thomas Tuchel.
He is Chelsea's joint-top scorer in the Premier League with six goals, and more importantly, most of his goals have come at crucial moments. Midfield has been the visitors' strength this term and Mount has come to the fore in the area with his impressive performances.
Central Midfielder: Phil Foden | Manchester City
When it comes to emerging midfield talents in the English top-flight, Phil Foden is one of the first names that come to mind. The 20-year-old has had a breakthrough campaign with the Cityzens this season and established himself as a first-team regular.
Though he does not have the physical ability to hold off opponents and maintain possession, his technical skills make up for his lack of muscle. His quick feet and good ball-control make him a great asset in the middle of the park as he can manoeuvre the ball under tricky situations.
His distribution skills and an eye for the goal are what make him such a dangerous player to go up against.
Wing-Back: Ben Chilwell | Chelsea
If City have Cancelo running up and down the right flank, Chelsea' possess Ben Chilwell, who is one of the best left-backs in the Premier League at the moment. Chilwell had been a familiar name in the English top-flight before making a move to Chelsea from Leicester City.
His pace and presence of mind has helped him create a lot of chances from the left flank and his pin-point crosses are one of the reasons why he has six assists across all competitions.
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Second Striker: Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most technically gifted players of our times. His vision and passing abilities are unmatched in Europe. Like every year, this season too he has been busy creating chances for is teammates and has bagged 11 assists in the Premier League.
Though the tally is a little underwhelming by his standards, he has been used in different roles this term by Guardiola, which has included playing him as a centre-forward and second striker at times.
That's why we have included him as one of the two strikers in the team at the moment, as regular strikers from both clubs have failed to impress this season so far.
Striker: Riyad Mahrez | Manchester City
A winger by nature, Riyad Mahrez has enjoyed himself in front of the goal this season. With Gabriel Jesus struggling for form and Sergio Aguero's season hampered by injuries, they needed someone to provide some inspiration in the final third and that's what the Algerian winger has provided at the right time.
His performances in the Champions League have been particularly impressive and his recent form makes him one of the most dangerous players in the game tonight.
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