City head to Stamford Bridge this weekend and they’ll be hoping to come away with all three points.
Chelsea face Man City this weekend in one of the biggest games of the week in the Premier League.
City are currently trying to secure fourth place in the league and a potential Champions League spot for next season. Hot on their heels are rivals Man United (Not forgetting West Ham too) although they have opened up a four point gap between themselves and their Manchester rivals.
They’ll be hoping that by the end of their trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday they’ll have increased that lead even further.
Chelsea on the other hand are sat in tenth place after a horrid start to the season and after being steered back on track by Guus Hiddink, they’ll be eager to accumulate as many points as they can as the season comes to a close in the hopes of finishing as high up in the league as they can.
With he game this weekend, I’ve put together this combined City and Chelsea XI of the two side’s best players this season. I’ve tried to make it as even as possible by having six City players in the side and five Blues players in the side. If you think I’ve missed someone out, then be sure to let me know in the comments! Without further ado, here is the eleven…
GK – Joe Hart
The keeper has had a decent season in goal for Man City this year. He’s helped his side out with pivotal saves at times this campaign and he remains a key part of the club. He also remains England’s number one and is likely to feature in most England games this summer due to Jack Butland’s injury.
RB – Cesar Azpilicueta
Can play at either LB or RB but has arguably played his better football this year on the right, Azpilicueta has become one of the Blues best defenders and has helped them move up the table since their terrible opening to the season. He’s a strong passer of the ball and a top tackler and so earns his place in this combined XI.
CB – Nicolas Otamendi
Since his move to the Etihad in the summer, Otamendi has become one of the club’s best defenders. He’s done a fine job of stepping up in Vincent Kompany’s absence, putting in a number of man of the match displays.
CB – Kurt Zouma
The defender was having a good season for the Blues before he was unfortunately put on the sidelines with an injury. Strong in the air and powerful in the tackle, the 21-year old was beginning to nail down a starting centre-back spot at Stamford Bridge and I’m sure when he returns, he will be thrown straight back into the side.
LB – Gael Clichy
The Frenchman remains a key player for Man City and he goes straight into this combined XI. A great passer of the ball and excellent with his pace when on the ball and dribbling down the left-hand side of the pitch, he’s had some good games for City this year and they’ll be hoping he can continue to put in some good showings.
CDM – Cesc Fabregas
After a rather slow start to the season – much like his club – the Spaniard is steadily starting to re-find his feet at Chelsea. He scored in the club’s game against Southampton and played well in the Blues match against Norwich. Since Hiddink has taken over, we are slowly seeing signs of last year’s Fabregas again and for that, he clinches a place in this combined XI.
LM – Willian
Arguably Chelsea’s standout player of the year, the 27-year old has is now one of the club’s main players. He stood out in the Champions League for the Blues, putting in several outstanding performances before they were eliminated and he’s carried that form over to the Premier League, where he has provided both goals and assists for Guus Hiddink’s side. He certainly deserves a place in this combined XI.
RM – Raheem Sterling
A slight position change here for Sterling – He should be playing on the left but with Willian in the side, I’ve had to play him on the other wing – but I still think he’d do a job. This year, the 21-year old has continued to make some good progress at Man City and he’s become a regular starter for the club. He is capable not only of scoring goals but also setting them up too, with the youngster always being a pain in the opposition’s side with his mazy runs and killer passes.
CAM – Kevin De Bruyne
Oh how Chelsea and their fans will wish they were seeing him lineup for them and not against them on Saturday in the game between the two sides. He truly is the one that got away for the Blues, with the Belgium international proving to be a massive hit at the Etihad since his move to the club. A regular provider of both goals and assists, this year he has been fantastic and City have themselves arguably one of the best CAMs in the league in him.
ST – Diego Costa
Despite a rather average campaign compared to Chelsea’s usual standard, the Spaniard has still managed to bang in 11 goals and bag five assists in the Premier League to help the Blues climb into the top half of the table. He still remains a handful for opposition defences and there is no denying his quality finishing ability.
ST – Sergio Aguero
Aguero remains arguably one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He’s managed to get himself a tremendous 18 goals in the Premier League this season and when handed a chance in front of goal, it’s highly likely he’ll be putting the ball in the back of the net. He can turn a game on it’s head and control a game single-handedly and he remains an asset to City because of this. He is  the star man in this combined XI.
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