Pedro And Alonso To Start – Predicted 3-4-3 Chelsea Line-Up To Face Manchester City

The game week 13 will experience one of the battles of the season, as Chelsea will travel to Etihad stadium in search of their 8th successive win with just one point hanging between them and the third place Manchester City. Thanks to the absence of European football, Chelsea are completely into the Premier League and are looking set to challenge for the title till the last breath.

Manchester City, on the other hand, have been quite inconsistent in the league so far. This will be a stern test for the Citizens and Pep Guardiola, as they will be hoping to overcome the deficit between them and the Blues.

Looking at their recent encounters, Chelsea surely are on a bit higher ground, but they cannot really overlook the fact that City are one of the most precise sides in front of the goals.

A game to reckon with, and here is the predicted lineup for the Blues of London:

Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois-

The former Atletico Madrid loanee was finally beaten against the Lilly-Whites after keeping six consecutive clean sheets and he will now be looking to restart that run again. But the job won’t be an easy one as players like Aguero, De Bruyne and Sterling will be hunting in packs in the D-box.

Defence: Azpilicueta; Luiz; Cahill-

The three men at the back have been fantastic this season. Azpilicueta, who was a complete newbie at centre-back has adapted the role like anything. His tackling has been perfect, his reading of the game is almost unmatchable.

David Luiz and Gary Cahill have been superb as well. Yes, they need help from the midfield time to time, but their individual contribution has been wonderful.

Against City, the duo will have to pull up their socks to neutralise the pacey City attack.

Midfield: Moses; Kante; Matic; Alonso-

Can Moses be any better? Ask yourself.

The one time Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham reject has unleashed the beast within himself and the credit only goes to the Italian maestro. The Nigerian was surely familiar with a role on the wings, but his participation in defence has unlocked a new trait that is loved by the fans and the manager.

Can we ever stop praising N’Golo Kante?

The French midfield bulldozer has made his name all by himself and has cemented his spot in the squad with ease. Kante alongside Matic is a midfield that can block thunderstorms and meteors and they will surely be making Citizen’s life miserable.

Matic is nowadays involved in the attacking setup, but this time around, he will have to cut that short to a certain extent as the former Chelsea man – De Bruyne – will seeking a point to prove.

On the other flank, the new arrival Marcos Alonso will be plying his trade. The former Fiorentina star has adopted his role like anything and though he needs to improve his skills in the attacking third, he has been a trusted shamus for Conte, performing his duties quietly on the flanks.

Attacking Three: Pedro; Costa; Hazard-

One of the best attacking trios in the league.

It was seeming like Pedro has made a mistake by joining the Blues, but an injury to Willian means he got his chance to prove his worth and he used the opportunity to seal a spot in the manager’s plans.

It is  hard to dispossess the former Barcelona man from his perch and that will help the blues to keep more possession in the attacking areas.

Chelsea’s most dangerous men – Costa & Hazard – will have to prove themselves in the game. Costa, who has already scored 10 goals, will be up against Otamendi and Stones, while Hazard will be playing his skills against the likes of Sagna or Zabaleta.