Chelsea take on Manchester City in a huge Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
Pep Guardiola has made several changes to the starting eleven that beat Swindon Town last time out with Ederson recalled in goal. Kyle Walker keeps his place at right-back while Joao Cancelo also starts on the opposite side of the Man City defence.
Nathan Ake makes way for Aymeric Laporte while John Stones is also recalled with Ruben Dias dropping to the bench. Rodri starts once again in midfield along with Kevin De Bruyne while Bernardo Silva drops into a deeper role at the expense of Ilkay Gundogan.
Jack Grealish is recalled to start in the Manchester City attack along with Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling so Gabriel Jesus drops to the bench this afternoon.
Thomas Tuchel has also freshened things up at Chelsea with Thiago Silva recalled to start in defence after he was rested for the League Cup win at Tottenham in midweek. Andreas Christensen is the man to make way as he’s got covid. Malang Sarr and Antonio Rudiger keep their places.
Cesar Azpilicueta also starts for Chelsea while Marcos Alonso comes in on the left flank with Callum Hudson-Odoi making way. N’Golo Kante is recalled to start alongside Mateo Kovacic in midfield so Jorginho has to settle for a place on the bench.
Romelu Lukaku leads the line up front for the West Londoners but Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech come back into the attack so Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner miss out.
Here are the confirmed line-ups:
Man City
Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Foden, Grealish
Subs: Steffen, Dias, Gundogan, Jesus, Fernandinho, Mbete, McAtee, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand
Chelsea
Kepa; Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Sarr; Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Pulisic, Lukaku, Ziyech
Subs: Bettinelli, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Saul, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Havertz, Werner
